The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-05
LONDON REVIEW or SITUATION.
If Buller's Advance Is an Actual Fact
the Secret is Well Kept.

If Buller's Advance is an Actual Fact
the Secret Is Well Kept.
London, Feb. $3.50 a. n.-Although
there is no actual confirmation of the
report that General Butler has recrossed
the Tugela on third desperate attempt
to relieve Ladysmith, 1t is known that
the war office has received several South
African dispatches which have not yet
been published and if the advance is
an actual fact the secret is being well
kept. There are newspaper dispatches
in plenty from Spearman's Camp up to
Sunday, but there is no hint that an
advance had been begun and it Is as
sumed in some quarters here that Lord
Dundonald's reconnaissance in the dis
trist of Honger's Poort may be the only
foundation for the statement that Gen
eral Butler has started
On the other hand, dispatches from
Ladysmith rather indicate that the ad-
vance is in operation by reporting heavy
firing on Friday and Saturday from the
direction of Potgieter1 Kop.
A dispatch to the Daily Chronicle
from Ladysmith, dated yesterday, says:
"a report has reached us that one brig
ade has crossed the Tugela."
The reports that the Beers are recon-
centrating around Ladysmith are also
an indication that preparations are be-
ing made to resist General Butler or for
an attempt at reattack on the garrison
in anticipation of his advance. The
fact, however, that no firing has been
reported under yesterdays date either
from Ladysmith or Spearman's Camp
4rr,+ I,o {y,ta n6 tO n pithnr that
the attempt had failed or that General
Butler had merely made demonstra-
ton on Friday and Saturday.
Various rumors are current. One says
that General Butler is again attacking
Spion Kop from the side of General
Lyttleton's camp. Another is that he
received information from the owner of
Spion Kop farm and crossed by fords
further west than Trichard drift. The
military authorities in London think 1t
more likely that the crossing would be
made east of Swart's Kop. The feeling
of anxiety is not much relieved by the
possibility that General Butler has been
considerably reinforced since the re-
pulse at Spion Kop.
The Pitermaritzburg correspondent of
the Daily Mail telegraphing yesterday
says: General Butler has undoubtedly
secured the road to Ladysmith and
should reach the objective this week.
1t is believed here that the object Of
the Beers in occupying Ngutu is to
secure the road from Dunde to Vry-
held in case of retreat. I learn from
a reliable source that General Joubert
was seriously injured by shell in the
fight at Willow Grange ana that he viii
never be able 20 command again on
horseback My informant says that he
has, in fact, retired from the field. The
Beers admitted that the attack on Lady
smith was a serious blunder and would
not have occurred if General Joubert
had been in command. General Lucas
Meyers played the coward at Talana
and sheltered himself In a Red Cross
wagon, shamming sickness. sHe has
been unable to face the Beers since and
they threaten to shoot him. The Beers
say Great Britain made a mistake In
not sending General Sir Evelyn Wood.
] understand that they have still thou
sands of bags of flour stored in reserve
at Delagoa bay"