New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-05
THE WAR OFFICE SILENT.
rHE FIELD CLEAR FOR THE AMATEUR
TACTIcIANs OF THE LONDON PRESS.

fcopyright: 1900: by The NeE-Yorz Tribune
rsY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l
London Feb 5. a. m-Rumors again In
the air al midnight that General Buffers army
had recrossed the Tugela. The Central News
!echoing Charles williams's announcement stated
on the authority of a Durham dispatch that the
troops started Friday night and were march,
eng toward Ladysmith yesterday. The bulletin
had suspicious look, since it was accompanied
by rider that no definite information would be
allowed to come through until the town was re-
ieved The report was we'll within the range Of
probabilities, but no Importance could be at
fached TO it until official confirmation were re-
Eeived. The War Office neither encourages nor
snte-feres with the amateur strategy now going
on in the newspaper Offices. There was no bulle-
fin from General Butler and the military writers
were left at liberty to plan his campaign for him
Ia this mornings journals, and to send him
across the Tugela as far west as Bethany and
again at Potgieters Drift or further down at
&he junction Of the Little Tugela with the main
sSiver
A BUDGET OF MINOR NEWS.
"ith TINS amateur campaigning heavy mail
had come in from Cape Town. and there Was q
fpis ouoeet OF special correspondence from Natal
sho moooer River already in type for this morn
;aHs press. Dispatches from the seat of war
i."ie numerous, but Of little account There
oslaph messages from Ladysmith as
60 SUNDAY expressing the anxiety with which
1he Deieaguered garrison awaited relief There
'' Hesn edition of the tales of native
respecting serious Boer losses at Spion
mp "hefe an unusual number of Boer officers
ieporIeo Killed or wounded. There was an
1 0s."orthy story from Durham that the
- Aaa shot wounded Colonial soldiers The
.'Ouecn nave been willy and tricky durine tho
campaign. but not unnnercif,r 70 the r,o,,.sos
:. fhere was some additional news from, zn1u-
iishc mat Beer force with artillery ,.d %.
LACKED Nqutu and forced the noag,stra4a .nd
star 10 surrender e''i 0oe anu
- was no positive information at midnight
respecting the fresh movement bv Go, %,
sisrs troops The rigor with wt,oh .t,o ,~aN'
snip was enforced suggested that ra,, oo-9s.
nation had been formed. but there was no+b,no
respecting H. vi Durpan
dispatches from Modder River Noan,, n.
and General Gatacre's headopartarr roort
-hconciusive. General Roberts - = e4ualiy
I'cheher had been content m oshlo al
n dexr
aay lhat the situation was uncba,oo, 1"S
NDe var OHlce apparently knows az u,,Io -
especuhg The scope and direction 90 g.
lew movement Of the forces The cb,ae - .iie
" the censorship has been explained % -
nish oH1cial in these words. w oS d
/. r,s1sn y campaign and especially IN th,s oo.
Can netps US and hinders the enenv ,r ne
seuise our concentrations a. we
Icing THE SPADE AT MAFEKrNc
inat is probably the true explanation :, ,,o
co. s~- iack OF information of real value from,
pohs.4s OF the field Of operations. Lord
bulletin this evening dealt Win Mo-,
.ne ene.e ssden-PoweIis trenching has haen
siuiy .sSs conducted and the enemy forced 10
cor., - guns out Of rife fire One British
'aiaer at least has learned the art n, ,,s,no
'ntrenching 'OhS.ahuy
iunors Of the recall of the British A,,-
80 On account Of the continued nuh,ica-
"a insulting cartoons aimed aes,rst che
nave caused no excitement in London
naed on third page.