The evening times., 1899-11-14
Natal Under Rigid Censorship.

The censorship at Cape Town and at
Alden has been made so rigorous that 1t
may be several days before we shall be
able to get any definite news of what is
going on in Natal. unless some serious
thing should happen which the authorities
might think it impolitic TO conceal. Evil
IDENTIFY the cruX of the situation, as far as
Ladysmith is concerned, is closely at hand,
and the events of the coming week, PROM
Use to be greatly decisive.
Military experts in England do not con-
ceal their anxiety regarding Sir George
Whites supply of lyddite ammunition and
the possibilities involved in the emplace-
ment Of more siege guns by General Jou-
bert. who is still credited with deliberate
delay in bringing his operations against
/ Ladysmith to a crisis. in order TO first in
crease his ability for effective lombard
ment. For anything that appears to the
contrary, the garrison is intact and con-
fident. and the impression which seems to
be general, that, as yet the Boer artillery
fire has done little damage, may be justi-
fed by the facts. II may be assumed as
the strongest kind of probability that the
defenders up to latest advices had not been
made to feel the full power Of the Boer
forces and that Joubert would hardly al
low the advance of a relieving column
from Durham TO antedate supreme effort
on his part to carry the position.
From what little can be gathered from
the censored dispatches. there is encour-
agement for the belief thar Lord Met
thuen will be able TO move TO Estcourt
some days sooner than had been caicu-
lated. Fourteen thousand troops have
reached The Cape and half that number
with three batteries of field artillery have
proceeded 10 Durham. Within a week,
therefore, counting Wolfe -Murray's
strength at four thousand. Methuen should
be able to take the field with eleven thou
sand men, and that force should be suffi-
cient for offensive operations against the
Boer position at Pieters. north of the
Tusela River. especially as il will be sub
iect to daily enforcement from Durham.
as the remaining battalions of the First
Division arrive by transport.
If Sir George White can hold Ladysmith
for one week longer and at the end of
that time be in reasonably good fighting
condition as 10 ammunition and on, the
situation should undergo a sudden change.
Joubert would be between two fires. and
unless which is improbable. he could de-
feat White and Methuen separately, his
situation would quickly become an unten-
able one. Granting that he could hold the
heights and area north OF Ladysmith, and
westward to Tintwa Pass. for a consider
able time. and even prevent an immediate
junction OF the British forces, Sir Redvers
Butler is certain TO attempt i diversion On
the Free State side of the frontier, which
will threaten BloemfonJein, and ultimately
Pretoria. When this develops it is prac
tically certain that Vessels division of
Free Staters viii march home as fast as
horses will carry them, and that the Beers
VIII insist upon returning to the veldt to
protect the Transvaal territory. II is easy
to understand how much depends upon
Whites ability TO maintain the defence OF
Ladysmith for week or ten days longer