The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-27
Evidence That Beers Are TAX
ing the Offensive
With Cape Town as Their Early
Object.
e XPERT ANALYSIS.
Franklin X. Young, Military
Authority, Writes.
TransvaaI Generals Using Fred
erick's Tactics.


dfcted that the Beers would repulse the
British in preliminary battles of the war
His prediction was verified and since that
he has accurately forecasted the result
Of every engagement OF consequence in
South Africa.
Mr.. Young has been engaged to write
for the Republic and New York Journal
and the first of his articles of the Boer
war has appeared. He predicts that the
I3oer forces are preparing for a grand
coup. no less than the seizure of De Aar,
General Lord Nethuen's base of supplies
Il great oIenSlVe movement On llle pa pa
CT the admira ply placed Boer army, an up
rising Of the Cape Colony DuIch ana "
rlIllaIe!y an allach upon siAe, ~ " Il -3S
Partial confirmation of this starting
forecast has been received IN Lne shape oi
message from cape IoWn ltlstI i 1ItslltLSIl ~
GfaIacre in order to check 1nSurrecIlOn
among the Dutch cOlouists and tC prevent
tion or other assistance to the Beers, has
terms of this order all males more than
i years old of whatever nationality, lily
in a radius Of twelve miles of military
- n9ns novy ahiished north Of Strek-
stron. are required TO move outside the
selected IN, the oaffcer comn1andinsy
This oruer is similar to the recOncen-
trado order issued by General Weyler in
cuba and is plainly prompted by the fear
the standard Of the Beers.
Franklin X Young in St Louis Republbicl
To all appearances the week last past
has been barren of important news from
South Africa. General Sir Redvers Butler
with his main army is about Frere, in
Natal. having advanced posts as far north
as ChieveIey- on the center, General Ca
tacre occupies Sterkstrom. in Cape Col
on the left General AIethuen is intrenched
on the northerly bank of the Modder
From the standpoint of military art and
science this position OF the British army
is deplOrabIe and this condition is inten-
sihed by the fact that General Sir George
troops is beSIeged al l4adySIlltn, anu lhaC
Two minor sections of his command are
bIockaded at Mafeking and Kimberley
ne. arr o. Lhe great captain writes
Frederick the Great, consists in dividing
authority Tor the terse and comprehen-
sive dictum: Unity is the soul of strate-
OF all these columns of British troops
thus unfortunately circumstanced the sit
alone devoid of cause for anxiety His
base is the Indian Ocean. Durham his
zion from Estcourt via Peterrna ritzbura
Is secure. for the reason that the Boer
Justified in assuming the tactical often
Njve by crossing TO the south bank of the
Tugela river until after the fall of Lady
smith and the capture or destruction of
BULLER WHIPPED, NOT TRAPPED.
This last-named British general is in
he has no one 70 blame but himself, When
tApaIluQhed AaIeklnS ana hlmoerIey and
Inassed his army, then about 25,000 regu-
lars. about Ladysmith. and upon the ad-
vance ol the BoeFs ne Sh0uld nave fallen
back to the south of the Tugela and have
taken mp the position that General Butler
The. arst. duty of a general" writes
says Napoleon: 1T may be a point Of
honor Tor an ordnance -officer to save his
der-in-chief is the success of the cam
That General Butler can relieve General
White at Ladysmith is doubtful. Judging
BY tae meage5r, report put put by the
tack IN front against the line Of the TIL
frontal attack after mature deliberation
would seem to indicate that, at least to
General Buffers mind a maneuver by the
Hank is not feasible.
IN TINS connection 1t IS obvious to the
student Of military art and science. cables
Of war correspondents on the spot not
no trap. but that he was whipped at the
Iugela IN due and regular form by the
BOer army posted to defend the passa ge
OF an unfordable river. according to plan
II of the secret strategical Instructions of
Frederick the Great
II he got Oft with the loss of only eleven
guns and eleven hundred men. he got off
cheaper than any general in like eircum-
stances since the invention of gunpOwder.
mand blockaded at Mafeking and Kim
berley need but passing notice. inasmuch
- u y eNIueill lIttL unless renewed from
without, their capitulatiOn is only mat
9fETHEUN SEEMINGLY lost.
nat portion Of the British army most
column of the left under General Meth
termed in the German system Of warfare
F'redericks fifth ambuscade."
In a defensive plan of campaign under
the German strategicaI method-the plan
Is never attacked in force On the con-
trary, defensive Positions termed ambus-
cades, are taken up and into these the
enemy is inveigled-
When General Methuen crossed the Or
ange river the Beers gradually led him
northward and fought him in retreat until
they reached the Nodder river. Here they
formed the seventh ambuscade.' General
S1ethuen was credited with a victory, but
ne az at once once teIesrapned TO Cape Town Tor
Te-entorcements and he did not stir for
tnlrteen days Then he advanced across
the. river INTO the second ambuscade,
and. after admittedly meeting with a
bloody repuIse he fell back to the north
is there noW-fast in the fifth ambus-
tary art and science his army is lost
The reason IS this: His troops are back
are SURROUNDED probably by twice their
number. He must either retreat across
provisions are gone. or he must rout the
enemy on his frOnt-which last seems i'm
him. as a cat watches a mouse; they
should not attack him nor stir until he
night-the darker and stormier the better
south bank Of the Modder river
Then the fifth ambuscade. which up to
comes active. The Beers. ready to spring.
should patiently watch until his army
has crossed the bfidge and then they
destroy that half Of the British army re-
naming on the north bank. after which,
crossing to the south bank they should
pursue and destroy the surviving British
who have retreated across the river and
VINO woISSd be hopelessly cut off by the
3oer center column from aid or escape
THE CENTER COLUMN
the attention Of the reader is now call
ea e Ehe Boer column Of the center, for
things have happened in South Africa
superficial glance at the cunninelv cen
gored cable reports. These strong indica-