Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-10
This is the News Received
in London Today.
PLANS OF GEN. ROBERTS
Are Not Known But II Is Be-
lieved He C0ntemplates a
Frontal Attack.

London, Feb 10.-Buller is once more
south OF the Tugela river. General Mac
Donald is back at Modder river and ap-
parently the Beers have lost none of the
ascendancy they have held SO long. Yet
today's news by no means causes the
acute disappointment attendant upon
other failures to relieve Ladysmith. This
can be attributed to three causes:
First-There is a strong belief that
Buffers last attempt was only a demon
stration on a large scale.
Second-The wiser critics had warned
the public not to expect the immediate re-
ilief of General White.
Third-The nation has settled down to
realization that the war will last a long
time and they are not swayed as at first
by minor reveryes and victories.
The second and third reasons are self
explaining. The first requires consider
able elucidation. In favor of the opinion
held by Spencer Wilkinson, military critic
of the Morning Post, that Butler did not
intend Immediately rushing on to Lady
smith, there is overwhelming evidence to
show that Lord Roberts ordered system
attic activity on the part of all forces.
On this basis, Buffers move may be only
a repetition of MacDonald's and French's
reconnaissance.
Mr.. Balfour's ambiguous statement
about waiting the completion Of plans is
another strong reason for believing Bull
Ter never intended making the main ad-
vance via the Vaalkrantz, but was under
the orders of Roberts.
The usual appeal Of Bennett Berleigh.
war correspondent of the London Daily
Telegraph, asking the public to suspend
judgment and rely on Butler, also has con-
siderable significance.
On the other hand, Buffers speech to
his troops in which he said he hoped to be-
in Ladysmith within week, tends some
people claim, to throw doubt upon the
belief that he has only been demonstrat-
ing in force.
Latest news from the Modder river,
Koodoosberg was effected in complete orr
der. The most reasonable explanation OF
his movement is that it was undertaken
more to restore the confidence OF the
Highland brigade, still nervous from their
terrible experience at Magersfontein.
than to gain any important objective.
With this important unit, Methuen's
force is rehablitated for vigorous at
tack ON General Cronje and an attempt to
relieve Kimberley may be looked for.
more than likely superintended by Rob-
erts, while the seventh division and part
of French's cavalry are occupied in a.
turning movement east of Jacobsdal.
A dispatch from Rensberg dated Feb. 8.
reports aggressive activity again, all the
British accommodating and says the Beers
are in no sense surrounded at Colesburg,
but are simply held in check by series
Of camps forming semi-circle from east
to west. The Beers, it is added, are still
in full possession of their lines of commu-
nication with the Free State and hold
strong positions around Colesburg.
During the morning of Feb. 9, lombard
ing with lyddite occurred at Rensberg
and the Beers Maxim -vickers guns are
believed to have been s1lenced. dozen
dead Beers were found on the kopjes.
Lord Roberts has addressed another
letter to Kruger and Steyn complaining
of the wanton destruction Of property in
Natal.
A dispatch to the London Times from
Springfield bridge, dated Feb. 9, says:
"Our force at Vaalkrantz entrenched
itself as well as possible but nevertheless
we continued to lose men and no advance
was made. The Boer artillery fired inces-
sanity and as Wednesday proceeded, it
was increasingly apparent though the in
fantry might, by determined assault.
force its way through the, center of the
Boer position. it would be impossible dur
ing subsequent operations to maintain
the security OF the lines, and evacuation
was decided upon. The retirement COM
menced at o'clock at night. the pontoon
bridges being removed after General
Hldyard's force had crossed this morn
ing. The whole force retired beyond the
range of the Boer guns which continued
shelling.''