The evening times., 1900-02-14

Perhaps il would be we'll to await fur
ther details before forming any opinion as
10 the value of the news from South Africa
today. On the face of the returns we
should say that the immediate outlook is
not favorable to the British, though the
partisans of the famous and much-loVed
Lord Roberts are declaring that the
entire picture. as presented in the de-
spatches. is one which clearly depicts the
brilliant and successful strategy of their
favorite.
AS bare matters Of fact it appears that the
Beers have driven in Clements outposts
at Rensburg. and, what is quite as inpcr-
tant. have shelled the British out Of Coles
Kop. an eminence which We have been told
dominated the whole Boer position. There
is something of sinister significance in tbs
episode French took possession of the kop
some time ago. and We may assume that he
entrenched it scientifically and cmplaced
his best guns, as it was considered the key
OF the situation. The Beers plant
forty-pounder on a small hill nine thousand
yards away and shortly make Coles kop
untenable. The British have no ordnance
competent to reply TO such messages, or,
if they have. they do not know how TO
handle il. They have uniformly been I'M
able to shell their antagonists out of any
thing. but quite as regularly have been
ousted themselves. Striking illustrations
are furnished in the instances Of Spion Kop
and Krantz Kloof.
Il is said that Count de Tillebois-M -Mareuil
is in personal command Of the Beers al
Colesberg and We are inclined TO credit
he report Il was announced that he had
lei, Natal for the Free State Immediately
after the fight az Spiou Kop If he is on
The Orange line il viii take a clever
general to match him and Lord Roberts no
doubt thinks so. tt is possible that kitche-
ner Is on the ground. He has not turned
IN elsewhere as far as We have been able
n learn He or somebody needs 10 be busy
in the district under consideration Prob
ably the British force in the locality has
been weakened 10 some extent by The with
drawal OF French's cavalry. II SO The Boer
commander has responded 10 tnat move
meut appropriately by taking the offensive.
md initiating movement which decidedly
eral. and the strategic quadrlateral i'm
particular With the British line pushed
back to Rensburg. the Beers would appear
10 he In complete control again of the Nor
val's Punt crossing of the Orange River:
"A cousummation which may be quite IN
consonance with Roberts plans bur con-
veys anything but that impression. Con
sldered en- bloc the most recent develop
ments in Northern Cape Colony look very
much as if they might lead to a serious
delay in the evolution OF Lord Roberts
forward movement Yet il must be ad-
mitted that appearances may be deceptive
and that the Narshal's friends NAV be
right in asserting that he has outwitted his
adversary in calling of considerable
force from Nagarsfontein for operations in
Cape Colony.
Our information from Natal is not
especially encouraging TO British hopes.
The critics are taking what comfort they
can from the theory that Buffers recent
movements have been merely sham battles
designed to keep Joubert occupied while
Roberts was getting ready for business in
the west Sir Redvers is reported at
Cheveley. We do not hear that he has
Withdrawn his army from the upper Tu-
gela. but it is admitted in London that
such may be the fact. We should not be
surprised TO learn thar be had consid-
cred his line TOO long and had drawn it
in. even if he did not think it necessary
10 retire his left below Springfield. II is
reasonably certain that Butler had 10
count upon a severe attack upon his right
threatening his communications as a re-
suit of his reverses at SpiOn KCp and
Krantz Kloof and his presence at Cheve-
ley at this time was 10 be expected. one
can only skim over the little scraps Of
news allowed to pass the censor, and
guess The facts and conditions upon
which intelligent military opinions and
theories might be based are kept most
thoroughly suppressed by the British
headquarters.