New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-11
CHANGES IN AFRICA.
Continued from First Page,

A. a TRANQUIL summers day man9uvres at AL
dershot. General Buffers immediate advance
rs regarded as the inevitable sequel to the
desperate Boer assault upon Ladysmith which
had been welInigh successful. But three days
have passed in silence IL not IN inaction. Prob
ably no recent experience has been more trying
70 the English temper than this conspiracy of
silence in Natal. when every man has felt IN his
heart that there was no time to lose and that
an army Of over twenty thousand British SOL
d,ers ought to be moving with untiring energy
and irresistible force across the Tugela for the
6eliverance Of Whites heroic garrison.
Mr. Arthur Balfour has been so unfortunate
as 10 make a series Of feeble speeches at criti-
cal stage Of military fortunes and public irrita-
hIlity has found vent in undiscriminating criti-
cism Of the popular Minister as weakling.
AssAILING THE MINISTRY.
THE Morning Post" has Joined The Daily
Mail" in attacking the Ministry and demanding
,be construction Of the Cabinet. but this cam
naign has not made any progress outside the
newspaper offices. The party whips smile in
credulousIy whenever it is suggested that the
Government is in danger The Standard"
which has neither hot nor cold fits, represents
the Conservative party more accurately than
any other English journal. and ii has not yet
lost it's presence of mind. What is evident to
all observers is that the loss Of Ladysmith
without a second attempt at relieving the army
across the Tugela would be more discreditable
than a fresh reverse Of Buffers forces. and that
public confidence in the Government would be
fatally impaired. John Bull is. indeed, In bad
temper and in no mood for explanations from
any source. What he wants is news from the
front, and under the censorship he gets little
OF nothing. The military writers for the press
have lost their public and the veterans at the
Vyhp aynIa In
that Butler probably set in motion Warren's
division on turning movement east of Colenso.
which depends for success upon secrecy, and
that it will probably end in the capture of a
large portion of the Boer force. Equally indif-
ferent to details the groups Of clubmen gath
ering about the croakers, who assert that Butler
is waiting to discover by hook or crook where
the enemy's guns are concealed, or to straighten
out his mule transport service to get Lord
Roberts's opinion before striking another blow.
No Englishman wishes TO believe that General
Butler is waiting for anything except the chance
10 defeat the enemy by strong attack and fine
strategic combination.
The casualty lists from Ladysmith posted at
the War Office yesterday afternoon did Ut in
clude the killed and wounded in Saturday S
battle, but helped to disclose conditions under
which the successful stand was made. The
number Of deaths from enteric fever and dysen-
terry during the five days preceding the battle
was twenty-three; during the twenty-four hours
ending on the morning of the battle there were
ten deaths from disease. The casualties from
shell fire had been light in comparison with the
steady mortality from fever. The garrison was
depressed by its long confinement and enfeebled
by sickness when called upon to fight seventeen
hours for the retention of its redoubts and hos
pitals