Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-04-13
EXCITING
INCIDENTS,
The Developments That Are
Expected in South
Africa.
CENSORSHIP VERY STRICT.
Important Boer Forces Lo-
Gated and Are Ac-
tive.

hSuueTsDuTp, Aprll ID ne lnlTu
division, commanded by Gen. Cherm-
side, has arrived from Bethany with
out incident. The Beers have been
located south of the Wepener and
Smithfield districts. Col. Dalgety in
command of the colonial forces, sur
rounded at Wepener. is holding out
gamely. Exciting developments are
probable in the near future. The
censorship is particularly strict.
Aliwal North. April IA detach-
ment of 200 of the Rouxville COM
mando patrol has been established
here. Many of the men 90 to their
farms at night and rejoin the detach-
ment in the morning. The RouXville
commando NUM- Der 700. A large body
of Basutos are closely watching events
from the border. The weather is too
cloudy to permit of heliographing.
1t is reported the Beers lost heavily
in the recent fighting at WePener and
an urgent message for assistance was
sent to the Rouxville commando.
There was fighting at Dewets Dorp to-
day.
Status at Wepener.
Arrival North, April 13.-News from
a Boer source at Wepcncr. officially
communicated. says that four Boer
guns have been disabled and four COM
maDlants killed or wounded. On Tues
day night the British made Il sOrtie.
capturing a Boer gun and taking some |
prisoners.
London. April 13. - The following |
teIegrams are received here from South |
Africa: |
''Aliwal North. April II, p. m.-The |
colonial troops are still holding their |
own splendidly At Wepener. Cannonad- |
ing recommended this morning he |
Boer attack Yesterday was not very
serious. The British are carefully huS-
banding their ammunition and their |
guns are making excellent practice |
The Beers are short of ammunition. |
\ patrol returning from Smithfield re- |
ports that small groups of Beers are |
visible"
Cape Town. April 12-The Bloem- |
fontein correspondent of The Cape Ar |
gus says: "Olivier's commando iS NOV |
ing in the direction of Smithfield. Five |
different laaSerS are located between |
Bethany and the Kaffir river, lying /
parallel to the railway. twelve miles
eastward"
News from the TranSvaal Capital.
A dispatch To The Daily Mail from |
Lorenzo Marques. dated yesterday.
says: 1T is reported from Pretoria
that Boer commando is moving
through Basutoland. This is said to be /
a clever ruse TO draw the British
away fronsANepener. About 1000 for
eigners constitute the new foreign |
legion in Pretoria. including some
COsSackS in uniform. Several fresh
recruits left here for Pretoria today. |
including Il French captain. brother OF
the late General de NilleboiS- Mareuil."
How n Special Explains 1t.
London. April 13.-The Bloemfon-
tein correspondent of The Daily Tele-
graph telegraphing Wednesday, says:
Lord Roberts wisely declines TO eX-
the elusive Beers until this prppara-
tionS are complete. He will leave TO
the enemy the barren comfort of the
occupation of a few farms for n short
time"
From n German Point of View.
Berlin. April 13.-The military critic
of The Berliner Tageblatt explains
that the inactivity of Lord Roberts is
not due to the preparations he is max
ing for the winter. but to the inability
of his troops To take the field in num-
her sufficient TO take the offensive
against Kroonstadt. The view prevails
in military circles here that the recent |
British defeats are due TO the discour- |
agement OF the troops resulting from
their consciousness OF bad general
ship"