Evening star., 1900-02-02
BRITISH IN SOUTH AFRICA
Mr.. Wyndham Says There Are 195, 200
Troops There Now.
Besides Is.o0O Are En- Route-This is
the Biggest Army England
Ever Raised.

LONDON, February ., 4:3o a.m.-Mr.
MYndhams remarkable declarat ton in the
house of commons that Great Britain will
hrye in a fortnight 10000 regulars in South
Africa. besides IHl0 Canadians and Austria
HarS'. and 5000 South African volunteers
l. received with wonderment. OF this total
OF 2I3O0O troops. with a. guns. all are now
there. with the exception of about $1,000
that are afoat. Beyond comparison this is
the largest force Great Britain has ever
put into the field. At the end of the Cri-
mean war she had scraped together $1,000
men Wellington at Waterloo mad 5000.
Roughly speaking. only $4,000 men are
at the front. Ten thousand others have
been lost and 1o.op are shut ur-at Lady
smith.
Excluding these. there are 10000 troops
iH South Africa who have not yet been in
action. Why 50 many have not yet been
engaged is explained by the lack of land
transport and the organization of supplies
To which Lord Roberts is devoting his ex-
perience and Lord Kitchener his genius for
"details. 1t seems as though the weight OF
these masses must destroy the equi i.ibrium
which now holds the British forces sta
tionary wherever they are in contact with
the Boer army
siarrisons Required In Cape Colony.
Lack of transports and organization will
NOT explain adequately why, when generals
b. the front request reinforcements, they
get them in rather small numbers Knowl-
edge IS slowly penetrating to London that
large garrisons must be kept in Cape Col
ony to hold down the Cape Dutch, who. as
every one knows, outnumber the British
residents 3 to 2.
Gable scraps received during the last
twelve hours do not further illuminate the
military operations. Various independent
correspondents confirm the report that Cen
eral Butler told his troops on January %
that he hoped to relieve Ladysmith within
. week.
A furthers|lfst Of casualties published by
The war office brings the total from the
crossing of he--Tugela TO the abandonment
of Spion Kop TO 1885 officers and men.
The Daily Telegraph publishes the follow
Ing dispatch from Spearman's Camp. dated
January 3D.. -Gol. Wynne has taken com
rnand of Gen. Woodgate's brigade. Col.
Miles has been appointed chief Of Cen Bull
leI's staff. The Beers are still constructing
defensive works opposite Potgfeters Drift
A strong cavalry reconnaissance proceeded
to-day westward. in the vicinity Of Hongers
Spruit. Lord Dundonald's reconnaissance
the road clear. The enemy was not to be
sen"
Why the Beers Win Battles.
Spencer Wilkinson. in the Morning Post
today. DISCUSSES a long dispatch from Win
ston Churchill. dated at Pietermaritzburg,
AMI describing the situation in Natal. He
says:
This dispatch deserves TO be closely read.
II is an appeal 10 the public at home, and
IS il has been passed by the censor. may
IS, taken to represent the feeling Of Gen
I.uller's army Mr.. Churchill represents the
difficulties Of Cen Buffers task in concise
t5ru=-
-s.-Tne enemy will act with common sense.
They will place outpcsts on the hills and
hack their main body until they see the
direction of Gen. Buffers movement. Then
they will quickly bring up the main body
aud extemporize what defensive works they
can in addition 10 such as they have pro-
fusely prepared ii anticipation of various
POSSIBLE advances.
THAT IS what every one would expect
them TO do. and that their main body can
ride faster than Gen. Buffers main body
can walk was also pretty generally under
stood. The consequence Is that the Boer
army cannot be turned Wherever IL IS at
tackled it can present an lntrencnet front.
Borr Forces in BuIIer's Front.
according to Mr.. Churchill. there are
-Aea Beers :watching Ladysmith. the same
number held ready TO resist Cen Butler,
and som kept in reserve TO reinforce either
h)iv Thus Gen. Butler has 10 attack 1000
ri-1, iutrenched in favorable ground. For
rl..- purpose Mr. Churchill thinks he ought
u have 5000 men instead OF 21,o".
In other words. Gen Butler ought to
hay@ another division. inns OPINION com
cid-s with the view We have all along ex-
p----rd-that the center of gravity OF war
lies in Natal and that a British victory
there would be decisive, while a complete
British defeat in Natal would have disas-
trouz consequences not easily to De estl-
mated
Winston Chur5 hills dispatch from Piet-
erIna rIt zburg. in addition to details re-
spectiug the position on the TuSela, gives
4 nu~t interesting survey OF the general
position He says: These most serious
attacks upon the war office appear unjust
The great army in Africa is of the finest
quality. beautifully organized and equip
Led III all details. and has excellent ar
fiIlery- The Buer guns are few, but splen-
hid. and are Cleycriy handled. The Beers
can ind the range of moving targets at
1000 Yards often at the first shot of
guns. We cannot explain how"
Beers and British Compared.
In an interesting comparison of British
and Boer methods of warfare, as illustrat-
ed during the battle Of Spion 1<op show
ing how the British troops Were "cramp-
t'Glachtnery Of control was shattered" ne
SAYS:
This would not have ffected the Beers
either TO hold or to evacuate a position
would have acted individually and quite
Ind, peuGentIy "f officers orders 1t was
case of a pack OF hounds against a
flock of sheep But the next morning the
British battalions were again collected and
solid. showing Tho advantages of disci-