Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-30

gram from London to the Evening

that Field Marshal Lord Roberts has
advised the abandonment of Lady
smith. At the War ONCE. tie dispatch
adds, no confirmation could be obtained
or the advices said to have been given
by Lord Roberts"
UNFOUNDED RUMoR.
Berlin, ian. ga semi official dis
patch from Lisbon says the report that
the Boers have crossed the Mozambique
frontier Is unfounded.
ALLY VISITS DOM PAUL.
Pretoria, Friday, Jan. 2G.-President
Steyn. of the Orange Free State and
a. FISCHER, of the Executive Council
Of that republic, arrived here this morn
Ing. They were met at the railroad
station by President Kruger and other
officials. and were cheered while driv-
ing to the residence of the President
| or the Transvaal.
The Volksstem, the official organ of
the government, in welcoming the
guests OF the State says:
But for the courageous attitude of
the Free State the conditions of the
ipresent struggle would be changed. It
would have been impossible for the
Transvaa1 to have taken the course fol-
lowed with such success
London, Jan. 29-It is frankly ac
knowledged that the most serious effort
| of the present war has djsmally failed.
There is no sign of wish on the part
OF the leaders of public opinion to dis
guise the ugly facts. but. on the con-
| trary, there is every disposition to face
| the full difficulties and discover the
best way out. In short, the policy
voiced everywhere is the gathering up
| OF forces for more effective blows. All
| hopes of the speedy relief OF Ladysmith
have been abandoned, and the consen-
sus of expert opinion urges the immedi-
ate shifting OF the theatre of war from
the rocky kopjes OF Natal to the open
| veldt OF the Free State.
One thing appears certain-another
long pause is inevitable unless the
Eoers assume the offensive, because
even in the event of General Butler fur
thcr attempting to reach Ladysmith
the planning of n new move will neces-
| sarily occupy time.
The afternoon papers are drawing
| attention to the closenesS of the paral-
| lei between the Federal attack on Cen
eral Lee at Frcdicksburg and the OPP
| erations on the Upper Tugela.
BUTLER IS SAFE.
Curiously enough, there is visible, es-
pecially in military circles. an UNDER
current of relief at the news that the
British are safely south OF the Tugela.
| for the rumors OF Saturday has con-
| jured by visions of an immense catas-
trophc.
AS the afternoon papers are COM
mentng without full knowledge OF the
facts, they are not disposed to offer
any apologies for General Buffers de-
| feat.
The st. James Gazette says:
"The meaning of the retreat is OBJ
vfous. We have had to recognize that
we cannot force our way through the
cnemy's lines to Ladysmith. Why, we
do not know. If the Boer position is
impregnable it ought neverto have been
attacked. If it is capable Of being taken,
we were repulsed because the leader
ship was bad and 1t Is idle to attempt
to conceal that the latter is far from
Incredible TO start out declaring there
must be no turning back is emincntly
foolish. When swagger and rant pre-
vail there is commonly plentiful lack Of
judgment and true resolution. 1t re-
quires serious effort not to yield to the
gloomy conviction that the intellectual
and orIi-uuafities which-Tna+e- for
success have been replaced on our staff
by words, words, words. The remedy
for South Africa is not to add TO the
numbers. but to put the troops where
their force can come into play"
PROGRESS STOPPED IN NATAL.
The Westminster Gazette invites the
country to cast aside all delusions and
recognize the fact that progress for the
present 1t stopped in Natal, and that
safety lies in concentration. General
Whites force. as an effective aid, must
be written off, and probably most of
General Buffers army has left the
Tugela- The Beers 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 q new army some
how from somewhere. We need at
least 100000 more men-50, 900 to rein
force the Cape and $4,000 in reserve.
OTHER PRESS COMMENTS.
The Globe says:
1T would be mistake to minimize
the serious character of the situation
in Natal. We have made great effort
from which great results were expected.
and have failed. The situation. rs 1t
stands to-day. points. but points with
| greatly augmented force, the same
moral as did our previous mishaps. II
| Is. that the war must be pressed on
| with redoubed energy. Our resources
| are not exhausted but RI thor it NAV