The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-13
~ SOUTH AFRICA.
The Beers appear to have taken the initiative

The Beers appear TO have taken the initiative
In the new phase OF tho camrnien and have
assumed the aggressive IN different directions.
The Durham reports. however. have 81 often
proved misleading that they cannot be accepte |
unreservedly. 40 tho statement that b,OOO arr
somewhere threatening Gen. Buffers right
need not be taken seriously unless con-
frmed nom some other source. The
same thing may be said OF the Invasion
OF /ululand by what Is described ms n
large force. The Official dispatches mike no
reference TO these stories. and all that Is known
for certain Is that n strong patto that had
been sent into northern Xululand from Natal
had reached there safely on Jan. 81. What
the object Of this patrol was IL not stated, but
may have hal something to do with the SNUG
Cling OF war material through Xululand into
the Transvaal from the coast,
The explanations given by Gen. Bullcr. as
transmitted TO London by Lord Roberts, Of his
reasons for abandoning his last attempt to
reach Ladysmith reads somewhat weak. for ono
would have supposed that the military author
tiles in Natal would have had at least mn Gle.
mentary knowledge Of the country about Lady
smith. particularly Of that part lying between
It and tho TuRcla. IL IL now asserted
on of1cial authority that there arc no
accurate surveys OF that part OF the
country. no that by whatever line he may elect
TO advance. the best Gen. Butler car do Is to
feel his way like one groring In the dark.
Truly an unsatisfactory state OF things when
time Is an object and the sacrifice OF life has to
be minimized. But II Is only one more ~illustra-
ton OF the unreadiness OF the British War
ONCE and the ineficiency OF its Intelligence
Department.
Ia NkA a.k H.. 49,. tnllonNLan { n Dtvap %
Gen. Kelly Kenny's movements. lie has re-
paired the bridge at Theebus on the railway
between Rosmead Junction and Stormberg
but has the Beers In front OF him at Steyns-
burg about ten miles to the eastward. whore a
lnrge bridge has been destroyed. The Boer
position there should be a strong one, as II is
In the hills and has been occupied for several
weeks. besides being an essential point in con-
nection with the defence OF Stormberg. The
movement on StormberG when 1t takes place will
probably be n fianking one from the eastward
by Dordrecht and jamestown. and he in sympa-
thy with the movements OF the Molder River
column and its attachments. Further indica-
ton Of the preparations making In connection
with the projected invasion of the Orange Free
State Is given by the conversion OF the Austria
lian infantry contingent into a mounted corps.
thus adding to that branch OF the invading
force. The difficulty in eHuipping and
maintaining the mounted force for the
operations projected is the finding OF
the mounts necessary and tho transport. Col.
II. Is. Hanna OF the British Army, an Authority
on such matters. writing to the London papers.
points out that the army that will be required
for this new campaign will be a large one and
must be furnished with an entirely new trans
port. and that, he says. does not exist and he
doubts IL II can be created. The exigcncies Of
the political situation in England. however, are
such that Lord Roberts will be forced 20 do
that mysterious something which Is always
clamorcd for when everything that has pre-
ceded has failed. and he will be more than
lucky II he finally succeeds in breaking
the spell that up to now appears
to have bound his subordinate Generals. The
want Of water has been a determining factor on
several occasions already; IL Is the main
difficulty In q direct advance from the Modder
River to Kimberley 1t was severely felt by the
troops on Spion Kop. and was among the
reasons for the abandonment OF the Krantz
Kloof position the other day. The Beers are
burning the grass wherever 1t is possible.
40 that fodder for the horses Of the
mounted troops and artillery accompany
ing them. and for the transport AMI
mails will have to be carried what that means
when the food has to be taken even for
a week only for 10000 men. 10000 horses and
as many or more transport animals through a
country that will be denuded OF all supplies is
not easily realized in these days. when rail-
ways play so large a part in connection with
military transport. II Ia this that Lord Rob-
erts has to face under political pressure. and
the old soldier may well have prayed. as he is
said TO have. that some other than himself had
been selected for the task.
The British losses In the Spion Kop opor.
atoms were 27l killed. l.0tbS woundet and 2l3
missing or these 2O5 we're killed. 5Ji
wounded. and 2S7 missing in the fighting at
apion Kop alone. The total since the war Ia;
Killed. 1923: wounded, 5,U4l. and 2,674 miss
ing. being 1928 in all.
Lord Roberts is said 10 have promised the
correspondents n free hand In connection with
the approaching operations.