The age-herald., 1900-02-15
ENGLISH HOPES
 ARE FRIGHTENED
French Forced Passage Across
 The Riet.
NOW OCCUPIES THE HILLS
Roberts Sends Very Encouraging Tel egrams-He Has Turned the Ma gersfontein Lines and Big
 Battle Expected Soon.

London, February 15-(4:2o o. m.)-The British army for the first time since the war began, is inside the Boer frontier. Lord Roberts, with at least 10000 infantry.J 1000 cavalry and 15O guns has turned the Magersfontein lines. before which the Britt ish troops have been encamped for ten weeks and with half of his corps, he is ai- ready operating on Free State territory. A battle has not yet been fought, but large tactical advantages have been gained. The relief of Kimberley Is within measurable reach, and the way to Bloemfonten is ap- preciably easier.
 The dispatches of Lord Roberts sketch three days work The forward movement began on Sunday when Colonel Hannay set out with brigade of mounted infantry for Ramah, on the Riet, eight miles from Jacobsdal. one. of the Boer supply bases.
 On Monday, General French, with the cavalry division seized the crossing of the Riet river, at Dekits drift, south of Jacobs dal and eighteen miles east of Honey Nest kloof He skirmished with the Boers and cleared the way for twenty thousand infan- try who followed across.
 Rode to Msdder River
 On Tuesday with his three cavalry brd- gades and the horse artillery General French rode to the Modder river, dis tance of twenty-five miles, and took three fords with high ground beyond the river and five Boer camps. He had a few casual tics in brushes wi tn the Boer horse Gen eral French has now fixed himself near General Cronjes main line of communica- tion with Bloemfontein, and 20,000 infantry with seventy-two guns are being pushed up to support him there. Lord Roberts dis patches wired from inside the Free State and on the Riet river left him Wednesday morning. Hds advance had not been op- posed by the Boers in force. Their patriots melted away the British moved forward The Boer army is likely to be felt in day two, and battle is consequently immi- nent.
 As to what forces General Cronje has now at his disposal, and as to whether he purposes making a stand against the in- vaders, no one here connected with the war office knows anything The data for conceptions are wholly wanting.
 The forces immediately at the disposal of Lord Roberts are>placed at 5000 in general way. These figures are revealed by the commands mentioned in the dis patches having been added to the di- visions known to be with Lord Methuen. Quite possibly Lord Roberts has 10000 or coco more.
 s-~ Out of Proportion
 It Is now realized that the incidents at Rensburg have been seen out of all pro- portion Merely skeleton lines were main tained there, while troops were being se- cretly and rapidly concentrated on the ndodder river The facility with which 3O,- O00 men have alreaay been sent beyond the rail terminus shows that Lord Kitchener has been fully successful in organizing transports. He is now supposed to be down the line sending forward more troops and getting together more transports. About five miles of OK and mule wagon trains are estimated for each division, so that Lord Kitchener, who is reputed to nave more skill than a circus manager in handling field transport, has immense la bors in hand.
 The London morning papers take rather scoer views of the situation, but are greatly pleased and hopeful of what Is to come They have been fed, however, on such a LOW diet of British success that they are uisposed to caution and given to measur- ing developments with considerable reserve They fully realize that serious fighting is yet to come.
 Lord Rotoerts' announcements make the minor operations in other parts of the field shrink