The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-30
THE SITUATION.
England Realizes That Most Seri-
GUS Effort Of Campaign Has
Signally Failed.
WILL TRY A NEW MOVE

queen > speech AWHlCeu Wltn lnIef
est-Report That Ladysmith Has
Surrendered is Denied.
London, Jan. 80. 2:37 p. m .-Th'
usual airy attempt to minimize tn
seriousness of the situation in Soutl
Africa are entirely lacking this after
noon, and it is frankly acknowledged
that the most serious effort of th,
present wal has most dismally failed
There is no sign Of a wish on the par,
Of the leaders Of public opinion to dis
guise the ugly facts, but on the con
trary there il every disposition to face
the full difficulty and discover the best
way out. In short. the policy voiced
everywhere is the gathering up of the
forces for more effective blows.
All hope Of the speedy relief Of Lady.
smith have been abandoned. and the
c%oncensus of expert opinion urges the
immediate shifting of the theater of
war from the rocky kopjes Of Natal to
the open veldt Of the Free State. One
thing is certain, another long pause is
inevitable, unless the Beers assume
the offensive, because, sven in the
event Of General Butler further at
tempting to reach Ladysmith, the plan
ming of a new move will necessarily
occupy time. The afternoon news.
paptrs are drawing attention to the
closeness of the parallel between the
federal attacks Oh General Lee at Fred
e%ricksburg and the occurrance on thu
upper Tugela.
Curiously enough there is visible,
especially in military circles and n
dercurrent of relief at the news that
the British are safely south Of the
Tugela, for the reports of Saturday had
conjured up visions of an immense Ca
tastrophe.
The st. James Gazette this afternoon
returns to it's scatbing criticism Of the
language Of General Buffers reports.
1t says:
General Buffers reflection on the
terror he put into the foe reminds us
of things we have heard about Chinese
mandarins."
"AVoAnoOh P0HOAo ~ uAoOu56AAk
whence are to come troops for the pro-
traoted campaign. It is becoming gen.
orally recognized that some form Of
compulsory service is more imminent
than was previously thought Of.
It has been learned by the Associated
Press that the queens speech at the re-
assembling Of parliament tomorrow will
ha Op1or1ocs nhnxo x,s11 ho n ,Lnvx
reference to the war, chiefly confined
to regrets at the terrible bloodshed and
encomi1ms Of the men who have laid
down their lives for their country.
Tha whole proclamation indicates that
there is not the slightest idea Of giving
up the war until Great Britain's ends
are gained.
1925 p. m.-Great anxiety has been
removed by the announcement that
Lord Dundonald's cavalry forces, which
it was feared were isolated among the
hills in the neighborhood Of Acton
Homes, are safe on the south bank OF
the Tugela river.
AS afternoon papers are commenting
without full knowledge of the facts.
they are not disposed to offer any apol-
ogies for Buffers defeat. The st.
James Gazette says: 1.-The meaning of
the retreat is obvious. We have had to
recognize that we can't force our way
through the enemy's lines to Lady.
smith.
why, we don't know. If the Boer
position is i~mpregnable it ought never
to have been attacked. 1t it is capable
being taken we we're repulsed be-
cause the leadership was bad and it is
idle to attempt to conceal that the lat.
ter is far from incredible.
ITO start out declaring that there
must be no turning back is e%minently
foolish. When swagger and AM pre-.
vail there is commonly a plentiful lack
Judgment and true resolution. It
requires serious efforts not to yield to
the gloomy conviction that the intel.
and moral qualities which make
for success have been replaced on our
staff by words, words, words. The
remedy for South Africa il not to add
to the numbers but to put the hoops
where they can come into play"
New York. Jan. 30. - A special
c%ablegram from London to the Evening
World says: 1t ia learned from reliable
source that Lord Roberts has advised
the abandonment of Ladysmith. At
the war office the dispatch adds: "No
confirmation could be obtained OF the
advice said to have been given by Lord
Roberts"