The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-15
LONDON REYrEW OF SITUATION.
Light ON Roberts Campaign--Import-
nnce ofGen. Frcnch's Success.

Light ON Roberts CampaiEn-Import-
nnce of G en-. Frcnch's Success.
London, Feb. 15-4:20 a. m.-The Brit
ish army, for the first time since the
war began, is inside the Boer frontier.
Lord Roberts, with at least 10000 in
fantry, 1000 cavalry and $50 guns, has
turned the Magersfontein lines, before
which the British forces have been en-
camped for ten weeks; and with half of
his corps, he is already operating on
Free State territory A battle has not
yet been fought, but large tactical ad-
vantages have been gained. The relief
of Kimberley is within measurable
reach, and the way to Bloemfontein is
appreciably easier.
The dispatches of Lord Roberts sketch
three days work. The forward move
ment began on Sunday, when Colonel
Hannay set out, with brigade of
mounted infantry, for Ramah, ON the
Riet eight miles from Jacobsdal, one of
the Boer supply bases.
On Monday General French with the
cavalry division, seized the crossing of
the Riet river, at Dekils Drift, south of
Jacobsdal, and eighteen miles east Of
Honey Nest Kloof He skirnished with
the Beers and cleared the way for twen-
ty thousand infantry, who followed
across.
On Tuesday, with his three cavalry
brigades and the horse artillery, Cen
eral French rode to the Modder river a
distance of twenty-five miles, and took
three fords with high ground behind the
river and five Boer camps. He had a
few casualties in brushes with the Boer
horse artillery. General French has now
fixed himself on General Cronje's main
line of communications with Bloemfon-
tein, and 10000 infantry, with seventy
two guns, are being pushed up to sup
port him there.
Lord Roberts dispatches, wired from
Inside the Free State and on the Riet
river. left him Wednesday morning Ills
advance had not been opposed by the
Beers in force. Their patrols melted
away as the British moved forward.
The Boer army is likely to be felt in
day or two and a battle is consequently
imminent. AS to what forces General
Cronje has now at his disposal, and as
to where he purposes making stand
against the invaders no one here con-
nected with the war office knows any
thing. The data for conceptions are
wholly wanting.
The forces Immediately at the disposal
of Lord Roberts are placed at $4,000 in
general way. These figures are re-
yealed by the commands mentioned in
the dispatches as having been added to
the divisions known to be with Lord
Methuen. Quite possibly Lord Roberts |
has 10000 or 10000 more.
1t is now realized that the incidents at |
Rensburg have been out OF all propor- /
tion. Merely skeleton lines were main
tained there, while troops were being
secretly and rapidly concentrated on the |
Modder river The facility with which |
&c, 900 men have already been sent be-
yond the rail terminus shows that Lord
Kitchener has been fully successful in .
organizing transport. He Is now sup
posed to be down the line, sending for
ward more troops and getting together
more transports. About five miles of
OK and mule wagon trains are estimat-
ed for each division, so that Lord Kitch-
ener, who is reputed to have more skill
than a circus manager in handling field
transport, has immense labor in hand.
The London morning papers take
ra ther sober views of the situation, but