The sun., 1900-01-12
The SOUTH AFRICA BATTLES
British War Office Denies That
lieneral Methuen il 10
be Recalled.
RUM0RS In PLACE OF NEWS
4 Report IL Now Current in the club
Circles of London That
Battle i in Progress
AZ the Tugela
River.

London Ian. 4 .fhr oiilt.aa ~ 'ha
war office here lcny t!ic rcpnit published
ii the United STATE, that Grneral Lord
Mettucu Las Teen recalled
4 cabin aisbaltb y ~ Iag5 TIL
une from London said
Lieutenant General Lura Mrthueu
COMMANDING Till ealuna advancing III
Tie relief III kimhcllcy. 4 il bc relieved
q his c1thmaui dtain isy6 w,okS. Int
81 he win ~ scui ta tlpe t.wa and
eventually ordered home When he
reaches England. lc wiil be retired.
These fact, hayc been cgutirml by an
official of ihr war office
Lord Mcthupn's ease (. sll one.
.Slwuys L man rf rather frtl physique,
although 4 clcyer boxer aHal aa lli around
sportsman, lii constitution Logan -
show >igns Of breaking DOWN almost i'm
medately after Fiji teef; command of his
division. TAea days after tn battle ot
Belmont General W0lsalcy suggested To
the wnr office that Mcthuen ~ re-
licycd Ills advice Mas not hcetled Tho
wisdom af thc aged hut keen commander
III chief or the British army Is now real
IHti ~ Inv LllifNE NAAlIll " lli1 hdl VI
foe, who sc0flal 1T lis suggestion.
Friends of Lord Methuen insist III i
only b broken hcalth: that the strain ot
many campaigns las shattered his nat
urally nervous system. Those who know
the circumstances aal the situation on
Modder river equally we'll ana who arc
willing d state facts plainly say that
McthncnS mind il unbalanced. Con
stant proof nf this has hcen coming ii
the notice Of the officials OIL the war of.
hcn for two weeks past. The command.
cr of The Modder river forces has hom-
hardcd the government with some Of tic
most remarkable messages ever received
from 4 general III action One received a
few days ago il a fair sample of the rest,
It contained just three words, Darkness,
after dawn.
The Situation AT COiesberg.
4 Rcnsburg Cape Colony dispatch e
The Times states that the British hold d
position On the Beers right. commanding
the Colcsbcrg bridge road.
y dispatch from Cape Town says;
"A man who has just returned from
I;el. burg says that General French
holes 4 very strong position. lie ha.
hemmod the Beers in on three sides and
there Is now only one exit open 10 them.
Another z.00O men would enable him tu
surround the enemy. The reverse u the
Suffolk regiment does not affect the posi-.
tion il any way"
Even the announcement Of the arrival
of Field Marshal Roberts and General
Lord Kitchener at Cape Town has failed
to stem the growing impatiencc Of tho
country at the prolonged inactivity in the
main British camps and the entire ali.
sence of news giving an adequate insight
into the local situation. The public and
press being unable to form any just iudg-
mcnt as to the actual position Of affairs,
stories are rife that inaction is enforced
on General Butler owing to the exhaus.
tion Of the reserves Of ammunition, and
there are even wild rumors Of scarcity
of shells at home.
Not much Importance need be attached
to these rnmnrs, 1t is generally assumed
that, with the landing Of Roberts and
Kitchener, 4 prompt return will be made
t. the original plan Of campaign-namc
~, a great central advance on Bloemfon
tein. But the most impatient OF the en-.
thusiasts admit that General Roberts
will be unable to move before the end Of
the month.
There was 4 run0r current in the clubs
late in the day that battle was pro
crossing at the Tugela river, but nothing
could b obtained in confederation Of tho
report