New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-17
THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY.

THE RELIEF OF hIMBERLEf.
Lord Robertss dispatch announcing the en-
trance of General French's army into kimber-
lev is eminently characteristic. There is not a
rhetorical flourish in it. 1t conveys the most i'm
portant bit of news that has come from Africa
for months yet ii is quiet in tone ami as mat
ter of fact as the most perfunctory item in a de-
partmental report. More than that, its most
striking feature is presented without even the
formaIity of statement. That feature is found
in the date "Jacobsdal" Lord Roberts dates
his dispatch from that place as unconcernedly
as he might have dated a dinner invitation
year ago from the United Service Club. Yet
the fact that he is at Jacobsdal is as startling
and as significant as that General French is in
Kimberley For Jacobsdal was only the other
day General Cronies headquarters and base of
supplies and the centre of the whole BOer posi-
ton in that region The occupation OF it by
Lord Roberts means that it is now the British
headquarters and centre, and that General
Cronjes army has moved away, whittier does
not appear, though of course II is a matter of
the highest interest The Beers have probably
abandoned Magersfontein, too, for 1t is only
some six or seven miles from Jacobsdal. If so,
Lord Methuen's army at Modder River will be
released for junction with Lord Roberts and
active work in the field. The Boer lines around
Kimberley must have been broken, too to en-
able General French 10 enter, and even II they
are not yet all abandoned and the siege is not
fully raised the entrance of seven or eight thou
sand fresh troops into the place must make all
further attempts TO capture 1t vain, and must
make It moreover reasonably easy to send in
by the same route whatever supplies the town
and garrison may require.
The question is asked whether the Beers are
not again setting gigantic trap for the British.
alT first
place, the British are in too great force. One
does not set rat trap for tiger. 1t is one
thing to entrap brigade or division. II is a
far different thing to entrap whole army corps
which includes division of cavalry. And, in
the second place the Beers are now dealing
with men who know as much about traps as
they do. There Is shrewder strategist than
Lord Roberts. And General French will be re
membered as the commander who himself
trapped the Beers at Elandslaagte and at Coles
berg. 1t may be, of course, that the Beers are
attempting some such thing. 1t is suspicious
that their main army has moved from its po-
stion, and that they have permitted a British
army to enter Kimberley without, SO far as we
know, striking q blow. OF course there may
have been blows struck and big battles fought
of which not yet advised. Lord Roberts
has habit of fighting for the sake of winning
rather than for the sake of news bulletins.
Attention is called to the fact that in the
! Colesberg district the British are falling back
! The other day they retired to Rensburg. Next
! they have abandoned that place and retired to
Arundel, which General French's centre of
operations when he first entered that region,
months ago. Now Arundel is only a dozen
miles from Naauwpoort Junction, which
latter commands the railroad line from the
coast at Port Elizabeth 1t is thought, there
| fore, that General ROberts's line of cOmmunica-
ton and supply is seriously menaced and that a
| seizure of Naauwpoort Junction by the Beers or
dash by them upon the railroad a little west
| of that place would put him in bad plight.
It must be borne in mind, however in the first
! place, that the British retiring with sus-
picious elaboration, and seem quite able to
check any too rapid pursuit of them by the
| Beers; wherefore their retreat may be a mere
| feint designed to keep the Beers occupied there
and restrain them from going north to help
! General Cronje And, in the second place the
| Importance Of Naauwpoort Junction, and of the
| railroad which 1t commands, is much overesti-
| mated. Should the Beers get possession thereof
| they would not interfere with Lord Roberts's
| lines. He would still have the great trunk rail
| road which runs from Cape Town up to De Aar
Junction, Orange River and Kimberley Finally
| it may be recalled that a certain march Of
| his from Cabul to Kandahar Lord Roberts did
not pay much attention to lines" He looked
| rather to the objective point. So it seems q
| trife premature TO count upon his being sur
rounded, corralled and captured by the Beers
The man who could send an army In a week
| from Colesberg TO Zoutpans Drift, TO Jacobsdal
and into Kimberley will probably be able to
| march II back to Cape Town again when its
| work is done