New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-13
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

II General Butler made his latest movement
across the Tugela in good faith, as q serious
attempt to break through the Boer lines and
relieve Ladysmith, he was guilty of gross blum
dering and has been signally repulsed so
much seems certain from his own reports; espe-
cially from the report just received through Lord
Roberts He says 1t necessary to fortfy
Vaal Krantz If 1t TO be held and If further
operations were to be conducted In that region,
but after two days trying he found such fortl-
fication impossible and the place without 1t I'M
tenable and SO he retired and gave up the
attempt to reach Ladysmth in that direction.
That Is a euphemistic way of saying he adj
vanced without knowing anything about the
country, and finding it different from what he
had expected was compelled to retreat.
That, we say If his attack was an earnest
one and not a mere fent. At present 1t seems
not only possible, but probable that 1t was
feint The very manner in which 1t was con-
Quoted favored that theory at the beginning.
The wording of his report and the fact that
Lord Roberts has given it to the public
strengthen It, 1t is difficult indeed, to imagine
such a dispatch being given out except for
strategic purpose. And If it had such pur-
pose General Buffers movement may have been
a profitable one after all. What Lord Roberts
Is planning at Modder River or elsewhere is not
pretty successfully engaged the attention of the
Beers on the Tugela, and has prevented them
from sending any reinfOrcements 10 their Dreth-
rem on the Orange or the MOdder.
Little heed is to be paid to the complaint that
Iadvsmith is being neglected for the sake of
relieving Kimberley and saving Mr.. Rhodes
There Is no indication of any such thing Kim
berley is apparently in no immediate danger,
though 1t is harder pressed than Ladysmith and
is not so easily defensible. But the important
point is that Kimberley, or the Modder River,
furnishes a splendid base for an invasion of the
Orange State, while, of course, Ladysmith fur
nishes no such base at all. If Lord Roberts Is
massing his forces near Kimberley, we may be
sure 1t is with the idea of an advance upon
Rloemfontein and Pretoria. And no one would
dream Of massing them at Ladysmith for that
nurpose. IT is interesting TO observe by the
way that the siege OF Mafekng is reported TO
have been practically abandoned If so, It is
doubtless to Colonel Baden-Powells disgust.
For in one of his latest messages that intrepid
commander expressed the hope that no one
would interfere with the siege. The Beers did
him no HARM he said, and so long as they
stayed there they were kept from doing more
mischief elsewh ere!
Meantime, it is to be observed that the Beers
are again on the aggressive They are reported
to have sent an army into Zululand to turn the
east flank of the British army, and also TO be
advancing upon General Butler near Chieveley.
They know the country so WELL and are such
past masters in the art Of war in such coun-
try, that 1t is by no means incredible that they
| are attempting TO get behind General Buler ana
subject him to a flank and rear attack, or to cut
his lines of communication. Such movement
NAV be feasible if General Butler has not re-
ceved material reinfOrcements for the strength
ening of his lines. 1t would be an interesting
complication IT, by using General Butler as
feint to distract attention from the western
campaign. Lord Roberts had left him to be sur
rounded and demOraliZed by the foe. That
would be fine case of the hunter hunted