Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1900-01-05
BUTLER HOPES
FOR A VICTORY
General will Attempt to Retrieve
Disaster at THsela River.
OUTLOOK IS VERY UNCERTAIN
At All Points the Position of Kru-
gers Forces Are Stronger and
Seem Impregnable.

A London special under date of
Wednesday was to the effect that
Winston Churchill's arrival at ChieveIy
camp on December Goth is perhaps re-
sPonsible for some overlooking of
the gravity of the situation, but all
the latest news conveys the impress
sion that Buller may be intending an
other attack upon the Boer position.
Certainly the Doors are not mac
tive. At both Modder river and the
Tugela they are said to be strengthen
ing their forces and extending defense
works, which in both cases are seem
ingly almost impregnable.
As showing the difficulty of obtain
ing accurate information a correspond:
eut of the Daily News at Cape Town,
under date of December 21st, an
nOunces that General Butler is COM
ing to Cape Town to meet Sir Charles
Warren and then both will go to Mod
der river"
As five battalions of General War
ren's Fifth division are said to have
gono to Natal, his arrival at PETER
harrisburg seemed natural.
Dispatches from Chieveley indicate
that General Butler forces will remob-
ilize at Frere before attempting an
other advance. Doubtless he would
be glad to retrieve the Colenso re-
verse before the arrival of Lord Rob-
erts, yet he is hardly likely to attempt
another frontal attack. 1t is more
likely that be is preparing to strike
should the Beers make any offensive
move.
Mr.. Churchill's reference to Lady
smith may imply that the situation of
thu garrison is more despernt, than
had been supposed.
The Beers continue fortifyirg the
hills commanding tho town. General
White, however, photographs that all
was well in Ladysmith ON December
Goth.
Competent military critics in Lon
don regard the campaign as at a COM
plete deadlock for the present, owing
to the dispersal of the British forces
and the lack Of adequate transport.
They believe it will be many weeks be-
fore Lord Roberts il able to reorgan-
ize and to make an effective move.
The Boer trench work is so good
that it enables the enemy to hold a
long line with q very few men, and to
travel great distances under perfect
cover, 80 as rapidly to reinforce any
point attacked. The Times, which
comments editorially upon the severe
strain, says:
1T is difficult to avoid the conclu-
sion that our troubles are due to the
unreslity of tue presumably practical
lessons given In the maneuvers at AL
dershot."
Dispatches from Modder river rep
resent Dutch disa6ection in GriquI-
land West as growing very serious. In
some towns the entire Dutch pOpuls-
ton has joined the Beers.
The rebels have formed lager at
a point thirty miles west of ModdeS
River exp.
The Cape TUwG,- correspondent Of
The Times, under date Of Friday, De-
csmber 22d, says:
Anxiety regarding the attitude of
the colonial Dutch is steadily growing.
They make no effort to conceal their
sympathy with the two republics and
the only question now is whether, IL
the military situation is not changed,
they will keep from open rebellion.
Even in districts that have not
been visited by the Bosrs in the east
sru part of the province the Dutch
farmers are riding about armed. ThH
is tho case also in districts only fifteen
miles from Cape Town, where e ssdi-
ton movement il busily propagating.
The British forcNI are inadequate to
guard ], ZOO miles of communications"