Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-04-12
A BRITISH DISASTER.
Five Companies Of Lord Roberts
Troops Captured by Beers.
The MILITARY SITUATION REVIEWED
Lord Methuen Scores Small Victory Near
Boshof-Gen. Msreu,l Killed-wo~. Be.
gone Appearance Of Boer Prisoners
on the Transport Cambridge.

AbVshOt~uV. ut"b1ub Atu0u- W Ufs dee
gone Appearance Of Boer Prisoners
on the Transport Cambridge.
London, April Mot word re-
garding the disaster at Reddersbure
has been allowed to come through ex.
cept the dispatch Of Lord Roberts
announcing that five companies OF
British troops had been captured by
the Beers near Bethany. 1t is, there
fore, impossible to form any notion
rs to what has happened. Meanwhile
the British public is beginning to re-
0lize the immense difficulties to be
overcome even before Pretoria is
reached and is reviving premature
ideas with respect to the time when
the war will be over. No one believes
now that 1t will have ended by the be-
ginning Of June. The latest disaster
more particularly illustrates the
heavy task involved in holding the
railway. This body of some 800 Brit
ish troops without guns, which dis
appeared SO completely within IS
miles of the great British army, had
for its business to guard a section of
nearly 80 miles of railway between
Bloemfontein and springfontein. If
1t could thus be spirited away, how is
Lord Roberts to insure his contin.
ually extending communications?
1t is asserted that 1000 rebels sur
rendered during Gen. Clements north
ward march. The Beers will do their
utmost to hold Ladybrand and Thaba
NChu, both being rich grain produc.
ing districts.
Tho Military Situation Reviewed.
London, April 7.-Mr. Spenser
wilkinson, reviewing the military sit
uation in the Morning Post, saws:
The Boer strategy at present may
have one or more of several aims
The idea of cutting off the British
detachments Is natural and obvious.
30 is the plan Of striking at the rail
way south of Bloemfontein. The plan
OF collecting large force in the hills
near Thaba N'Chu is that Of flank
position. The theory Of it is that a
strong Boer force here would threat.
en- the British communications when
the British advance is resumed and,
therefore, that Lord Roberts will
have to attack and clear these hills
before moving forward. If he moves
east to attack them the Boer forces
from kroonstad would move south
against his communications The idea
is sound enough, but Lord Roberts
may appreciate it well enough to
avoid being drawn where the Beers
wish and to reply with counter
move which may interfere with the
Boer plans"
Methuen Scores Small Victory.
London, April 1.-THE Daily Tele-
graph has the following from Boshof,
dated Thursday: "Lord Methuen's
Mafeking relief force was concern
trated here to-day. The Beers are in
force a few miles distant on the Vaal
river. This. town is practically de-
serted, all the men being with the
commando under Commandant Du-
plessis, who controls the district.
Lord Methuen commanded in a spir-
tied little action nine miles to the
southeast, where he surrounded 70
Beers on a kopie. Not man es-
capped. We took "a prisoners, go
horses and a quantity of baggage.
Ten, De Villebois Mareuil was killed
turing the action. A Boer hoisted a
white flag and then Immediately
'tter fired, killing British officer.
Inc murderer was instantly shot"
Woe-Regone Boer Prisoners.
Slmonstown, Cape Colony, April 7.
Another batch of 10000 Boer pris-
'ners was removed Thursday from
'he transport Cambridge, The men
a woe-begone appearance,
many of them were sick and their
baggage consisted mostly of Kafflr
blankets, canvass water bottles and
utensils, One of the prison.
'rs died of smallpox and four others
Ire fatally i'll.
London, April 1O.-Britons are now
beginning, though reluctantly, to re-
ll1e that Lord Roberts is in for a
winter campaign, lasting several
months. This is the end, in few
words, of the high hopes based upon
lord Roberts brilliant dash to KIM
'erley and Bloemfontein.
Preparations are being made to hold
against surprises Lord
Kitchener has been given an impor-
ant duty, being responsible for the
protection of the railway, while Lord
Roberts is waiting for remounts and
winter clothing for the troops whose
hin cotton khaki uniforms and boots
ire worn out.
Gen. Brabant and Gen. Gatacre are
10Th at standstill. Lord Roberts
will probably for some time confine !
his operations to clearing the Free I
state behind him of raiders and to q
'elieving Mafeking, for which pnr- q
'ose apparently the eighth division,
low arriving at Cape Town, has been
'rdered to Kimberley.
Lady Sarah Wilson and o+h.r Mofa- I,