The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-30
CAMPAIGN A FAILURE.
English Comment ON Latest Turn OF
Affairs at south Africa.

usual airy attempts to minimize the
ssii,usness OF the situation In South
Africa are entirely lacking this after
noon, and 1t Is frankly acknowledged
that the most serious effort Of the pres
emit war has dismally failed.
There is no sign Of wish on the part
of the leaders Of public opinion to dis.
guiss the :gly facts, but ON the contrary
there Is every disposition to face the
full difficulties and discover the best way
out. In short the policy voiced every
whsrs Is the gathering up OF forces for
more effective blows.
All hopes for the speedy relief OF
Lndymith have been abandoned and
the immediate shifting of the theatre Of
war from the rocky kopjes of Natal to
the open vsldt Of the Free State.
Ore thing APPEARS certain. Another
long pause Is Inevitable unless the Beers
assume the offensive, because even in the
event of Gen. Butler further attempting
to reach Ladysmith the planning OF q
new move will necessarily occupy time.
The afternoon papers are discussing
whence are to come the troops for a pro-
traoted campaign. 1t 10 becoming gen.
orally recognized that some form of COM
pulsory service is more imminent than
previously thought Of.
The st. James Gazette, however. sug-
gests that the solution Of pourin g more
and more troops into South Africa
savors of the Spanish action Ia Cuba,
adding that the solution of making let
ter use OF the thousands already there
has never suggested itself.
{ The st. James Gazette this. eafternoon.
returns to scathing criticism Of the Ian
guage OF Gen. Buffers reports. 1t says:
he put In the foe reminds US Of things
we have heard about Chinese mandsrins. +"
The st. James Gazetts further says:
1.-THE meaning of the retreat is obvi
GUS. We have had to recognize that We
cannot force our way through the enc
my's lines to Lady smith. WIZ. I've don't
know. If the Boer POSITION is i'm pregna.
BILE It ought never to have been attacked
II 1t Is capable Of being taken we were
repulssd because tbs leadership was bad
and 1t Is idle to attempt TO conceal that
start ont declaring thers must be no
turning ba,k is eminsntly foolish. When
sraggsr and rant prevail there is CON-
monty a plentiful lack Of judRma~. "a
true resolution v .1atrae .loaa ed0et
- 5--.s e. .Se El0eiay ccayl,tiou
ere, ais istsi,-essaf and lal8ral qaaA-
t,ss 0aiaa maze gcf saoosTs have 5--a 80
f-.ns@a 81 oar ssa4 " words. Tame
~ Tor south Africa Is not to add to the
hers, but to put the troops where
I'll ~ can come into play.
AZ sstminster Gazette invites the
counN cast aside all ds;usions and
Iecoan.1es the fact that passage for the
present is stopped In Natal and that
safety lies in concentration.
'fGen. Whites force," says the Gazette.
'as an effective aid, must bs written OF
and probably most of Gen. Buffers army
has left the Tugela. The beers have
been given time TO prepare against an
advance through the Free state. and
we have net sufficient strength at pres
ent to undertake this advance with any
safety. These are ugly facts. but those
who disguise them are again misleading
the public. The plain truth Is that we
will have to make a new army some
how ftom mewhere. We nsed at
least 100000 more msn-t0 900 to REIN
force tie Cape and sc. COO In reserve
III Globe says; 1T would be q mis-
take TO minimize the serious character
Of the situation in Nat al. We have made
q great effort from which results were
expected, and have failed.
The Pail Mall Gazette comments In
much the same tone and AIDES:
"Even IL Ladysmith falls, Spion Kop
Is not Msjuta In the most vital sense.
1t will not end the war. There will be
no muddling compound OF maenanimity
and cowardice this time. The war will
end when Gen. Roberts dictates the
terms at Pretoria. 10 that end the EN-
pire's mind Is made up.'
The Evening Standard, commenting
upon the supposed natural advantages
on the side of the Beers, says:
"This country also had and has great
advantages, but between the war Office,
the admiralty and the generals. they
have besn mostly nulihed."
IL has been learned by the Associated
Press that the Queens speech at the re-
ASSEMBLING Of Parliament tomorrow win
be oolorless. There will be a short ref
erenoe To the war, chiefly confined to re-
grets at the terrible bloodshed and
encomipms of the men who have laid
down their lives for their country. The
whole message indicates that there is not
the slightest idea Of giving up the war
until Great Britain's ends are gained.
Gen. Butler wires from Spearman's
Camp, January 10. that the casualties
among this officers In tina fifth division
and mounted brigade at Spion kop, Jan
uary "a, were; Killed, ~; wounded. 20;
missing, 9.
LORD DUNDOHALD SAFE.
London. January 29-32S p. m.-Grsat
anxiety has been removed by ths an
nouncsment that Lord Dundonald's
cavalry forces. which it WAS faared VIA "a