New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-24
CRONJE 4 HEROIC FIGURE.
ADMIRATION IN ENGLAND FOR THE
VALOR OF THE BOER COMMANDER.

Gcopyr4ght; 1900; by The New-York Tr1bune.I
rBY CABLE TO zee TK1BUsEl
London, Feb "A, 1 a. m--There were prema-
ture reports yesterday at luncheon time Of Gen
eral cronje's surrender and the relief of Lady
smith, but these were unconfrmed by the War
Office.
Al midnight Fleet Street received several ad-
dtional accounts OF Sundays battle at Koodoos-
rand and the operations of the next two days,
tut there dispatch a late hour relat-
ing TO what had happened after Wednesday
morning in the river bed where General Cronje's
burghers were entrapped and exposed to the
concentrated fire Of fifty guns. By a strange
revulsion Of feeling. peculiarly English Cronje
has suddenly been transformed through sheer
love Of fair play into heroic figure. Every
Lendon Journal expresses hearty admiration for
the infexible courage with which he has
mained at bay when these powerful batteries
were massing their fire upon a defenceless posi-
ton not than mile square Men have
forgotten General Roberts's remarkable strategy
and have talked Of nothing but Cronje's fight
10 the death in that fiery furnace of shrapnel,
lyddite and common she'll 1t not war, but
IT magnificent that the British casualty
lists when they We're posted read with
something like insensibility although they dis
closed a loss OF nearly one hundred and fifty
Of the rank and file. who were killed Sunday.
General Cronje's defence, hopeless as 1t seemed.
touched the English imagination
cRONJE's CHANCES OF RELIEF.
All the military writers agree that Cronje's
only chance lies in powerful diversion in his
favor by Dutch reinforcements drawn from
Natal Cclesberg and StorTnberg. Three British
brigades were in action Sunday and Mon
day, with another and French's cavalry in re-
serve. If twenty thousand burghers from Natal
and ten thousand more from the southern from
tier could be suddenly concentrated against
cronje's besiegers his deliverance might be ef-
tected or at least the issue of the tragic strug-
gle at Koodoosrand would be left in doubt.
General Roberts would have two brigades Of the
Ssven.h Division available a reserve against
tias concentration, and possibly another from
TIE First Division, although he has a line or
communication to be guarded for twenty-five
or thirty miles from Modder River station
From % 90 to 10000 men could be massed by
Lor1 Roberts in an emergency about Koodoos-
ran There is no evidence yet that Dutch
concentration has taken place in that quarter
on a large scale. Pretoria reports stated yes
terlay that six thousand Beers have gone from
Natal into the Free State This estimate may
he inclu led in the Free State forces retiring
Dutch force, have disappeared from the Coles
berg a.d stc rInberg districts. where the BRUSH
colum .ria as they are. can now advance
cautioBsy .oward the Orange River. But the
strength sof the reinforcenients available for
Cron3e's assistance from that quarter Is con-
tectural. Well Informed men in close touch
with the War Office agree that the best thing
that can hlppen for the British side is the con-
centration 4 the entire Dutch army at Koodoos-
rand. sine. that policy viii enable General
Roberts TO deliver a crushing blow with his
own forces heavily nassed a short distance
from Their niiway base. Otherwise, they say
Cronjes sUrrsnder viii be followed by a tedious
campaign Though the enemy's country with
long lines Of communication 10 be maintained
One point which is not understood is the 81
lence Of Crenes guns. The British batteries
are firing at cose range. whereas the big guns
which were at Magersfontein ought to enable
General Cron5e to make good defence APP
parently his guns not with him.
THE SITUATION ON THE TUGELA-
The news from Natal at a late hour was con-
fusing. Some dfpatches stated that the Fusi-
ier battalions efer crossing the Tugela founo
the enemy in some strength on the hills, ana
that big creuDt gun from Grobler's Kloof
returned the hre2f the naval guns. Other ac-
counts assume Z Z the main body Of the Beers
has retreated ad that the guard has
been left TO coer the movement. AS these
dispatches were w1tten on wednesday from Co
lenso. they were lot decisive on the vital Ques-