The evening times., 1900-04-09
MONDAY. APRIL 3. 1900.
The British Reverses i'm south Africa.

ruouplace Of warfare that troops cannot
very well fight a winter campaign IN
pyjams 5. that idea seems not 10 have Cccur-
red to the War Office authorities in Lon
don; for il is quite plain that the absence
Of warm clothing for his men. even more
than the lack OF remounts. is holding Lord
Roberts stalled at Bloemfontein. Pneumo-
mia, resulting from exposure to the biting
frosts OF South African early winter, is
crowding his hospitals, fuel is scarce and
dear, and the situation at headquarters in
the field is the reverse of satisfactory.
Il is the more so since the Beers appear
TO have shrewdly discounted these condi-
tions, and bided their time to take full
advantage of them; which they are now
doing with fierce vigor, and. apparently.
not little success. 1t is admitted in
English military circles that Lord Roberts
communications are for the moment seri-
ously threatened No doubt il is because
be has reason to fear a shortage Of sup
plies fer some time. that the General-in-
Chief has ordered women and ncn-combat-
ants to leave BIoemfontein. The assump-
zion is a safe one that he is not in fear
OF any attack on the city. His numbers
aad guns preclude any such thought
As far as we are able 20 judge from
incomplete information the Beers are Civ
ing the world new evidence of the admira-
BILE strategy Of their generals. Intrinsi-
caliy considered the affairs at Korn
Sprut and ReddersbuIg were uuimpor-
taut save for their moral effect; but the
general plan Of Boer operations, by which
The British communications are threatened
over a broad range of difficult country.
seems a thoroughly scientific conception.
and one which is being admirably execut-
ed. London military writers argue that
this widespread menace in the rear will
expedite instead OF hinder Lord Rob-
ertS re>t forward movement toward Pre-
terra. Their view is that when The Brit
ISL Army marches north. the Bocrs will
be compelled to draw in their scattered
commandos and concentrate for resistance
On the front Of the advance. Under condi-
tons other than are presently reported
we should agree with this view: but the
Piccadaly experts perhaps Go rot give guc
fcient weight to the supply factor. LORD
Roberts cannot avail himself Of the means
suggested. for drawing his enemy awal
from his nanks and rear, until he can Sc.
cure remounts and winter clothing. What
il the Beers, for time at least. could
render this imprscticable,
That such a thing is possible is not hart
10 believe. General Gatacre. who Was 81 nj
with strong column to Reddersburg Il
see il be could not get track of the British
troops. guns. and transports captured near
that place has returned to BloemfoHtein
reporting that he did not find the missing
men. ordnance and so on. but did discover
the Beers in possession of the town. The
reasonable inference is that he made an
attack and was repulsed. Then. It is re-
ported that General Brabant has been sum-
moned TO surrender at Wepener, on the
Bssuto border sixty miles southeast of
BlOemfontein. and an engagement at that
point probably has occurred or is in prog
ress Between Wepener and the Orange
River = small British force al Rockville
has been driven south to Aliwal North. on
the Cape Colony side of the river. lighting
q desperate rear guard action all the ,ay
That brings the Beers to the eastern line
OF Roberts railway communications. and
the fact is ominously suggestive.
We gather from the important though
doubtless partial, admissions OF the Brit
ish authorities, that practically The whole
Free State has again risen in arms against
the invaders. Steyn's burghers are catis-
fed from terrified observation Of what al
ready has happened in numerous instances.
that. unless they fight the British and re-
ject all overtures for surrender from that
quarter they will be shot on sight should
they fall into the hands of the Boer troops.
As a result the Free Staters who had pre-
tended to give up their arms are largely in
the field again, and are being rapidly cr-
ganized into new commandos.
The news from Natal is equally serious.
it is stated that the Boer force holding
The Biggarsberg range has been considers-
bly, re-enforced and is evincing a purpose
10 assume the offensive. There seem to
be indications that it is preparing to
make strike at General Butler S
flank by way OF Helpmaakar. Such move
ment. if successful would threaten the
British communications with Durham and
subject Eastern Natal TO a dangerous raid
one of the consequences of which would
be large aecessions to the Boer Army from
the Natal Dutch. To cap the climax, the
blacks are an imminent source OF danger
Recent blunders and reverses along the
frontier of Basutoland have rendered the
Basutos contemptuous of British ability
TO conquer the Beers. Other things being
equal. ii is probable that these fierce
fribesmen would rather see the British
than the Beers succeed. They hate both
but the latter most. Nevertheless, they
prefer TO be on the winning side and may
break out az any moment. Such an event
uslity would add fearful handicap to the
already heavy load Lord Roberts has tc
carry and might result in prolonging the
war for many months. The native situa-
tion is even worse in Swaziland. where
the tribes are openly on the warpath, and
engaging in marauding expeditions which
may shortly take the form of a descent
en- masse upon Natal. II only remains to
be added that the relief of Mafeking APP
pears as far of as ever, while the gallant
garrison and the unfortunate citizens OF
the place are reduced to rations scarcely
sufficient TO sustain life.
The conditions we have reviewed as con-
servaiively as possible on the bases OF
--''itsry and press reports are calculated