Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-02-13

Roberts and Kitchener at MOdder
River and the Public Again
Waits. s

LONDON, Feb. 19.-4:12 p. m.-The
war Office has received the following
dispatch from Field Marshall Lord Rob.
erts, dated from the Modder river, Sun
day, Feb. IL: ~
II have received a telegram from Bul.
Ter as follows, dated Friday, Feb. 9:
''sIt was necessary, after seizing Vaal
Krantz, to entrench it as the pivot of
further operations. But I found after
trying two days, that owing to the ma
ture Of the ground, that this was i'm
practicable. It was also exposed to the
fire Of heavy guns in positions from
which our artillery was dominated. 1t
is essential to troops advancing on Lady
smith by Harding Or Mongers drift to
hold Vaal Krantz securely, and accord
ingly, we are not pressing the advance
by those roads, as 1 find we cannot make
it secure. -"
Confidence in Roberts and Kitchener.
With troops in present positions,
Great Britain remains waiting anx-
iously to learn which side will succeed
in striking first. The feeling, however,
is much more confident than at the
opening Of last week, in consequence of
the widespread belief that the hands of
Field Marshal Lord Roberts and Gen
eral Kitchener are now firmly gripped
at the helm and that whatever happens,
the campaign will now be waged under
careful, comprehensive plans, in which
all the forces will cooperate. Both sides
seem to be collecting themselves for
attack. - se
The left horn Of the British army is
creeping through Zululand and threat
ening the Boer right, and at Chieveley,
General Joubert with 5000 men is re-
ported to be preparing to attack General
Butler. Boer aggressiveness has already
developed and has met with a repulse
at Rensberg, while from what now be-
comes the most important point of the
campaign, the Modder river, comes the
news Of ceaseless activity and redoubled
vigilance. These reports create hope
fulness in Great Britain rather than
anxiety, for the impression exists that
the Boer aggressivensss will give the
British troops their long yearned for
opportunity, and tend greatly to assist
the broad plan of campaign which Lord
Roberts may shortly be expected to set
in motion at the Modder river. Z.
In the meanwhile, Iadysmith must
await the exingencies attendant upon
the more important military movements
now on foot. ,,-~.
British Slow to Learn.
Frank Harris, former editor of the
Saturday Review, in a pamphlet just
published, reiterates the view which
the st. James Gazette has been insist
I ing on that quality and not quantity is
what England needs to beat the Beers .
and that & England always fails to learn
by experience. He adds: @
The battle Of Saratoga should have
taught every Englishman the true
theory Of war. There the American
militia not only defeated the English
troops, but forced them to an, ignomin-
ious surrender and, mark it, those same
English troops were the best soldiers Of
their time. Or take a still clearer case,
Welinston IS veterans were beaten at
New Orleans by half their number Of
raw militia But even New Orleans
taught the English nothing.
.The British, iii their tnrn, play saw
ages to the Beers and advance across
the open to be swept away by rifle fire.
They don't see that their bravery is just
as useless and just as stupid as the
bravery of the Hadend Iowa Arabs. Get
mp your corps Of marksmen now. Give
them telescope sights and the best
rifles Train them as sharpshoo
not as pugilists, and You will beat the
Beers yet. and not otherwise. 4 #