New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-17

Quoted toward Stormberg which the enemy
still occupied in force. The column retired from
Molteno without being attacked. Belated ac-
counts of General French's operations. already
covered by Lord Roberts's brief summaries are
also supplied by the press agencies and special
correspondents. The most interesting detail is
the bursting of the Boer shell in Colonel Por-
ters camp In binding dust storm. Three
squadrons of Dragon Guards were sent out at
once with four guns, and the enemy was quickly
driven to cover. Mondays reconnaissance to
the wagon road bridge is also described in de-
tan. The Boer laager taken by surprise
and shelled
Inc Dutch attempted on Monday to capture a
NIL held by New-Zealanders and a company OF
the Yorkshire Battalion. This attack was vigor-
ousy resisted, the New-Zealanders fighting with
great spirit The Dutch were finally driven off
oy bayonet charge, with twenty-one killed and
fifty wounded.
General French is harassng the enenv st
Colesoerg daily by unexpected manoeuvres
dispatches from Modder River recount the
usual details Of artillery practice and Roar
sniping.
Pretoria dispatches from Mafeking report the
demolition of one of the British forts and a
sharp skirmish on the hill east of the town
Ihere is also a Boer official report of another
vigorous British sortie. Colonel Baden-Powell
is clearly not in any mood for surrender
METHUEN's RECALL CERTAIN.
When the London clubs have been filed for a
week with gossip about Methuen's relations with
his officers and soldiers and his responsibility
Tor the slaughter of the Highland Brigade 1t
has required self-restraint for editors to keep
the controversy out of print. The report pub
lished at Liverpool that General Wauchope on
the of the battle of Magersfontein wrote a
letter stating that he had been ordered to per-
form impossible task, against which he had
vainly demonstrated, and that he had either to
obey or to surrender his sword, has been fol-
lowed at once by statements in print that Lord
Methuen would be superseded. The War Office
has not been in ignorance of these reports with
which every London club is now filled, and de-
Cided to recall Lord Methuen fully a week ago,
announced in these dispatches. This
step was necessary in order to maintain the
morale of the British army at the Modder River,
whose confidence in the leader has been fatally
impaired, as is proved by private letters from
the officers and men constantly appearing in
print. 1t is one of the most painful affairs in
military annals.
Lord Methuen is one of the pet soldiers of the
Guards and a great favorite in London society.
His wonderful skill as tactician displayed
in the organization of the Jubilee procession in
1897, which was planned and worked out by him
in detail. His irritability and nervousness were
observed by members of his staff the voyage
to the Cape, and the evidence is clear that he
was unequal to the continuous strain of excite
ment caused by the protracted battle at Mod
der River while the precision and self-will with
which he enforced his dangerous tactics at
Magersfontein are proofs of unsound and un-
balanced judgment l. n. +.