The evening times., 1900-01-15
THE SITUATION IN NATAL.

ments onlthe Tugela line. All we know is
| contained in the report that the British
| still hold Potgieter's Drift, and that, on
| Thursday, Sir Charles Warren marched
from Frere Camp to support Buffers ad-
vance. The belief is general in London
that fighting is in progress at three points,
and this idea, it may be conjectured. Is
based On hints which have leaked from the
! War Office, where a great deal must be
4 known that has not been confided to the
| public.
| From professional point of view an in
! teresting feature of the situation is the
! unanimity with which the leading
military writer's in England are
| maintained for two weeks. name
\ ly, that Butler would feint on Jouberts
| right and deliver his main attack on the
Boer left beyond Weenen. They argue that
/ Buffers presence at Springfield is ruse to
| delude the other side into belief that
! where the commanding general is there also
will the principal operations occur. On
| the basis of this, and their previous reason
1 ing that the ground east of Colenso is bet
| ter adapted to the British purposes than
that west. the London writers today are in
| clined to assume that Warren has gone
| northeast to Weenen. This may be true,
| and the strategists of the London dailies
NAV have been right all along in their
| prognosis of the battle plan. On the other
| hand, there may have been patriotic IN
| spiration, and disposition to deceive the
enemy behind the unanimity which mas
| ignored the plain suggestions OF war maps,
and reports of the disposition OF troops.
! While il would be foolish TO write or even
to think dogmatically about the Tugela
situation. since all theories at this distance
must be based on data of unknown value,
and some of it perhaps misleading, we are
| as yet unable to see any reason Tor chahg-
| ing the view which we have held from the
| start and in which We have been sup
ported in part by at least one OF the Brit
! ish authorities. We are still regarding
Buffers advance as in the main move
ment TO relieve Ladysmith by crushing OF
turning Joubert's right beyond Springfield;
! other operations being in support OF tnat
purpose.
The critics may be correct in their as
sumption that Sir Charles Warren's move
ment from Frere has been to Weenen; but
we cannot make such an opinion consist
with the geography or topography OF such
| war maps as we are able to consult. 1t
seems to be admitted that the force with
which Butler occupied Potgieter's Drift.
| marched up the main road which leads di
rectly from Estcourt to Zunckles, ten
miles west of Springfield. The column
may have gone ON to Zunckles and march
ed back over an intersecting main road
to Springfield, and so on up to Potgieters
| Drift. or it may have left the first high
way and moved by the cross-road leading
north to Springfeld-a much shorter route.
II the flying column under Butler was
taken from Estcourt as reported, the di-
rect line from the British rear 10 Weenen
was ignored, because the short cut 10
Weenen is by the main road northeast
from Estcourt. Now, there is a main road
from Frere, running parallel with the EST
court road in the same direction. north
west to Springfield. If the dispatches re-
garding the stations and movements of
troops have been correct, up TO yesterday,
the logical meaning of an advance from
Frere would be that Warren or whoever
was there in command had moved TO
Springfield to engage Joubert's right. while
Butler should take ii in reverse. No doubt
force as strong as could be spared fas
moved against Inhlawe Mountain and the
ford above Weenen: but We are unable TO
think that the movement from Frere was
eastward but naturally, il not necessarily,
in the direction of Springfield. And this
seems the more probable since an attack
on the Boer right front would promise
great assistance to Butler in getting in
position for an attack in reverse.
The later morning London news is in
sistent that Warren has gone to Weenen;
but we are not, therefore, satisfied that
he has. or, if he has. that be started from
Frere. Whatever force or general marched
out of that place is nearly certain to be
heard from between Colenso and Spring
field. supporting Buffers turn as above.
The only remaining erumb of informa
tioL we have is that reconnaissance on
the centre shows the Boer trenches at CO.
lenso nearly deserted, This may very we'll
be. Joubert has a line extending. say. ten
miles each way from Colenso. In antici-
patton of flank attack On his right OF
his left. the Boer general would be likely
| 10 place his highly mobile mounted in
| fantry as largely in reserve as he dared to
| midway of each flank. Thus one-half of
| his available force would be within five
miles OF either flank and the whole
within the same distance of the cen
tre. were the main attack to be developed
| there. So, although the Boer rifemen may
not be in evidence at Colenso, it is sup
posable that they are not far away.
Since receipt of the dispatches published
| in the morning edition of The Times to-
day. the conviction is strengthened In
London that great battle is raging at
| three points on the Tugela. This view is
| no doubt derived from private information
which has been given to friends by min
listers or War Office officials. When the
| truth Isl known We shall probably learn
| that Butler today was battling fiercely on
Jouberts right and rear, Warren or some
| other with a division engaging his right
front. Clery striking al Inhlawe, and the ar
tillery peppering the heights of Colenso.
Should the operations beyond Springfield
prove even temporarily successful Sir
George White and the Ladysmith garrison
ought quickly to get into action-possibly
| may have before now.