The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-16

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Also Assembling
on His other FIank-EngIand's I'M
mense War Preparations.
London, February 12.-Great Britain
remains waiting ~anxiously to learn
which side Will succeed in striking
first. The widespread belief that the
hands Of Field Marshal Lord Roberts
and General Kitchener are now firm
~ gripped at the helm contributes to
a feeling Of more confidence that what
ever happens, the campaign will now
be waged under a careful, comprehen-
siye plan, in which all the forces will
cooperate. Both sides seem to be col
Letting themselves for attack. The left
horn of the Boer army is creeping
through Zululand and threatening the
British right and at Chivelery General
~Joubert. with 5000 men, is reported to
be e~ndeavOring to attack General Bull
Ter. BOer aggressiveness has already
developed and has met with a repulse
at Rensburg, while from what now
becomes the most important point of
the campaign, the Modder, river, comes
the news Of ceaSelesS activity and re-
doubled vigilance. These reports Gre
ate hOpefulness in Great Britain rath-
er than anxiety, for the impression ex-
lists that the BOer aggressiveness will
give the British troops their long
yearned for opportunity and tend
greatly TO assist the broad plan of cam
paign which Lord Roberts may short
~ be expected to set in motion at the
MOdder river. Meanwhile, Ladysmith
must wait the eXigencies attendant
upon the more important military
movements now in foot. 1t is said pos
itively that General MacDonald's with
drawal from KOOdOosberg was order
ed by General Methuen, under Lord
Roberts instructions.
WHY THE BRITISH WITHDREW.
The war office has received the fol-
lowing dispatch from Field Marshal
Lord Roberts, dated from the Modder
river, Sunday, February IL: Il nave
received a telegram from Butler as fol-
lows. dated Friday, February 9Th.
Tt was necessary, after Selling
Vaalkrantz, 10 entrench it as the pivot
of further operations; but L found, af-
ter trying two days, that, owing to the
nature Of the ground, this was imprac-
ticable. 1t was also exposed to the
fire of heavy guns in positions from
which u artillery was dominated. Ii
is essential to the troops advancing on
Ladysmith by Harding or Monger's
drift to hold Vaalkrantz securely. and.
accordingly, were not pressing the ad-
vance by those roads, as 1 find we can
not make it secure"
TO RELIEVE KIMBERLEY.
London, February 13-4:15 a. NJ
Lord Roberts has gathered 50, 900 men,
with whom, according to the best mill
tary opinion in London, he purposes
turning the left of the Magersfontein
line near ~Jacobsdal, entering the Free
State. compelling General Cronje to
raise the siege of Kimberley, and thus
making mis- first step toward BIoem-
fOntein.
Yesterday Lord Roberts announced
the appointment of General Sir Henry
Colville, hitherto commander of the
Guards brigade, to the command of
the Ninth division, which is being
formed and will consist, probably to a
great extent, of colonial troops. Cen
eral Colville will be succeeded by Cen
eraI Reginald Pole-Carew.
THE CENSOR RELAXES.
Lord Roberts tells the correspond
ents that when he gets down to bust
ness they shall nave ample oppOrtuni-
ties to send news. His chief press CEN
SOr yesterday issued new rules, and
in future all written communications
NAN ~ 81 OAAAs NNiN Ills
will be censored. For the next few
days little news is likely to get
through; but, later, there will be more
freedom. Thus a the enSor, and
the last clause may be interpreted to
mean that something is about to hap
pen.
KIMBERLEY IN SORE STRAITS.
Kimberley, twenty miles AVA from
the MOdder river position, is in sore
49,. e l.
rate show that in a population of 14,OOO
whites and 10, 900 blacks the mortality
was 60 whites and 13S blacks per 1000
The infantile death rate was GIL per
1000 among the whites and 912 per
1000 among he blacks. Entric fever
was prevalent.
This frightful state of things in De-
cember cannot have improved much If
at all, since, and the fighting power OF
the garrison must hav been greatly
diminished.
Meanwhile, the bombardment by the
Beers has increased, and there is i'm
minent danger of the town falling un-
der the very eyes of Lord Roberts. II
is believed in circles close to the war
office that he will at once.
STRONG BOER POSITION.
Scouts have approached within LOO
yards of the Boer entertainments al
Magersfontein. They lave found these
strong and as~certained that they are
used as dwelling places. Naval gun
ners are constantly watching the enc
my's lines with strong glasses and they
declare that there is an appreciate di.
minution in the Boer forces.
BOER ADVANCE IN NATAL.
In Natal the Boe commands south
of the Tugela occupy Bloy'S farm
several miles west Chivelery. Two
thousand Beers, with three guns, are