The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-02-11
ROHERTSS CAMPAIGN.

| London. Feb. lo-Spencsr Wilkinson. the
military expert. reviewing The South Afri-
| ,au situation for the Associated Press at
midnight. says
| Lord Roberts has now taken hold "f the
| campaign. His strategy evidently Is 90 act
| in the Western ;h"atrr Of war with energy
| enough TO move the center az gravity
thithe-. General Buffers move must. there
| fore. be considered in its place In a general
| scheme. The id.s. seems to he that If Gen
| erai Builer cannot skin the bear himself.
| ho can hold It's leg while someone else does
| Acor,lncly, General Butler Is not - risk
his armv bat. short of that, is 20 give tho
Bo"rs ia much TO do IN Natal 40 he can.
HIS attack of the past week WAS hardly
| carried out with the push th.: marks
| man resolved to win OF he broken IN
| any case. Il is no easy task to cross -
| river In order 10 pierce the front q The
| army posted beyond 1t. Modern weapons
| favor an attack which envelops ranh.
/ but not an attack which tries TO break the
! center Of an army.
The new plan Involves prompt and sue
| ressfuI offensive operations against 'he
| Free state forces In the West-a series of
crushing blows.
Any failure in their execution wo'i'I
! leave tn" campaign IN rr"cariovs state.
| for the Beers would then hold on 90 Lady
| smith which uothira; hut disasters In The
| Wrs, and tn. certainty Of NOR" to follow
| VIII MAKE th,-m let go But Lord Rot'er''
| IS a strong man. with hig heart. = r">c-
| lute will and a clear head HIS pT'SeUc:
with the British Army has magnetic ef-
| feet and when he moves te probably vii!
make the Roers move. He has reinforced
Nethueu with d cavalry brigade ana horse
! artillery. and there probably is an infantry
| division 10 follow.
| Looking 1T General Buffers action ~
itself the impression {, makes recalls
General Mcclellan. who though cautious
| and knowing how 70 preserve his army,
| hardly ever displayed the initiative power
| to run risks and the self-rc!iance Of a
| great commander. To all appearance. Cen
| crai Butler has given up his third attempt
| before hts attack was fully developed
"A telegram received this evening from
| Lorenzo Marquee speaks OF a sortie from
| I.adysmith in the night Of Thursday 10
| Friday. Such an attempt Of General White
| TO cut his way on; was probable and may
/ succeed. though the nature OF modern
| gea,1ons is against him, and there would
| be heavy loss and many straeglers would
| b. cut Of
| The likelihood OF General whites trying
| To fight his way out would explain IN"
| r4tir.nce OF the War Gtfice. II would also
| explaiu the, demonstration from Chievel-y,
cr which We have heard only through I
| Boer telegram.
NO decided opinion on the operations Of
| the uast week can be pronounced until a
| connected authentic account snail have
| been received"
cOtLD NOT SILENCE BOER Guns.
| Besdduarters' Camp. Springfield Bridge.
Feb s-The position taken norm OF the
| Tuv.la River proved Il difficult one 10 main-
tain The regiments sent across as re-en-
| rorr.ments went into the front line o'
| trenches but owing to the gr'at stlehs Ii
Of the Beers In the Brakfontein hills II
was ImpoHf.be TO advance N'I'""b i''hi"n
| unnecessary loss.
The Beers continued shelling the British
| position. Several Long Tom" shells f"H
among the transport trains and FOUR burst
| OR Gfvaat Eop but the British could not gei
IN. rang. The British guns posted thtr"
| failed to silence the Long Tom or other
| ,r.sk.I guns The Beers continued TO work
m. Nord-u'eldts or the British tnrantry
| in,rench-d on the nil. The Are was severe
az times.
Wednesday Afternoon General Eulie- re
solved mot TO press th, advance hy this
1
! In, infantry reti1"i from Naai hrantz
Wednesday nigh; the guns on the Zwart
| Eop replied To- the BonTS Smelling. Ntsr!
they commenced - shell the transport train
| the Beers 81 large number Of cannon
! Into po.itiun. Their superiority o: sh"li fro
/ rendered the advance impossible,
BoEH> ARTILLERY DID 1T.
London Feb. ia dispatch TO the Lon
| don Times from Springfield Bridge dated
FRIDAY. February =. says:
..D,.r force ut Va.tl kran:z intrcached t.
| self as well as possible. but. nevertheless,
We continued to lose men and no aGvane"
was made The Beer artillery fired incoS-
| sanity. and "a Wednesday proceeded 1t
was increasingly apparent. although the III
:antrv might, by d determined assault. fore"
| its way through the center Of the E""r
rosition il would become impossible during
| subsequen, operations TO maintain the Sc
| curity Of the lines of communication, and
| So evacuation was decided upon.
| The retirement commenced at o'clock
| at night. the pontoon bridge being removed
| after General Hildyards force had crossed
| this morning. The whole force retired be
! yond the range OF the Boor guns. which
| continued Smelling"
| MacDO>ALDS RETIREMENT.
! Modder River. Feb. 2, Noon.-fienerai
| Macdonald scored a distinct success at
| Koodoosberg His original orders were 10
| hold the drif! and construct a fort. The
| position however. was extremely difficult.
| long range OF high hills running north
| west and terminating close TO the drift on
| the n0rsh hank OF the river.
As It WAS impossible 10 hold the whole
| summit, General Macdonald constructed
| strong works across the center. which were
hold by the Seaforth Highland.Ts and thr,,,