New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-24
THE PLIGHT OF MAFEKTNG.

Interest in the Transvaal war now centres
chiefly upon Mafeking. That place, under the
command of Colonel Baden Powell has suS-
tanned one of the most notable sieges In modern
history with a gallantry unsurpassed in the
annals of 1t of the first places
invested by the Beers, and it remains invested
long after the others have been relieved 1t
has resisted the attacks of far more over
whelmng forces than any of the other places
and has been the object of onslaught by the
most truculent and willy commanders in the
whole Boer army. It's sufferings have been in
tense, but it has endured them with a light
hearted philosophy that has been the admira-
ton of friends and the despair of foes. 1t is not
conceivable that 1t is to be left to its fate. to
fall, after all, into the hands of the Beers. And
yet people are asking, Why do we hear nothing
of decisive movements for its relief? Colonel
Plumer seems to be at a standstill fifty miles
to the north and Lord Methuen is away down
at the Vaal River, at the south, and between
the two Mafeking is left to the mercy of the
Beers.
1t will be well to remember that whenever
there is lack of news from Lord Roberts there
is pretty certainly something important going
on. For some days before the relief of Kim
berley for example, heard almost nothing
from the British army. That is way 'Bobs
has, and it is uncOmmonly good way, too,
from a military point of view, though 1t may
be unsa tisfactory to those who want some stir
ring "hOt / the mouth" at breakfast
every morning. Now there has for some time
been a significant scarcity of news from Lord
Roberts. He Is supposed to be billing and
cooling with the Orange State burghers at
Boemfontein. Perhaps he is. There is impor
tant work to be done there in diplomatic,
political and administrative way. But it is not
TO be ina gined that he Is for a single moment
unmindful of the handful Of men who have for
weary months been keeping the flag flying
the distant border of Bechuanaland. 1t is safe
to believe that something is being done. more
than appears upon the surface of routine dis
patches. day may bring forth as much of a
surprise as it did at Kimberley.
There are some other things deserving of
notice. too. 1t is said that Colonel Plumer has met
the Beers in force at LObatsi and has now retired
to Crocodile Pool. The Beers, we were told
were under the command of COmmandant Sny
man. the besieger of Mafeking Well Lobatsi
is forty-fve miles from Mafeking If the Boer
commander and a considerable force of men
far away from Mafeking that, who
were left behind to maintain the siege? 1t
looks as If the siege were being abandoned. as
some dispatches have stated Again what
would the Beers have to gain by prolonging the
siege? They would run the risk of having a
British army come up and capture their invest
ing army, General CrOnje and his troops were
captured at Kimberley If they took Mafeking
it would be of no value to them. What they
most need is TO concentrate all their forces for
the defence of the south-central part of the
Transvaal, and especially their capital POtchef
stroom, and their seat of government, Pretoria.
That need Is emphasized by the fact that Gen
eral French Is now at work at ThabanChu,
forty miles east of Bloemfonten and is in COM
munication with Maseru, on the CaledOn River,
at the eastern border of the Orange State That
means that the British have line clear
across that State, from Kimberley to Basuto-
land, and that in turn may be interpreted to
mean that they are getting ready for a general
advance northward. If that advance is to be
met the Beers have no men to waste in pro-
longing the siege of Mafeking.