JOTTINGS ON THE WAR.

Evening Star, Issue 11167, 16 February 1900, Page 2

JOTTINGS ON THE WAR.

[By Colonel Moreis.]

The. morning's cables give us but little real news. For this, however, we were prepared. The first states that Mafeking hits a food supply which will last until June, and, provided Colonel Baden-Powell has ammunition also, we can trust him to hold tho place- as long as necessary; and there need be no anxiety for the safety of Mafeking.

The nextr cable tells us that it is believed Lord Roberts commands the army corps c;walry division now at Modder River. Now, an army corps is a compact body of men complete at all points—artillery," cavalry, infantry, commissariat, transport, etc., etc. Such an army corps, wo may presume, it is that Lord Roberts commands" only it is a cavalry army corps—that means, his infantry consists of mounted infantry. Here, then, wo find confirmation of the view f gave yesterday of what I considered would be Lord Roberts's plan of action. With a strong mobile force, equipped at all points for rapid movement, it is not difficult to guess that he proposes an advance into the enemy's country. Whether he will wait and assist Lord Methuen to crush Cronje's forces before the Modder River, whether he will make a detour and relieve Kimberlev, and then, in concert with that garrison, assist to crumple up Cronje, or whether ho will make a bold push at once for Bloemfontein it is impossible to say ; but I think it be*-oud doubt that he will a.tempt one of these three courses. A successful action at Modder River or the capture of the capital of the Free State will a once relieve the tension in Natal and before Colesberg. It will bring the Boers back into their" own country, and our troops opposed to them will then bo able easily to follow them up. It will do more, for it will break up the continuity of tho Boer forces, at all times but slight. In the rapid retreat they will have to niako their numbers will meit likt snow, as many now serving against their will in the enemy's ranks will "quietly slip away to their farms.

The next cables state that the London newspapers regret that the fruitlessness of General French's successes in the Colesberg district has murdered them. Good Heavens ! the fruitlessness! ' What do these good gentlemen expect? I presume that if a patrol advances, and, after discovering the I position and strength of the enemy, retires, 'lu> newspaper people would speak of their action as fruitless! General French's advance upon Colesbcrg was always more a 1 reconnaissance in force than an attack. His division was a cavalry division, and they , pushed back the Boers until they could make I a reconnaissance to Norval's Pont., The J effect of their advance was to draw all the Boers in the neighborhood together to opIpose them, and the successful issue of the reconnoitrin" expedition was that' Lord RoI berts decided not to make his advance from ■ that direction, and the removal of General French's cavalry division shows that our troops south of Colesberg will for the present remain on the defensive. The next cable says that the British before Colesberg are outnumbered five to one the natural result of the Boers consolidating from all pa.rts in their front and the removal of General French's cavalry force. The [British outposts have been withdrawn to : Rendsburg, and as the force is, as I have ! said, now simply on the defensive, it may J retreat again to Naauwpoort, where it is in contact with General Kelly-Kenny and General Gatacre.

J The object of these troops now is to pre- | vent a counter invasion of our territory ] south when Lord Roberts enters tie Free |.State. Apparently the mounted troops with ; General Clements chiefly consist of colonial ! mounted rifles, Westralians, Victorians, and Tasmanians, and it says a great deal for these contingents that they should be placed in such a responsible position, and have carried out their duties so well as to merit the encomiums of the generals in command. The correspondent of the Melbourne

Herald, who visited the Boer camp, was informed by General De la Rev, the man who commanded the enemy at Belmont, Grass Pan, and Modder River, that, the Boer combatants numbered 120,000, but even as the Boers reduce their losses so they exaggerate their numbers. However, no matter how numerous they may be—Boers, French Germans, and all put together—before many weeks are past we shall give a good account of them.

General Buller's casualties from the sth to 7th amounted to 24 killed. 335 wounded and 5 missing That is to say, that on the Tuesday and Wednesday when our troops took and held the Krantz Kloof Hill, and which the cable described as the most determined cannonading of the whole war the result was a loss of 24 killed on our side' This little item teaches us two facts First that our generals have learnt bv experience not to sacrifice their men by frontal assault* and our men have studied the art of taking cover; second, not to place too great confidence on the description of battles received bv cable.

* Later. The British have once again seized Zoutspan Drift, a ford some twenty miles cast of the Orange River Station on the Orange l.iver The reason given in the cable is that the action "will facilitate the advance on Kiraberley." To my mind it appears more probable that Zoutspan Drift, which is well to the north of Nerval's Pont, and from which the road to Jacobsdal can easily be covered, has been taken to prevent the Boers south of the Orange River from sending reinforcements to Cronje at Modder River. This would, of course, indirectly assist the advance on Kimberley. Lord Roberts is said to have forwarded a. message to Colonel Baden-Powell on the 2nd inst. promising speedy relief. I give the statement for what it 'is worth, but speeches said to have been made by officers in high command have been so frequently denied subsequently that I do not place much trust m them.

.General Buller has withdrawn his troops fco Chieveley, which, as everyone knows now, is seven miles or so from Colenso. He has probably done this for the convenience of his troops, as his old camp was there, and nothing more. We have no means of knowing what General Buller's next movements may be, but it is my belief that he will not again attempt to attack the Boer position south of Ladysmith. Having tried to outilank them on the west, he may try to outflank them from the east, or he may await the development of Lord Roberts's actions on the Western frontier.

A message from the Agent-General, and consequently official, states thai General French, with Lord Roberts and his cavalry division, together with two brigades, have entered the Free State, and, after crossing the Riet River, crossed the Modder Rivettwenty miles above the confluence of the two. General French has seized five Boer laagers and several drifts, but the ultimate object of the move is not yet known. It may, the Agent-General says, be intended to tidec the Boers at Magersfontein in the rear, or. again, it may be the first step for an advance upon Bloemfontein. This cable entirely bears out my speculations in the early portion of this day's jottings. Lord Roberts has still the three courses I named open before him—4e can pither .operate directly with Lord Methuen at Magersfontein, or he may reach Kimberley and relieve it first, or*e_may advance at once on Bloemfontein. We shall soon know now.