The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-25
THE SITJITION ~ NATAL.

The suspension Of all news from Metal since
the receipt Of Gen. Buffers despatch 10 the
London War Once. announcing his intention
Boer positions. IS ominou- OF Ill omen for the
British. shoull the assault have been at
tempted, Until precise Information Is re-
ceived the silence may be Interpreted In two
ways. The assault may have been attempted,
but have miscirried and resulted in a c%ontinu-
Gus engagement, the result OF which, was
awaited by Gen. Butler before telngraphinc.
Or there has been no assault at all. and the
notice OF intention Of making IL may have been
merely a ruse to divert the Beers attention
from some more important object elsewhere.
From the Boer accounts il would appear
that a number of the Free state and Transvaal
commanders have. together with the Free
state President, Mr., Steyn. been making a re-
connoissnnce OF the situation on their extreme
right with the result that they decided that the
primary object OF Gen. Warren's move was not
SO much the turning Of their right flank as to
seize one Of the Drakensterg passes, for a Pre-
toria despatch states that a battle was raging
along the DIVERS Hook road since Saturiav
between the Beers under Pretorius and 5000
British. and that lighting was in full swing
lOhlh Fl'Nll - w . " Oulull'OIlul tOUl-
mandos under Botha and CronJe had been sent
to reinforce him.. Another Pretoria despatch
speaks Of tho British having bridg ed tho Tugela
toward Xuukles. where they have established
q vast commissariat. This definitely locates
Warren's division. which would have about
the strength estimated By the Beers, IL having
had. according to the last reports OF IFS
composition eight battalions Of infantry with
.orno Nat onl lnu,I,,,. Iatn,. -. ---i
guns, the cavalry brigade under Lord Dundon.
aid acting az an indeprndent command. The
fighting reported has been going on on the
main road that runs from Estcourt across
the Little Tugela and the Stcrs Sprui.
TO tho westward OF Zunkles. and across the
Tugela TO the eastward Of Bethany and west
ward ofSp!onKop,and from there on 10 the point
where roads divergc to the DIVERS Hook and
Bezuidenhout Passes. and TO Acton Homes,
from whore one road goes to the Tintwa Pass
and another on to Ladysmith by De wdrop,
The Importance Of the position Of which
Spion kop is the key is now very clear, and
the ~tenacity with which the Free Siaters
especially are defending it is explained, for
should the British succeed in capturln. it and
20 push back the right flank of the Eoor de.
fence, the road to the DIVERS Hpek Pass
would ba opened. should the pass Itself then
be seized. the whole Buer position on the Tu-
oela aud Immediately !Ound Ludysmith
would be confronted The great depot of
provisions at Zunkles described In the Pretoria
dispatches. may now he presumed to be- the
temporary base depot of the division acting
the DIVERS Hook Pass and accotd-
hg 10 the Bopr reports II Is supplied by a
light leld railway laid from Ten. Buffers for
mer headquarters at trere through Springfield.
This location OF Gen. Narren's division makes
the positions Of the other portions Of Gen. Bull
ler's force comprehensive, Gen. tlery icing In
the centre. and Gen, Lyttleton on the right;
the movements OF the last two depending on
the success OF Gen. Warren's SO operations against
The efYort now mekinS by the British In
Natal Is to recover the ground lost by tho Free
State Government taking the Initiative, and
selling the Van Reenen's Pass on earning OF
the mention OF the British 10 occupy u With.
out waiting for q declaration OF hostilities.
Should Grn, Butler succeed u gaining possess
sion Of the DIVERS Hook Pass. ana throwing
a strong division with artillery and a strong
cavalry force into the Free state. the relief OF
Lsdysmi,h would be AZ once e1actAd. and
an entirely new turn be glven 70 the course Of
the campaign. To attain this object would be
worth some sacrince. lor "a a base for the
advance on Pretoria. Natal with rs shorter
distance rom the coast 20 be trayorsad. Ia
Infinitely preferable to the route by any Of the
other lines. and the turning NJ the Drakens.
berg Passes would tQroe Gen. Joubert 10
ayaoutte oil northern Natal and Withdraw Into
GyansSeal teTTttorW