Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-08
That is the COncensus Of
Opinion in London.
LATEDlSPATCHRECElVE
Says That British Are Conf
dent That Ladysmith Will
Be Relieved.

London. Feb. 8.-2:15 p. m.-Presuma-
bly, Butler is fighting again today in his
third attempt to relieve Ladysmith, and
news of the greatest import may arrive
at any moment. Yet here, there is more
doubt than exultatiOn, for IT the recol-
lection Of Buffers two disastrous fail
ures, after the auspicious starts. were
not keen in the minds of the public, the
list Of casualties published today would
be a sufficient reminder Of the tremen-
dous difficulties Of his task His occupa-
ton Of Vaalkrantz the key to the lower
ridges, while a praiseworthy and gal
liant achievement by no means signifies
that General White will inevitably join
hands with him.
Before Butler are several days of hard
fighting and any attempt tc forecast the
result would be valueless. If based on
precedent, which can hardly be done in
warfare, 1t would be bound to be in
favor Of the Beers, for, apparently. the
conditions have not materially altered
since the last fruitless attempt. On the
other hand. the British troops are smart
ing under defeat, and will undoubtedly
be nerved to more desperate efforts than
ever before, and if furious gallantry can
carry Butler over the kopjes that face
him, Ladysmith will be relieved within
q week. But so far British bravery has
been in the main woefully misguided. It
is more than likely that General Barton
at Chievely may be strong enough to ad-
vance on the Tugela and render valuable
assistance from the southeast, while the
beleaguered garrison itself according to
the latest dispatches, should be able to
create a potential diversion when Butler
has overcome the initial difficulties
which lie in the kopjes Immediately north
Of the Tugela.
Turning from the transcendent inter-
est in Ladysmith, the whole war area
represents scene Of important activity.
The Boer attack ON General Gatacres
forces, reported February Z, fizzled out,
the artillery Of the burghers after she'll
ing the camp, retiring upon the arrival
Of British reinforcements. The affair
scarcely warrants being called skir-
mish. The British casualties were one
man killed and four wounded.
Latest advices from Sterkstrom an
nounce that Gatacre's cavalry is in pur-
suit of the Beers.
While nothing has resulted from this
affair, it indicates that the burghers are
fully alive to the Importance Of concen-
tration which is on the verge of occur
ring between the forces of Gatacre,
Kelly -Kenney and French, and they do
not hesitate to take the aggressive in an
effort against an established position.
though it is believed sufficiently large
body Of troops will soon be massed at
Colesburg to insure an unopposed ad-
vance of the invading army when it is
ready to start.
That it is not prepared for this move at
present and that all this activity is
merely preliminary to what is known as
Lord Roberts main movement, is evil
denced by a dispatch from Capetown,
under date Of February z, announcing
that the director of transports was ad-
vertising for OK wagons and drivers.
Without these, 1t will be hopeless to think
of carrying on the invasion, and it must
be a month more before they are ready.
Another preliminary is that Roberts has
just sanctioned the formation Of colonial
yeOmanry, consisting of troop Of 100
men, for the east district of the colony
to protect loyal farmers. The free will
be differed from among the local yeo-
manry.
Opinion is divided as to whether Rob-
erts or Kitchener have gone to Modder
river or to Sterkstrom.
General McDonald's activity in the for
mer localities, combined with the belief
that the Colesburg movement is to draw
on portion Of the Free State force, has
given rise to the hope that Methuen will
shortly be enabled to make a successful
attack to relieve Kimberley while the
gradually thinning forces surrounding
Mafeking will altogether melt away.