New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-10
THE CENSORSHIP STRICTER.
sCANT NEWS FROM THE SCENE OF WAR
-BULLER'S ADVANCE THOUGHT
TO HAVE BEGUN.
tcopyrght: 1900: By The New-YOrk Tribune-l
IN c.nrr N TIE rRIRrNEl

tcopyr4ght; 1907 By New-York Trfbune.l
fBr CABLE TO THE TRIBUSE.l
London, Jan 10, / a m.-If the complete en-
barge upon news be one Of the conditions of
successful strategy, something really Napoleonic
must be going on along the Tugela River. Lon
don has been cut of from all information re-
specting Sir Redvers Buffers army since the
reconnaissance Of Saturday. The War Office
was silent yesterday for hour after hour and
the bulletin boards were empty.
At the clubs nearly all well informed men
were confident that the army had been set in
motion on Monday, and officers fingered at the
Military Service till midnight, IN the expecta-
ton Of receiving tidings Of some great stroke.
The censorship was closer than ii has been at
any time previous. There were some fantastic
tales like the from Pretoria to the effect
that General Butler was building railway
westward to Potgieter's Drift and the news
agencies were IN such straits that they resumed
practice upon General Joubert, wounding him
and sending him to the rear.
There were no fresh details of the Ladysmith
victory and Buffers plan OF campaign remained
an inscrutable mystery.
THEORIES OF THE CAMPAIGN.
Veterans at the clubs and the military writers
in the morning journals busted themselves with
patching up their theories. Changes were rung
upon the two main themes-the necessity for the
clearance Of the south bank before the passage
Of the Tugela could be attempted, and the
probability that warrens division would make
a wide detour and cross the river seventeen
miles below Colenso. General Buffers delay in
operating in front OF his force, seemed an in
superable objection &c the first theory, and
there were only two facts TO be cited in support
os the latter conjecture. These were the estab-
lishrnent OF warren's headquarters as far down
as Estcourt and the apparent occupation Of
Weenen by British troops, since one press dis
patch which slipped through the censor's hands
described an exchange of hashlight signals with
those Of the village.
General Butler has succeeded in confusing and
bewildering the English public II he has not
dazed and confounded the Boer generals.
LADYsMITH's RELIEF DEMANDED.
whatever may be the difficulty in finding the
concealed guns Of the enemy and in forcing the
passage of the river. General Whites splendid
victory has touched the imagination Of the
English people and warmed every heart Gen
eraI Butler will never be forgiven nor the Union
list Government behind him if Ladysmith. with
falling ammunition be allowed to fall after its
heroism has been gloriously displayed
General French has reported a reconnaissance
on the enemy's flank in which a considerable
force was drawn out and then allowed to retire
A squadron Of the Household Cavalry had an
airing in this movement. French's objective
closed, but it is probable that General Cronje
has sent reinfOrcements to the Free Staters on
the southern frontier and that the occupation
OF the bridges over the Orange River will be
rendered difficult French's casualty list for the
three engagements of the last week is light, in
cluding eleven killed and forty-four wounded
This does not include the misadventure Of the
Suffolk battalion. in which twenty-seven were
killed, twenty-nine wounded and 1O7 were
missing The responsibility for the so-called
accident" lay mainly with Colonel Watson who
died from his wounds.
Apart from the rumor that the Free State
troops are moving south for the relief Of Coles
berg, there is nothing important from Modder
River. Belated descriptions still appear. show
ing the courage OF Baden-PowelI's force in the
recent unsuccessful sortie at Mafeking Bat
talions of the Sixth Division continue to arrive
at Cape Town, and the Princess of Wales, the
hospital Ship IS also at anchor there. Lord
Roberts can now be looked for any day.
THE QUESTION OF SEIZURES.
Neither the German nor the American EN-
bsssy had received at a late hour yesterday
afternoon an answer from the Foreign Office
respecting the important questions raised by
the seizures at Delagoa Bay. It is evident that
the law officers Of the Crown are making close
study OF these questions, and are looking up
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