Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-12
THERE IS NO HOPE i
FOR THE RELIEF
OF LADYSMITH

Ut LADlCWll | ii
New York, Feb. 12.-The news printed
IN London to-day throws a great light
on the war situation. Lord Roberts is
not engaged in a movement against
Bloemfontein, as had been hoped. but is
at .Modder river and 1T is believed that
ne means to attack General Cronje for
the purpose OF relieving Cecil Rhodes
and the bes.eged city of Kimberley.
whose inha abitants have been eating horse
meat for five weeks and whose death rate
grows alarmingly
General Crolnje has strengthened his
position in expectation of an attack. At
'Rensberg the Beers are strong enough to
take the offensive.
The most depressing news. however,.
comes from Natal. The Beers have oc-
cupled farm south of the Tugela near
Cnaeveley, which is studded with hills
from which the country can be. COM
manded for miles around.
It is reported from Durham that Gan.
eral Joubert is marching with column
oI o,OoO' men to outflank General Butler.
Boer column is operating in Zululand
ana tnere seems to be alarm in Natal
and fear that General Buffers line Of
comanunicat ton will be attacked.
Although Winston Churchill telegraphs
that General Butler is about to make a
Iourth attack ON the Boer front, the
London papers call attention to the fact
tnat the general has removed his head
quarters from spearman's camp to
Springfield and apparently do not be-
lieve that General Butler will attack
again. 7Ts r'-
As for Ladysmith, the military experts
nave given up hope. It is agreed that a
soT'tie from the beleaguered town wo,lld
result i'm the British being cut to pieces.
The Morning Leaders expert says:
General Butler felt that it would Be
useless 70 persevere in his attempt to re-
lleVe Lady ysmith, which would have cost
more loss than the number Of men re-
manning in Ladysmith. We hear now
oI Two attempts to turn General Buffers
nank, one by Boer column marching
through Zuuland and another with 5000
men IN Natal under the redoubtable Jou-
Dert nlmself. It IS quite possible that
General Butler was held on the upper Tu-
CELIA as much by the ruggedness Of ma
ture as by the enemy's ARTILLERY. He NAV
De so weak on the lower Tugela as to
leave his right flank and his communica-
lions with the sea open to strong at
tack. But ne must make the Lest of his
forces. All the reinforcements within
reach for fortnight to come are ear
marked for an attempt to force a passage
or the Orange river, where we have got
at a point where 1t is of little use to us
save for the relief of Kimberley"
The expert notes with alarm the ap-
pearance of enteric fever in General Cat
acres and other camps. He says Lord
Kitchener has not got to the front vet
and that Lord Roberts is not likely to
order general advance until his chief
of staff arrives
Winston Churchills dispatch from
Frere camp, Sunday, noon, sent with
warns the British people that there NAV
De heaNy loss and possibly disappodnt-
ment from Buffers fourth attack. saws
describing the last --snt:
"A Maxim-Vickers gun abandoned by
the Beers In donga was about to fall
,mt9 n. Brlus'h hands when that notorious
run1an, the fearless Viljoen himself.
brought back team of horses and es-
capped with the gun. It was a splendid
feat Of arms. During the night Gem
eral Hildyard fortified himself conttnu.
ally with much skill, building traverses
and mead covers. Consequently, though
exposed to a terrible she'll fire all of the
night, he only lost Al men. In 10 min
utes 63 exploded and 240 were counted in
two hours beside smaller. shells from
Maxim Wicker guns which were immune
eraIble. Prince Christian Victor. aide
de- camp to General Hildyard, was
knocked down by the concussion Of |
100 pound shell bursting on a rock by
which he was sitting. The prince be.
haved throughout with the most extreme
composure.''
The Boer prisoners admit heavy loss. |
but declare an I'm altering determination
10 resist to the uttermost.
The fifth month of the war opens with |
the Beers apparently about to- take the
offensive with their ARMIES apparently
intact and we'll supplied with ammunition
and, according to Winston Churchill. for
eigners and material pour into the
rransvaal through Delagoa bay