Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-01-28


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LONDON, January 27.-Mr. Spencer
| Wilkinson, VIII use articles on the war
situation have attracted such atten-
ton here and abroad, wrote the fol-
lowing review Of the situation for the
Associated Press at midnight and after
the war Office had given out a telegram
from Lord Roberts, dated at Cape
Town, Saturday, saying there was nc
change in the situation:
The affair of Spion Kop appears very
like a reverse at the decisive point OF
the decisive battle. According to Gen.
Buffers telegram, Gen. Warren deter
mined to take the hill because 1t
commanded the enemy's other posi-
lions. Having taken it Tuesday night,
he abandoned it Wednesday night,
presumably because he was unable to
hold it.
The published words of Gen. Bull
| ler's telegram nave the tone in which
a reverse is announced. Whether the
mishap can be made good is impos-
Sible to say.
A general attacking, has, to some ex-
tent, the power of making his W de-
cisive point. Gen. Warren may YET
best the enemy by success at some 9TH
er point, or he may re-take Spion Kor
and keep 1t; but unless in one way OF
another the battle now going on can
be won, there is no probability OF Lady
| smith being relieved.
Gen. Buffers army, unless successful,
will be in a critical position, for its re-
treat would be a difficult operation
The main Boer force is as neal to any
point on the railway as Is Gen. War
ren's wing Of Buffers army, and the
Beers have the advantage of speed.
For this reason, as we'll as because ol
the importance Of his purpose to re-
lieve Gen. White, we may expect Gen,
Butler to do his very utmost before
giving up the attempt, and in this ne
| cessity lies the best hope of success.
The American civil war showed how
| rified fire arms, by rendering assault
difficult, produced battles lasting sew
eral days, and as since then the range
and rate Of fire have been greatly In
creased, the prolongation of the dura-
ton Of battles was to be expected.
But without a fuller knowledge than
the kilograms as yet afford, it is not
yet possible clearly to interpret the
episodes of the unfinished fight.
The report from Boer sources that
Mafeking has been relieved IS credible
for Col. Plumer has been persistently
working in that direction, and there
has been time since he was last heard
| of near Gaberones for him to cover
the intervening distance. Moreover,
the Beers have wisely been concen-
trating their forces at more decisive
| points, but 1t requires confirmation.
An eminent British general, review
ing the campaign to a representative
| of the Associated Press, thus summed
it up:
First Of all, we underestimated the
enemy. Secondly, we knew nothing OF
! the power Of modern weapons when
| opposed 10 each other in the hands
of tolerably equal forces. Thirdly, We
| deserted strategy to satisfy sentiment.
By that / mean Ladysmith and Kim
berley appealed to us and we answered
as quickly and as unthinkingly as does
an electric receiver to a transmitter.
"We have learned many things;
but chiefly, we have learned that long
| n guns and rifles minimize ire
mendously the advantage which for
merly accrued to the aggressor. Yet,
/ thoroughly believe, and | am net
speaking without experience, that had
any continental nation undertaken the
same task with the same force it
would by this time have been wiped
out. There are a lot OF things which
might have been learned had we
watched your land fighting at Ganti-
ago. But we did not. As a result, we
did not have nippers to cut wire and
we knew nothing about MAuserg. But.
the appreciation of our shortcomings
only makes US the more determined.
il may be six months and 1t may be a
wear. hut we shall achieve III object
From the field OF party strife and
military criticism, II is a relief to turn
to an extract of a letter from an officer
at the front. who writes:
IAN orderly was bringing some wa
ter TO a wounded man lying on the
ground near me. shot through the abb
domen. He could hardly speak owing
to the dryness Of his mouth: but, he
said: Take 1t TO my pal first. He's
worse hit than me-"
After reading this. one can under
stand that Gen Butler did not stop
over when he wired: The men are
splendid"