The evening times., 1900-03-03
THE RELIEF OF MAFEKING


Our dispatches today convey the intel
ligence that the Beers have abandoned the
siege Of Mafeking. and that hence. one OF
the most splendid garrison resistances in
military history has ended favorably to the
defending force. With force OF probably
not more than two thousand men. most oi
them irregulars. Colonel Baden Powell has
been able to stand off a body OF besiegers
which at one time numbered not less than
five or six thousand. 1t may be said that,
counting numbers. resources and facili-
ties. Baden PowelPs fight has been the
prize specimen OF the war on the British
side. He is one OF the few officers in the
service Of his country who has thoroughly
learned the value and usefulness Of Ameri-
can scouting tactics in field operations. His
little garrison is free at last and 1t is to
be hoped that generous recognition OF its
commanders skill and courage will not be
lacking
Abandonment OF the siege of Mafeking
clears the western frontier Of Beers in any
force and. at first sight 81 ems to suggest
a British movement by that place to strike
Pretoria in flank. Whether such a thing
is in the mind Of LORD Roberts. or not. the
developments of the next week or two
should demonstrate. There is a suggestion
OF an affirmative character in the
disposition Of the British troops at the
present time; but we treat it only as a
suggestion, because. as we have repeatedly
explained. actual conditions are almost en-
tir5ly withheld from US by the censorship
Il is possible that, Cape Colony being free
from Boer commandos. Lord Kitchener
may bring the columns OF Clements and
Gatacre to a junction with the army OF
Sir Redvers Butler at point not far from
Bloemfontein and engage the army OF Cen
eral Joubert, leaving the army under Rob
erts to make the long turn against Preto-
ria by Mafeking. This. We think, would be
the strategy employed by American gen.
erals like Miles or LawtOn in the circum-
stances Butler probably has about thirty
thousand men. 20 which number II is pos
sible that there may be added three or -four
thousand from Sir George Whites Lady
smith command. The latter is badly ased
up and generally effective only for garrison
duty; but, cut Of Il. there may be the
number We name ft for active work. Glenn
ents and Gatacre could doubtless supply
ten thousand troops OF all arms; so there
should be a force for a movement against
the Boer line at Bloemfontein or wyuberg
Of approximately thirty-ive or forty thou
sand men with something like four hundred
and fifty guns.
In the meantime it is possible that a
battle will have 10 be. fought with the
tJrCes Of Delarcy and De Wet between the
Orange River and Paardeberg. but it is
hardly suppOsable that these columns are
anything more than distractions TO Lord
Roberts operations. They cannot aggre-
gate more than ten thousand men, and
wh'n the commands Of Clements and Cat
acre move across the Orange River. IL they
have not done so already. they viii no
doubt squeeze the Boer flying columns re-
frrred 20. between the British advance
rom the Colony and Lord Roberts main
body. Hence they may be perhaps c0nsid-
cred as negligible for the general pur-
poses Of the present consideration When
pressed, it would seem that they would
move east 70 JOIN lutiI army bflpIt Ut uc-
hind Bloemfontein. OF course it would be
an excellent thing for the British general
to head them OFF. but it would be also sur
prising il he did so, as their great mo-
biIity would probably enable them to dodge
and avoid an encounter Of serious oharsc-
ter
II our theory OF numbers and guns be
| correct the reasonable strategy OF Lord
Roberts would appear to be 10 cut into the
heart OF the enemy's country by way Of
Maieking. For such a purpose he would
have an effective of forty thousand OF
more troops, including a division Of caval-
/ ry and an adequate equipment Of artillery.
[ What particularly favors this idea is that
l the Beers conditions would render Il diff
I cult II not impossible for them to operate
i against the British communications in the
I west. They have enough 10 do TO meet
| the armies Of invasion upon more or less
I contracted lines Of defence. On the whole
we are inclined to suspect that the
apparent lull in the proceedings in South
| Africa. is preliminary to a movement OF
/ concentration by Butler, Clements. and
I Cutaere. with Bloemfontein or Wynberg
I as an objective, and march Of Lord
/ Roberts toward Pretoria. fanking by
Mafeking