New-York tribune., 1900-01-26
GENERAL WARRENS ADVANCE.

Spion Kop is TAKEN but Ladysmith is not yet
relieved. That is the sum and substance of the
situation in Natal What the coming day, or
even the hour, may bring forth it would be idle
TO attempt to prophesy. For the present the
British must be content with the knowledge
that their arms have gained a substantial ad-
vantage. There has been no repulse since the
thanking movement begun and the Tugela
River was crossed. Progress has been slow and
costly but sure. 1t would be oversangune for
them to hope for anything more than a continu-
ance Of such progress in like manner and under
like conditions The British army is fighting
foe that greatly outnumbers it and that is not
inferior to it in stubborn courage. Such a foe is
not to be scattered in rout by single blow.
That the British have made any progress at all
is. indeed, gratifying to them. They may ac-
count themselves fortunate in not having been
repulsed with dreadful disaster For it can be
deemed nothing short of most venturesome
performance for an army to take the aggressive
against and invade the territory of another army
OF twice it's size. And that, as nearly can be
estimated is the proportion that exists between
the British and Boer forces at Ladysmith. Cen
eral Butler can scarcely have more than thirty
five thousand men all told, while in the division
of his army which has crossed the Tugela River
there are less than twenty thousand. The
Beers on the other hand, according to their own
reports, have about seventy thousand
What that big Boer army is doing and has
been doing for the last week is an interesting
question. Nowhere yet has the British advance
come into contact with more than a small de-
tachment of it. Spion Kop, point of the great
est strategic importance, was not held in force
The British found only a few Beers there. Just
so there was no considerable opposition to the
British crossing of the Tugela River Yet both
widely advertised in advance, as though the
British were trying to give the Beers the fullest
possible notice Of their intentions. Seeing then,
that the Beers knew three days in advance that
the British were going to try to cross the river,
and at least a day or two in advance that they
were going to make a night attack upon Spion
Kop, the inquiry is provoked, What are they up
to? Why did they not resist the British ad-
vance in force, as was done at the Modder River
and as was done at Colenso? That is ques-
ton that can be answered only by the sequence
OF events 1t may be answered at any moment,
even before these lines are read. But until 1t is
answered not only mystifcation but certain
degree of anxiety will prevail in Great Britain.
The British have changed their tactics and so
have the Beers The nature Of the former
change we know But in what does the latter
change consist?
trap for the British on gigantic scale. That
is entirely possible. They may be Turing General
Butler on to place where they can surround
! his whole army with their much larger army
| and crush him. That would be a risky game TO
play, but the stakes to be won in case Of victory
would be enormous. 1t may be, too that they
are retiring before him to a stronger position,
where they will presently make q determined
stand against him. They know the ground well,
and they have habit of choosing the best pos
sibIe ground for their operations. Or, again, 1t
is within the limit of possibilities, though we
must say scarcely within that of probabilities,
that they think the tide has at last turned
against them, and that their main army is in re-
treat toward the Transvaal frontier, leaving
only a small rearguard to engage the British
until the retreat shall have been effected. There
| is a legend that on a certain occasion, when he
first realized what sort of opponent he had
I'm Grant Lee said to his aids, 1--WE are beaten,
"for the Yankees have got a man to lead them
Eat lastr' Even then he continued to fight on as
stubbornly as ever The Beers should do no
less Even if they see in the coming of Roberts
and Kitchener the beginning of the end for
them. they are scarcely made of the stuff that
would fee the field without more stubborn re-
sistance.
Howsoever these things may be- 1t is certain
that the British have found in General Warren
the sort of leader they need Our accomplished
London correspondent Mr.. Ford, gave an admi-
rable account of him in one Of his recent cable
letters. He is a man of the Gordon type, with
much of Gordons mixture of religious zeal and
military genius. Like Gordon, he is not in the
good graces Of what is known as "the Wolseley
gang" Like Gordon, too, he is careless of blame
and praise, having an eye single TO the perform
anca of dutV He knows South frica as we'll as
any Boer, he is past master In strategics, and
in stubborn valor on the actual field he has no
superior In the service 1t was a fine earnest Of