Show BOER WAR NEWS TUB SCENES OF THE CONFLICT IN SOUTH AFRICA new york nov 6 A dispatch to the new york tribune from london says while the war office has received intelligence telli gence that mateling Mat eking was sate on nov 20 it admitted that the investment there was closer than ever before this is confirmed by the pall mall gazette correspondent but the i reuters dispatches one day later show that the boers are using new shells filled with a high explosive aiom ten ton guns and that the situation Is serious col baden has under him a dozen well known officers 0 the british army in addition to lord edward cecil of the grenadier guards this group of officers connected with a dozen regiments includes col diore major andersen lord charles bentinck captain and major lincoln much pressure haa been brought to bear upon the war office for the dispatch of a relief column to mafeking Mafe king when the ground Is clear around kimberlly Kimber lcy neither lord lans lowne nor sir buller will be likely to allow the prime ministers son to be sent as a prisoner to preto ria col plumer Is again reported officially fici ally as holding fals ground with light losses in from natal only the press dispatches which came through yesterday were forecasts of the terrible battle impending on the tugela river these dispatches were innocuous enough to pass ahe censorship as were also several belated from the moat ominous one was from georgo lyncia to the echo dated nov ac which stated that the had captured bead of cattle belonging to abo garrison and that shells were occasionally casio nally doing much mischief the efm rison was evidently casting eyes southward the central news also liaa a report from a runner that the been incessant at and that shells are con dropping inalda the british 1 with an increased number of casualties ual ties the british gun are replying steadily a reassuring sign that the ammunition la holding out military mn who have assumed that the condition of the garrison was more critical than tue authorities have cared to admit find confirmation tor their fears in mall letters describing gen whites battel at bombards lombards Lom bards kop the day be foro the town was cut off from the coast gen was evidently defeated in that attack and bis force was back into the town wn troop were in condition to rescue carte tons battalions and the town might easily have been captured the siege begun under the humiliating sense of a reverse to the british side ought now say the military croakers to be broken up with the least possible delay general bullar evidently appreciated the necessity for prompt action when he proclaimed the advance 0 gen mcchuen on kimberley in order to draw off the free state forces from natal these tactics succeeded or gen cronje was heavily reinforced in from the east before the battle of modder river was fought it Is a reasonable surmise that sir redvers wants gen methuen to hold cronies Cron jes army there until gen clery is ready for decisive action |