Show SOUTH AFRICAN WAR A bindon dispatch informs us that unless the boers force the fighting it Is not probable there v ill ba any important movements in south africa until after the arrival of lord roberts instructions to that effect have been cabled to duller and to all the generals roberts will completely change the plan of campaign nd revert to ilio original idea that Ct acres warrens and franchs frenchs Frenc hs dl join forces and strongly re march direct to tin thereby expecting to draw off joany boer troops from and fron western border in the meantime and matekine Matek lne will have to do the best they can and be sacrificed it need be so the war Is to be carried into the en country with the object of ending it quickly it Is possible all alie reinforcements en route and under or ices will b c sent to the and western borders of the free state for tle purpose of this invasion the british government figures that and kimberley aro ablo to hold out a month longer the english want inaction and delay for a few weeks each week strengthens their position and exhausts the boer eup the great question Is whether the boera will assume the offensive or not if they should they would upset these plans all roberts reinforcements ivall not arrive for two months yet this news indicates inaction at the 4 cat of war tor two months the ang can better afford to rest than can alio boers having been taken by sur and in a condition of the government un doubt adly needs a breathing spell and time in which to get artillery ot niest niost modern type and ul table cavalry into south africa when this has been ac tho true test of relative of the two armies will come it gen roberts attempts a frontal attack at colenso even with a force times as that commanded by i another repulse not because english sold lera arc not equal to the best in the world or lord roberts lacks in generalship but ovong to the tremendous advantage an In trenched force with modern arms has over an attacking army thero is much reliance placed on artillery the guns of long range throwing shells the spanish american war gave us a fairly good idea ot alie effectiveness of a shell fire on fortifications the big thirteen inch guns on our battleships which are by far larger than anything in the shape of artillery which will be put in action in south africa scarcely made an on the spanish forts sampsons Samp sons fleet standing off san juan harbor for two days constantly throwing shells into the forta yet when alio bombardment was over the span lards had suffered but little injury while long randd artillery fire will bo of necessity inaccurate the greatest difficulty will be to determine the exact location est defensive works so far in the campaign the boers have made the british artillery fire impotent by simply vacating that part ot their ments which was shelled and returning when the bombardment had how to overcome these tactics will require the ingenuity of the best bains of the english army when the order Is given tor a cavalry or infantry advance and the troops are nearing the the shell fire must cese owing to the danger of hitting friends instead of foes at that critical stage the enemy can reoccupy his works and if the approaching army Is COO or yards distant before the time has arrived for a bayonet charge to be sounded the besiegers can be swept by a mauser fire already demonstrated on several battlefields to be a death dealing storm even when directed b the poorest kind of marksmen and what it Is likely to be when guided by floor sharpshooters can be surmised by noting the damages inflicted on bullar at colenso where but a fraction ot his men came within the zone of fire of the boers and they were at long range A full realization ot these advantages possessed by the enemy is what is no doubt impelling great britain to obtain ingress to the transvaal by portuguese territory delagoa bay would have been in english possession before now did not russia and franco hold out the threat that ohp taking of portuguese south africa would meet with a protest in the shape of an advance on herat or amen ace to other british interests in the far east there is just a possibility that out of the boer war will come a world cpr |