Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-02-10
BELIEVE REPORT TRUE.
London Seems Convinced That Butler Has
Recrosscd tn. TmceIn.

.
Recrosscd the TuSeIa.
London. Feb. 10. % a m-Iondou
accepts as true the Boer statement
thar General Butler has failed again
These statements We're passed by the
British censor at Alden and are read
/ in the light of BalfOur'S announcement
in the commons that General Butler
is not pressing his advance.
Winston Churchill wires that Vaal
krantZ was impracticable for the guns
which We're needed To support a fur
ther advance. His cablegram leaves
General Butler or Tuesday night send
ing q fresh brigade To relieve the tired
holders of NaaI Krantz
The descriptive writer's with General
Butler were allowed rather free hand
again in explaining the ugly position
which the British held and the natural
obstacles which had To he overcome
SO it is easy TO infer that with Roer
rificmcn and artillery defending them
these hills. raVincS and iungleS have
not been overcome ana thus the public
is prepared in advance for bad news.
HeliOGramS from LadySmith. dated
Monday. describe the effect General
Bullcr'S canuOnIde had on the worn
garrison. Hope ran high that the long
period Of inactivity and tedium was
ga siN litE ~ Il NlbNt- 1 ne tlslSil gl RlASa
was almost continuous for ten hours
AMI Ill times il seemed aS if as many
"a twenty shells burst in minute
The EuerS. preparing always FOR the
possibility of defeat. were driving
herds and sending long wagon trains
towards the DrakenSberg passes. In
tons" darkness ana silence followed
broken only b. frogs crOaking and the
Occa >iOual blaZ" OF star shells. sur
rounding the town with circle of
light To prevent the unobServed ap-
prOHch OfNt the enemy. y series of
British mi rS laid for the Beers. ex-
piOdcd accidentally. shaking and
alarming the city AMI camp.
General MacDonaIdS retirement
puzzles the military cOmmentOrS. The
theory that finds acceptance is that Il
was ordered 10y Lord Roberts and
that both General Buffers and General
MacDOnIl Ids operations We're by the
direction of the commandments chief in
order 10 occupy the Beers at widely
separated points. 50 they would be un-
able To transfer any portion of their
forces 10 oppose the projected central
advance.
Charles Williams. military writer
who iS understood Ia he in confidential
relations with Lord WolsPlry. says
that beyond doubt the most authOri-
taiIVe opinion in London regards IL as
probable that an cndeavor will be
made 10 force the line of the Orange
river before Wednesday next. possibly
Icy Monday.
\ dispatch To The Times frCm
koodoUSber=. dated Thursday. Feb. 3.
says. 1T il reported that Boer rein
forcemcntS are arriving from Mayors
f1utcin. oar puSiS1on iS easily tena-
hlc. but the entire force has been or
dered 10 return to MOdder river tomOr-
row
The Times has the following from
Kimberley. dated Feb =: The Boer
big guns ShcIled Us all day yesterday
but nobody was killed"
\ special dispatch from Spearman's
camp. dated Yesterday friday noon.
says that owing To the Boer cross fire
aud the impoSSihilty of iutrcnchinS
Naal krantZ. General Rulers force
withdrew.
Che Financial News which publishes
this dispatch. suggests that General
Butler has not yet actually rccrOssCd
he Tuccla.