The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-02-08
BRITISH DEFEATED.
General Butler is Forced to Retreat
Before The Enemy.
DO DISCUSSING TIE UGLY FACTS
Shifting of the Theater of War From
the Rocky Kopjes to oths Open Veldt
Suggested.

London, By Cable.-It is frankly &C.
knowledged that the most serious ef-
fort OF the present war has dismally
failed There is no sign of wish Oh
che part Of the leaders of public opin-
ion TO disguise the ugly facts, but, on
the contrary. there is every DISPOSE
tion to face the full difficulties and dis
cover the best way out In short, the
policy voiced everywhere is the gath
ering up Of forces for more effective
blows All hopes of the speedy relief
of Ladysnith have been abandoned,
and the consensus of expert opinion
urges the immediate shifting of the
theatre Of war from the rocky kopjes
of Natal to the open weld; tf the Free
State. One thing appears certain-an
other long pause is inevitable. unless
che Beers assume the offensive be-
cause, even in the event OF General
Butler further attempting to reach
Iadysmith, the planning of a new
move will necessarily occupy time.
The afternoon newspapers are
drawing attention to the closeness OF
the parallel between the Federal at
tack on Keneral Lee at Fredericksburg
and the operations on the upper Tug.
ella. CuTiouSly enough, there is isl
BILE. especially in military circles, an
undercurrent of relief at the news tha:
the British are safely south of the
ha nf Cat, .da,
had conjured up visions OF an immense
catastrophe. AS the afternoon news
papers are commenting without full
knowledge of the facts. they are not
disposed to offer any apologies for
General Buffers defeat. The st. James
Gazette, says: 'The meaning Of the
retreat is obvious. We lave had to
recognize that we cannot force our
way through the enemy's lines TO
LadySmith. Why. we do not know. II
the Boer position Is impregna5le it
ought never to have been attacked. II
it is capable of being taken, we were
repulsed because the leadership was
bad. and it is idle TO attempt % con.
ceal that the latter is far from in
credible To start out declaring there
must be no turning back. is eminently
foolish When swagger and rant pre-
vail, there is commonly plentiful lack
Of Judgment and true resolution. II
requires serious effort not to yield 70
the gloomy conviction that the intel
leotual and moral qualities which make
for success have been replaced on our
side by words, words, words. The rom.
edy for Soueh Africa is not to add
the numbers but to put the trool
where their force can come into play
The Westminster Gazette invites the
country 10 cast aside all delusions and
recognize the fact that progress for the
present is stopped in Natal mi that
safety lies in concentration. General
Whites force, as an effective aid, must
be written off, and probably mos o!
General Buffers army has left the
Tugela. "The Boers," it says, have
been given time to prepare against an
advance through the Free State, and
we have not sufficient strength At
present to undertake this advance
with any safety. These are ugly
facts. but those who disguise them are
again misleading the public. The plain
truth is that we will have to make a
We need at least 100000 more men
new army somehow, from somewhere.
$4,000 to re-enforce the Cape and
$4,000 in reserve"