Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-09

Last Reports Were Such aS to Cause
Anxiety in London

LONDON, February .. 2:35 pm.-There
Is still no news of Gen. Buffers doings to-
day or yesterday. A dispatch, dated Frere
Camp, Thursday, February S. but probably
written with the advanced lines, Wednes-
day, February I, and sent to Frere by
runner, says:
The forces Of the enemy are on both
our fianks and continue to render our posi-
ton extremely difficult to maintain"
Beyond the fact that Gen. Butler devoted
Wednesday to bringing more artillery and
troops across the Tugela, nothing is known
of his movements but that he badly need
going from Frere.
1t Is still more patent that it is impossi-
pie for him to advance until the artillery
mas mas oeen enabled to take up forward posi-
tions Tor the purpose of subduing the Boer
guns on both flanks. Upon the length of
time occupied in this operation depends the
duration Of General Buffers maintenance
OF the defensive. 1t Is reasonable to sun
pose that the guns and reinforcements
We're in position yesterday and that an
other attempt to advance is now progress
ing or, at least, that the bombardnent pre-
ilnlnary to the actual movement of the
troops is in progress.
In the meanwhile news Is awaited with
very great eagerneSs, not unmixed with
anxiety. Almost all the critics now point
out that the mere pushing through to
Ladysmith without securing a decisive vic
tory on the way there would only add dam
ger to what is already critical situation
News Brought by Prisoner.
Another Frere Camp dispatch SAYS a
Boer prisoner asserts that the burgher-s ex-
pected General Butler to cross at Skiots
Drift, and that thousands of Beers were
being posted at Dornkloof to oppose such
passage, while on a captured hill there
were only few hundred Johannesbursers
This tends incrpaSo he
those who believe that General Butler has
scarcely begun the serious part of his ad-
vance, though encouragement is CLEANED
from the news that the heavy naval gins
after repeated attempts, during which the
mules rolled down the hill, have succeeded
in reaching the summit of Zwarts Kop.
whence they are doing excellent practice
Gen. Hector MacDonald's retirement from
koOdooSberg has created disappointment
But the operation was apparently only in
tended as sortie, and its success or fail
ure could scarcely have resulted in any
material effect on the campaign
To the daily rumor of the relief of Isdv-
smith was added last evening the report
that Lord Rothschild had positive fnforma-
tlon to that effect, and that he had COM
munlcated 1t to various members of the
mouse of lords during yesterdays session
Lord Rothschild today said he had no news
OF the nature mentioned and that he did
not go to the house of lords yesterday.
Rumored Relief of Ladysmfth.
A rumor that Ladysmith had been re-
lieved is again current today, but the war
office authorities say they have no contir-
nation of the report
Military attaches will leave tomorrow.
Their destination IS not given, but pre-
sumably they will join Lord Roberts. whose
whereabouts have not yet been made pub
lie.
1t was said today that one of the first
steps to increase the home army will be the
raising of thrty-scven new horse and field
batteries with barracks on Salisbury Plain
and the addition of third battalions to uu-
merous regiments, which at present are
without them.