TUESDAY, JAN. 16, 1900. The War.

Manawatu Herald, 16 January 1900, Page 2

TUESDAY, JAN. 16, 1900. The War.

« = — There has been some mention of the probability of the recall of one general now in command in South Africa, and the rumours point to Lord Methuen being the one. We have heard that there was a difference in the counsels as to the method of attacking the Boers at Modder- river, and the late General Wauchope is stated to have expressed a hope, after he received his fatal wound, that he would not be accused of having approved of the tactics adopted. If this statement is true, though it may be doubtful as our cable news is of the most contradictory character, it is a suggestion that Lord Methuen acted in opposition to certain advice tendered to him. Of course he had a right to do so, and a soldier's duty is to obey, but as the attack failed it is only fair that the blame should be placed on the right shoulders. By the cable news received sn Saturday Lord Methuen appears to have some justification in making an error of judgment owing to the sufferings he endured, as when he was wounded he was thrown from, his charger and his spine was injured. Everything thus points to his being relieved of his command, not so much because he was not successful but as he is not in a fit state of health to have such heavy responsibilities to bear. The news that he is having a railway laid parallel with the south bank of the Modder river to the Orange river from the position he is entrenched in, which railway appeare to have been needed owing to the lack of the traction engines which have been delayed owing to the transport conveying them having gone ashore, shows that there is a way by which a force can get round the entrenchments the Boers have erected along j the north bank of the Modder. We have been told that these entrenchments require 80,000 Boers to hold, and thus if the British are able to work round them they can get to Kimberley without forcing the Boer entrenchments, and as reinforcements are daily reaching Lord Methuen the Boers must keep a strong force to prevent the British from moving from their present quarters on the Modder, and they will have a difficulty in sending a force to oppose the British who are making this detour, and presently these 80,000 men will find themselves liable to attack from North, South and West. It is slow work, but what is being done looks like efiective work and we hope soon to hear of some successful assault on the Boer lines. General Gatacre is pushing the enemy up close to the Free State and is ready to seize the two entrances into that State if a single Boer is withdrawn to assist Cronje on the Modder river, and if once he gets into the Free State a junction with Lord Methuen' s forces does not look a difficult task. We are left very much in the dark as to Sir Redvers Buller's tactics which we are inclined to view as being satisfactory, because there is a large force wandering somewhere to the east of Ladysmith, which will be called upon to close in when all the preparations for a general attack are ready. We can be sure that the Boers are fearing a trap or they would never have made such a desperate assault on Ladysmith. The fact that no very great hurry has I been made Co relieve Ladysmith, or

Kimberley for that matter, makes one inclined to believe that the aim of the British generals is to keep the enemy in force ( at these two points whilst the British secure such positions as snail prevent the greater number of the enemy being able to successfully break away. Everyone must see that before peacd can be secured these two Boer forces must be decidedly defeated, and it is better to endeavour to do so once for all, than simply to driv<a them from where they; are only to enable them to take up another position elsewhere. The apparently slow character of the British movements, and the lack of detailed news makes us view the position We hold in South Africa as being very hopeful of an early and decided, and successful movement. After very much diplomacy the British government has gained a decided victory at Delagoa Bay, the Portuguese government having decided that nobody shall enter the Transvaal through their territory without a passport and a Consular guarantee that the traveller does not intend to fight.