, 1900-01-11
ROBERTS ARRIVES
NEW CHIEF OF ENGLISH FORCES
NOW IN SOUTH
AFRICA.
General Roberts and Staff Reach Cape
Town-Complete Reversal of Pres
ent Tactics Will Probably Result
British Generals at the Front All
Waiting for R~einforcements.

London, Jan. 10.-The chief item OF
news this morning is that Generals
Roberts and Kitchener have reached
Cape Town, and until the new COM
mander-in-chief has formulated a new
plan of campaign and a new system Of
tactics, and until substantial reinforce
ments arrive, news is likely to be CON
s%picuous by its absence, as it is not eX-
pected that any great progress will be
made. The British generals are at a
standstill because of faulty strategy
and because the forces on the spot are
inadequate, and neither defect can be
remedied at once. Fuller details of the
disaster to the Suffolk regiment do not
improve the original story. We now
hear nothing of the enemy giving an
order to retire. The men seem to have
sition and to have been unable to eff
feet anything in the face Of the heavy
fire, whereupon two companies retreat
ed and the third was captured.
Again II is the SAINT SlOTN us Ut
S~tormberg and Magersfontein. 1t is
not likely that any great move will be
made on the British side until Lord
Roberts has considered the whole po-
sition and given the generals under him
instructions. General Butler might.
if his preparations had been complete,
have attacked on Saturday, when Lady
smith was assailed, or on the following
Sunday, without giving any ground for
a suggestion that he wished to bring
off a coup before the arrival of the
new commander-in-chief. But he
could not have fought yesterday or
Monday without leaving himself open
to hat imputation.
A report was current in this city yes
when he arrives, will take over the
command of the Modder river column,
relieving General Methuen, who, it is
said, has had serious disagreements
with the officers under him. It is
known that Gener6u W~auchope pro-
tested against tn .Saial night march.
but without avail. and it is said that
the colonel of one of the battalions
was sent back to Cape Town because
he and General Methuen disagreed as
to the ACCESSIBILITY of a certain strate-
gic move
General Balfour's speeches in Man
chester, in which he has been defend
ing the government, have raised a
storm of hostile criticism. His utter
ances yesterday are considered by some
of his critics as the most remarkable
Of the series, as he practically pleaded
guilty of gross m~iscalculation.
In reply to the question, why was
first, and why were mounted men pre-
ferred at the outbreak of the. WARP"
He replied:
we have to meet an enemy entire
ly mounted. and it is quite true that
that fact and all consequences from it
were not adequately realized"
This certainly is an amazing confess
sion, as everybody knew that the b.
ers were all mounted.
Mr.. Balfour then goes on to state
that the reason the government did
not realize its condition was because
there was nobody to tell us of the i'm
portance of this thing. So far as |
know, not a single soldier had fore
seen the remarkable infantry results
which mounted infantry can obtain"
His third astonishing admission Is
that it is quiet true that the govern
ment failed to forecast what a war with |
the Beers would mean.
Mr.. Balfour has certainly done any
thing but strengthen his party. In
fact, certain Conservative organs are
calling for a Reputation of Mr.. Bal
four and those who associate them
selves with him in the doctrine that
nobody is to blame for leading the
country lightheartedly into war with
knowing anything OF its opponents
strength, OF England's unprepared-
ness.