The evening times., 1900-03-08
Lord Roberts Easy Victory.

Although the British public is much elat-
ed over the latest success achieved by Lord
Roberts against the Beers. in the affair
east of Paardeberg. there is nothing in
the reports OF the engagement which have
reached Us TO impress the professional
mind with any idea that Joubert intended
to make a serious stand Cn his long.
straddling line OF several miles and twenty
seven kopjes. One cannot believe that a
general such as the old Boer commander
has shown himself to be, would think for
moment of taking broad chances of rogt
and capture or detruction by attempting
20 give battle on ground where necessarily
both his tanks must be in the air. The
burshers are not afraid of work, and all
the elaborate entrenching Joubert has
been doing for the past week probably was
only intended as a blind. No doubt the
time gained at British expense will be
found to have been well utilized at the
real point OF concentration farther east.
There is a hope expressed in London that
Lord Roberts may be able TO overtake, sur
round. and capture the retreating foe who
are described as thoroughly routed and
flying precipitately. This is as much as 20
say that IF wishes were horses then beg
gars might ride. The only command in
all Roberts army capable of overtaking
Joubert is the mounted division of four
brigades under General French. We enter
tain a suspicion that the willy old Joubert
would like nothing better than to draw the
single mobile force of his enemy away from
its immobile main body and into a trap
The hero OF Candahar is not likely to give
him such a chance.
On the whole the engagement reported
by Lord Roberts seems to have been cred
liable to the British side. French appears
to have sustained his reputation as an
able cavalry general. There is little to
be said about the tactics of the occasion,
which were simple and clearly indicated
by the unprotected condition Of the Boer
lanks. The event, on the whole. may
perhaps be best considered in principle as
a skirmish preliminary to a considerable
battle. For general reasons this might
be expected to take place on the line from
Abrahams Kraal to Kip Pan. which COW
ers Bloemfontein. and has been hitherto
reported as strongly defensible and in
course of fortifcation. Lord Roberts
headquarters have been advanced to Pop
lar Grove. point about twenty miles due |
west of Abraham's Kraal. IT, as we think |
probable, General Jouhert has been pre-
pairing to make a determined stand on the |
line mentioned the two armies might come |
TO blows again within day or two. Per- |
haps that will depend upon the possibili- |
ties of the country. Roberts will not in 1
dulge in the extravaganza of frontal at
tacks where they can be avoided. Flank
ing is better than fighting in most cases,
as General Sherman demonstrated to Gen
former whipsawed the latter all the way
from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Still the |
main object Of war is not so much to |
march and cover territory as it is to meet
and destroy the enemy. II is easy enough I
TO meet the Beers. but a prudent com
mander will not avail himself of the OPP
portunity when they are in a position to
do most of the destruction.
One of the London dispatches this morn
ing stated that the Dutch rising in the
northwest OF Cape Colony was the single
cloud on the British horizon today This
was rather an exaggerated statement of
the situation Just how serious the rebl-
lion may prove il is impossible to predict ,
1T this time and distance from the scene;
Nut IL rs"resents a grave and persistent