, 1900-02-09
Down To BUSINESS
BRITISH ARMY NOW APPARENTLY
BEING GUIDED BY A
MASTER MIND.
Four Distinct Armies Are Carrying on
the Wal in Accordance With a De-
finite Preconcerted Arrangement
Butler Has More Troops and Much
Better Artillery Than Previously.

Better Artillery Than Previously.
New York, Feb. S.-A dispatch to tht
the Tribune from London says: Gen.
eral Roberts campaign has opened
with unknown objective points and the
concentration of his forces carefully
concealed, but with signs of activity
and unity of purpose all along the line
The achievements which have reach.
ed him since he assumed command al
Cape Town are estimated at over 90,
600, and there has been a large increase
in the number of guns. The battalion:
landing within three days have been
rapidly sent to the front, and many
changes in the transport service have
been introduced. A marvellous amount
Of work has been done during the week.
when he vas reporting from day to
The time for action has come, and
there is evidence that a single mind
controls the operations in four widely
separated districts and that four dis
tinCt armies are carrying on the wal
in accordance with a definite precon,
certed arrangement.
1t is a campaign so superior to the
strategy that has been going on in
newspaper offices for the last ten days
that the most ambitious military writ,
err is content to watch the march Of
events under "Bobs'" direction. The
results recorded at midnight on oficia.
authority were hardly commensurate
with the activity displayed in so many
directions, but there had not been time
for anything more than a partial re
sumption of hostilities.
General Butler had recrossed the Tu'
gela on Monday afternoon. This wa:
admitted at the war Office early las
evening. The news had already reach,
ed Fleet street, to that effect from
Lourenco Marques, with the additiona
details that the crossing had been eff
fected at two drifts, and that it hat
been covered by a tremendous artiller!
fire. One Boer rumor represented tina
the British had beeu driven back a
one drift. But no serious fighting wa.
reported on Tuesday from Dutcl
sources, although the artillery had beef
hammering away throughout the day
The press dispatches from Natal hat
been stopped at the fighting line ant
the only detail which was allowed t
come from Durham was the fact tina
General Butler had ordered a hundred
additional stretchers from the coast.
The war office had no details 70,
publication, but there was no attemp
to disguise the real object Of the move
ment. General Butler had started 70
~Ladysmith and probably by the mos
direct road from the drifts commando,
by the naval guns on Mount Alice an,
Zwartz kop. The best information OBJ
tainable was that he had crossed a
down, and was advancing on the tive
roads leading through a more opel
country than that around Spion kop
the distance to be %traversed to Lady
smith being about fifteen miles.
The official view seemed to be tina
the wedge would be inserted east O.
Br%ackfontein and the Dutch arm.
drawn out into ground more favorabl,
for British operations. There was nj
definite information when the war offic'
closed at midnight. The extent tt
which General Butler has been reinforc
ed is unknown, but he is believed t,
have 5000 more troops than when h
first crossed the Tugela for his turning
movement, and he is certainly stronge
in artillery.
General Roberts and General Hitch
ener were reported by several CORE
spondents as having started on Tues
day for the front, which was a safe ex
preston for the censor to pass whel
there were so many points Of attack.
The first rumor of fighting from tn
Orange river district came from
Sterkstroom, where General Gatacre'
outposts were reported to have beef
fired upon at Penhoek and at Birds riv
er siding. These outposts affairs OIL
the line of the railway toward Dord
recht were apparently trivial incident
in connection with the larger nov
ment against ~Stormberg.
Great activity was reported in tn
Colesberg district, but no positive re
suits were known.
No further details of General Nc
Donald's reconnaissance or turning
movement west of General Methuen'
camp had been received at midnight.