The daily morning Alaskan., 1900-02-06
srNnAY SOCIAL.
ANOTaER DISASTER.

General Buffers second attempt to relieve Ladysmith has ended in failure, and General Whites resolute army is in greater peril than since the seize commenced, In fact, it now seems that it will certainly be forced to surrender. This second attack by General Butler gave every promise Of success. He at tackled the Boer right and for seven days the fighting was hard at times terrific. During all that time the Boer firing line was being constantly forced backward, but the mobility of General Joubert's army, together with the stragrtic formation of his lines, at last stopped further progress. Then by massing his strength on General War ren's front. General Joubert resaptured Spioukop, and at a single blow regainCd all that had been lost. With his own left wing turned, there was nothing for General Butler Co do but Co save his army by retiring from the field. He is now just where he was after his defeat at the battle of Tugela river on Decem- ber l5.
 What General Joubert will do is doubtful. The British are making plans to throw new Irmy up through the Orange Free State, thereby aban- doning the relief of Ladysmith and leaving General Butler to care for him. self. To meet this new attack of the British will require more men than are at Stormberg, Colesberg and with General Crouje before Kimberly. lt is not unreasonable to suppose, therefore, that General Joubert will very soon either attempt the defeat of General Bullcror the capture ofGeneral White, tha, he might spare men Co meet the advance ot General Roberts. It Is probable that he can capture Lady smith garrison. but there is danger to him in an attack on General Butler Colenso. So sure are the British papers that the BOers will now turn their att tention to the capture of General White, and 20 we'll do they realize the helplessuess Of the latter that with one accord they have ceased to count on his army as of the working forces in South Africa.
 General Buffers failures have been at Q tremendous cost to Great Britain in every way. His losses have been heavy and the expense of his move mcnts great. The effort that has been put forth for the relief Of Ladysmith has been at the cost of weakening the entire British position. Three months ago it was planned to do what General Roberts proposes to do-to advance up through the Orange Free State. This was abandoned. 70 do what General Butler has failed in doing-to relieve General White. Therefore, to the thousands thai have been lost out of General Buffers army must be added those lost by Generals Methuen. Cat acre and French, 1.-the cost otthe failure is Co be arrived at. In pounds sterling. the expense will run to eight figures.
 But in spite Of her disasters, Great Britain faces the crisis as coOlly dete-- mined as ever. Any other country in Europe, save perhaps Russia, under similar circumstances would now be tottering. There Is not one, aside from the exception mentioned. that could st md three months of disasters as Eng land has done without a political rev olution, fl not a worse one. But such a thing as abandoning the campaign has not occurred Co the British. After each reverse the ouly response is the equipment of another division. How like the American civil war. After Bull Run, more soldiers, and the same after the Peninsula campaign. the vicksburg failures, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Chicamauga and all other disasters that prec -ded Gettys- burg.