The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
r LOOKS LIKE A REVERSE.
wan authorities ON THE AFFAIR
AT SPION KOP.


Which Reverse Is Announced.
Gen. BulIer's Army Likely to Find
Itself in Critical POsitiOn-Se-
rious Report of British Reverse
Comes From BerIin-Nothing Is
| known of 1t in London.
London, Jan. 2S, 4:30 a. m.-The only
news issued by the war office during the
rght is a dispatch from Lord Roberts,
dIted yesterday Saturday, stating that
s situation is unchanged and that Gen.
French reports a reconnaissance of the
enemy's position on Thursday, when he
found the Beers strongly posted at Piet-
lonte!n.
The maps do not show any such place
/ in ,ae region of Gen. French's operations
and it is probable that Reitfontein, ten
| miles north of Colesburg, is the place al
luded 20.
A special dispatch from Colenso, dated
Wednesday, jan "a, says that Command
ant Lucas Meyers commando surprised
/ and surrounded strong body of Gen. Me
thuen= infantry, killing and wounding
Il y
Military Expert Views.
London. Jan 2S-Mr. Spenser Wilkinson,
4 whose articles on the war situation have
/ attracted much attention here and abroad,
/ wrote the following review of the situa-
/ ron for the Associated Press at midnight
aud after the war office had given out
1 telegram from Lord Roberts dated at
1 Cape Town, Saturday, saying there was
10 change in the situation:
"The affair of Spion kop appears very
4 like d reverse at the decisive point of the
1 decisive battl2. According to Gen. Bull
4 uer's telegram, Gen. Warren determined
4 10 take the hill because it commanded the
A enemys other positions. Having taken it
4 Tuesday night he abandoned it Wednesday
4 night presumably because he was unabl.
4 TO hold it.
The published words of Gen. Buffers
I telegram have the tone in which a reverse
l Is announced. Whether the mishap can Be
I made good it is impossible to say.
"A general attacking has, to some ex-
| tent. the power Of making his own deci-
| slve point Gen Warren may yet best the
| enemy by success at some other point or
he may retake Spion Kop and keep it; but
unless in one way or another the battle
now going on can be won, there is no
probability OF Ladysmith being relieved.
Gen. Buffers army, unless successful,
viii be in a critical position, for its re
treat would be a difficult operation. The
main Boer force is as near to any point
on the railway as is Gen. Warren's wing
Of Buffers army, and the Beers have the
advantage Of speed For this reason, as
well as because of the Importance of his
| purpose 10 relieve Gen. White, we may
expect Gen. Butler TO do his very utmost
before giving up the attempt; and in this
necessity lies the best hope of success.
| The American Civil War showed how
rled firearms, by rendering assault diff
ieu.t produced battles lasting several
days and as since then the range and
rate Of fire have been greatly increased
-lh5 rrolongation Of the duration of battles
was 10 he expected. But without a fuller
"A knowledge than the kilograms as yet af-
II ford 1t is not possible clearly TO interpret
II The episoles of the unfinished fight.
Il Ine report from Boer sources that
"A Aai9king has been relieved is credible
a ior coi Plumer has been persistentIy
working in that direction, and there has
fen time since he was last heard of near
udDerones, for him to cover the interven-
AS distance. Moreover, the Beers have
o''ey peen concentrating their forces at
more decisive points, but it REQUIRES CON
hrmat0u."