Show COMBINED FORWARD MOVE What the Dispatches from South Africa Indicate London Jan 15Up to the present tm the t reported crossing of the Tugela river by Gen Wan ens division remains re-mains but rumor Nevertheless thet i whole tenor of such news as has been I dribbled In from South Africa during the t last fortyeight hours indicates that I a combined forward movement of a 1 comprehensive character Is proceeding It Is not necessary to believe the un conllrmcd stories of the Boers being In full retreat from Colons because it has been learned that a column is proceeding pro-ceeding via Weetien lo llelpmaaker to cut off their retreat But at the same time credible information from many sources Indisputably points to momentous momen-tous changes In the disposition of the republican forces BOERS REMOVING GUNS Advices from Plelermaritsburg dated Saturday January lath say that since their defeat on January Glh the Boers have bni n removing their guns from tho positions south of Ladytunlth Tho same dispatch ionflrms the report that t lie Thlrtecnlh Hussars reached Gro blrskloof 1 without meeting time Boers As Ihe trenches at Groblcrskloof were perhaps J time strongest position held by the burghers their vacation has considerably consid-erably astpniHhcd tho Biltish HUNGRY FOR JAM Merchants at PJptermarifburg have received messages from Ludysmith say Ing l Bring up Jam etc indicating that their Ladysmith agents anticipated antici-pated an immediate opening of communication com-munication while Ladysmlth also hello graphed the belief prevalent there January 13th that the Boers were moving mov-ing I and concentrating their forces elsewhere else-where BRITISH ACTIVITY As corroborative of the British activity activ-ity I in the direction of the relief of Ladysmlth adlsiitch has boon re eelved In London from Gen Buller to the effect that he expected all the dls posUIons l for a movement of the various columns against the besiegers would be completed thlsmornlng OPINIONS OF OPTIMISTS Under those circumstanced It is considered con-sidered quite probable that the advance on the Jjoleagucrcd town has commenced com-menced aTfid that fighting Is progressing Opllmlstsgo so far as lo say that It is expected Ladysmith will be relieved tonight to-night If all goes well The military men arc divided In opinion as to whether Gen Bullcr isat Springfield or personally person-ally directing the Hank movement from Wcenen CROSSED THE TUGELA The ofliclals arc inclined to credit tho report that the British have crossed the Tnc lla river in that direction although al-though there Is l no confirmation of the rcpoi and altogether there is a more hopeful feejln Jn official circles Gen Frenchs forces have succeeded In dragging a flfleenpounder to the summit of the steop rocky Coleskop 1000 feet above the surrounding plain and they successfully routed a Boer camp three miles away from StormS Storm-S I ro orn ornGARNERED GARNERED THE CROPS An interesting Item of news is that 300 Boers escorting a party of reapers have successfully garnered all the crops within two miles of the colonial camp at Bird river the British force being too weak to Interfere A dispatch from Pretoria says the federal forces recommenced bombardment bombard-ment of Mafeklng during time morning of Friday January 12th DEFECTS OF WAR OFFICE A partial development of time Government Govern-ment ulan referred to in these dispatches dis-patches January 12th but by no means the main objective hinted at can be recorded today In the formation of a strong committee of South Africans and exolllcials with Lord Loch the former for-mer Governor of Cape Colony and British Brit-ish High Commissioner as president The object Is remedying the defects of the War office OFFICIALS YIELD When the War oflleo sanctioned the formation of a corps of South Africans acquainted with the lopogiaphy of the country and the Dutch and Kafllr languages lan-guages the committee Insisted that they must choose their own officers The War office demurred but the committee com-mittee pointed out that the South Africans Afri-cans were cognizant of the defects In lhecampaign and were not going to be led to slaughter like sheep and the of ficials yielded Consequently prominent I South Africans crack shots and acquainted ac-quainted I with every stream and kopje are Hocking to Join the contingent PLAIN TALK As a prominent enlisted man said to a representative of the Associated Press Wy are not going lo fight for promotion or the Victoria crosa Wo simply want to meet the Boers on their own ground according lo our own methods Our object Is lo defeat time enemy and not run splendid but useless use-less risks |