New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-13
GREAT CAMPAIGN OPENING.
ACTION AT yAAL KRANTZ PART OF
THE GENERAL PLAN.
IC1vy--ge--. 1900: by The New-york Tribuae.1
icy CABLE TO TEE TRIBUSE-l

London. Feb I2. ! a. m.-Lcrd Roberts, on
receiving al Modder Kiver on Friday Sir Red
ve-s Buffers report on the recent operations on
ne Uppe- Tugela sent summary Of II after
midnight or Sunday which was posted the
War Office yesterday. The studied deliberaIlon
= eli these methods Of transmission contrasts
strongly with the in1Detuous haste with which
the seizure Of Potg5eter's Pont and the projected
night attack upsn STion Kop were announced
General BuIle-'s second attack was his own
plsn. formed when he was Commander in Chief
and LORD Roberts did not interfere with IT, but
allowed him 70 report upon Il directly 70 the
War Once. General Buffers third attack was
ordered by Lord Roberts and was the opening
move Il 2 new strategic combination The War
onoe was not excited over II last week. General
Butler did not take a serious view Of il, and
Lord Roberts has reported upon It after forty
e-ght hours Of delay 2 minor detail con
rested with the larger campaign elsewhere
GENERAL BULLER's FEINT.
General Buffers explanations Of the with
1raval from VaaI Krau1z are even more artif-
cal than those offered by the special corre-
sponaercs Observers from The balloon which
was constantly in the air al Spearman's Camp.
could have informed him that Vaal Krantz could
1oy Be fntrenched and held against raking fire
from The higher ground east and west The
ph-asing q General Buffers report, when read
between The lines, tends ID confirm the theory
that Ire main object Of the third passage Of the
river vas secured when the Dutch forces were
held n that quarter and temporarily occupied
while the concentration OF the British forces
was going on toward AIodder River
While details Of the rumored Dutch fanking
movement against General Buffers army. and
also Of al orlinous sortie from Ladysnitn on the
day following the retreat, were awaited with
anxious interest M0dder River became yester-
cay The central point for English eyes. Lord
ROBERTS wes there. and the curtain might rise
a. any moment upon the chief military drama
o. the campaign
TIE silence ot expectancy was not broken al
midnight Few dispatches had been received in
Fleet Street from any quarter. and the ruEnOr
nongers had made little use Of the press
agencies. The War Office had exhausted its
energies II supplying a JOB lot Of casualty lists.
and the war editions of the evening papers had
only rUIcetol6 tales OF the Rensberg skirrlish
and q Vaal Krarcz-
DUTCH ACTIVE NEAR COLESBERG-
When The theatres were enptyiug there were
dispatches indicating that the Dutch were en-
cesvortng 10 flank the British positions around
Colesberg, both eas- and west; that General
Crun5e had retired from his nosition at Nagers-
fonten and vas concentrating his forces near
was going in the West Barkly district at the
expense o. the lovaIlst refugees. There was
also story which interested the holders OF
mining stocks, 10 the effect that the Transvaal
Government had refused 10 accept payment for
LICENSES unless The whole board Of directors was
present a. Pretoria Otherwise there was no
var news Al midnight in Fleet Street and the
War CeHce closed without casting a glimIler OF
Lght upon The situation.
STATEMENTS N PARLIAMENT.
The Ministerial statements IN both houses re-
fpecti-g the military reorganization We're closely
i-EoEed yesterday from the crowded galleries
Lord LanscoH-ne's speech was lucid account
q the measures requisite for the conduct OF the
var and the general trend toward permanent
reforms q z far reaching character which viii
Increase the efficiency of the army. George
Nyncnan covered the same ground in q speech
nsin2rkao-e fer its luminous exposition of q
technical and complex subject. The War Office
was again shown 70 have provided army OF
nsar'y rSo hundred thousand men Tor the oper-
e-oIs n SCurh Africa. by means Of one make
Al4-L or another and the practical problem 70 be
worked out a. leisure was The conversion Of tenn
PSrsry ezpedients into q permanent system that
~oolo Dc Scientific and adapted 10 future condi-
1ohE Nj Wyndham was loudly cheered when
y declared tnat there was no intention Of rem
-s --'s 1--illsry service compulsory pul lhat
may Things would be doEe 70 develop the ex-
sung military resources by rendering service
= me militia. yeomanry and volunteers more
'iaeaFe and by bringing veterans VINO had
III WIN the colors and the reserves again into
- ne-o Tor garrison duty a. home
eHect q these speeches. especially the
4o3ess relating Z improved artillery. In
@Seo Strength q the light cavalry. and the
ea--atloE of colonial auxiliary forces On an
--- easis. Is TO strengthen the Goys.nusaG