Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-04-04
ANOTHER REPULSE.
General Fighting Between
Brandfort and BIoemfontein.
Beers Claim to Have inflicted Heavy
Loss on the British.
Forced 10 Retire al Last by the Heavy English
Reintor ements.

London. April i-440 A. M-No news
have yet been received Of the expected
battle between Gen. French and the
Beers There is now but remote
prospect Of the recapture Of the guns.
TEis, however, is regarded as quite
trifing as compared with the political
effects Of the disaster AS the Bloem-
fontein correspondent Of the Times re-
marks Commandant OliVier'S strategy
in re-occupying Ladybrand and Thaba
N'Chu was bold and even brilliant
Most Of his force is composed of Free
Staters and the advantage gained by
them will have a most disturbing effect
on the mind of the Free State popula-
ton.
The impossbility Of affording COM
plete protection for the moment 10 all
farmers in the south and southeast
sections Of the Free State Is recogniZ-
cd at BloemfOntein. Men who surrnn-
dered under the proclamation Of Lord
u 1bcrts are now being punished for the
reliance they placed in the ability of
the British to protect them. AS the
correspondent further remarked this
is a hard fate and every possible eff
fort will be made to help them: but
consideration for the sufferinEs Of re-
pentant bclligerents at the hands Of
their feIl IVY countrymen cannot be suf-
ferad 10 prejudice the military plans
of Lord Roberts"
The Daily Telegraph, which takes
more humane view. says: 1T is just
as important to protect those burghers
who have. trusted in our power and
surrendered all means of defending
themselves ~ il is to win victories
against those who are still in arms.
The Daily Chronicle, whose Cape
Town correspondent joyfully predicted
that The war would he over in three
months, says: In order to re-estab-
lish our position in the Free State we
need a brilliant success won on the
seen" Of our latest reverse
1t j. announced from Sprngfontein
that the censorship has again curtailed
the dispatches. Therefore important de-
velopments must be impending.
TIL Ecritish public Is reluctant to be-
lieve that an American led the Boer
forces which attacked the convoy.
Tile Daily Chronicle says: 'Reichmann
may b., Iika some other Americans. in
sympathy with the Beers He may even
have unotficially advised the Boer com
mandaut. although this would have been
think he would take the command with
out previously resigning his American
commission
There is little news from other points.
Mafcking was still besieged on March 90.
and there are rumOrs that Gen. Butler
is preparing the advance.
Spencer Wilkinson. discussing the at
tack on col. Broadwood's detachment. in
no aft
wcm planned ana well executed. Col.
BroadwooI. however, skifully evaded
the stroke aimed at him. Possibly Lord
Robert. had retired his infantry with a
view Of encouraging the Beers to ad-
vance ana to continue their attack.
Probably nothing would suit him better
than that they should attempt 10 move
toward the railway or to attack in the
direction Of Bloemfontein. He is collect
ing remounts and stores in order to be i'll
readiness for a renewal of the general
advance and he Will not be drawn away.
II the Beers venture too near they will
receive punishment.
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Times. telegraphing. Monday. says:
apparently there was not man
ahead of the convoy with orders to
look out. but the escort trotted quietly
behind and only discovered that some
thing was wrong after half the convoy
had been captured"
The correspondent Of the Times at
Lourenzo Marquee. telegraphing. Tues
day, says: 1T Il reported here that
all the Rand mines closed down. last
Thursday, British workmen and their
countrymen in other parts Of the re
public are being expelled wholesale
from the Transvaal.
con the other hand. the Beers are
50 demoraliZcd that it is impossible to
induce many. now on furlough. to re-
turn to the front They are generally
adverse to defending BiGgarsberg and
are divided with reference to the wis
dow Of the continuing the war. Pres
idrnt Kruger has prevailed on Mr..
Steyn to make one big stand before
surrendering."
London. April 3.-In the House Of