The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-18
No CHEER FOR BR|I()NS
GLOOM IN LONDON OVER THE IN
ACTIVITY OF FORCES UNDER
LORD ROBERTS
NOW CLOSING IN ON WEPEHER
DECISIVE VICTORY THERE MAY
AGAIN REVIVE SPIRITS OF
THE BRITISH
SENSATION OF SPION KOP
British Military Experts and Press
DeplOre the Criticism of
Warren and Butler by
Gen. Roberts.
NOW CLOSING IN on WFPElRR
SENSATION OF sPIoN KoP

LONDON, April 17.-Lord Roberts long
wait and the Boer activity have serious
ly disturbed public .equanimity. No one
doubts the ultimate success of British
arms, but, behind the British army that
brushes the Boer armies, an army of oc-
cupation will have to be installed. From
/ various sources come hints that more
men than already provided for Will have
to be sent out.
Lord Roberts indicated that n least
10000 men are advancing TO cut off the
Beers who are investing Wepener. AS
there are reports from the Basuto bor-
der that firing has been heard In the Ill
rection of the hills toward .Dewetedorp,
it is possible Gen. Chemside's advanced
troops are already in contact with the
Beers.
Lord Roberts wires that he expected to
clear the southeast section Of the Frea
State east Of the railway, and then to
swing round to the north and to turn one
after another the positions held by the
Boers north of Bloemfontetn
Gen. Buffers prohibition Of all prsss tel
egrams from Natal until further notice
is taken to indicate that movement Is
ABOUT TO ,OeS1n tnere
ROBERTS IS CRITICISED.
LONDON, April 1S.-The publication OF
Lord Roberts dispatches describing the
spion Kop and other operations from Jan
II to Jan "a is severely criticised by Mr..
Spencer Wilkinson in the Morning Pest
| today He characterizes 1t as "iil advis-
ed
off Of 10 oR,oI
he says, must be positively demoralizing
unless great changes are made in the
commands, changes which, If necessary,
should have been made without any pre-
liminary public ventilation of mistakes
and cross censures.
by the publication OF Lord Roberts
dispatch the position of Sir Reivers Bull
! Ter is rendered untenable, and his resig-
| nation or recall Is a matter of course
But the government cannot be credited
with arranging the matter with a con-
| sideration of generosity. There vas no
need to publish these dispatches to the
world. The dispatches might have been
left to future historians, and Gen. Bull
ler's recall might have been arranged
SITUATION AT WEPENER.
The war Office has received the follow
ing dispatch from Lord Roberts, dated
Bloemfontein, Tuesday, April II:
"Our force at Wepener is still surround
ed but it is reported that the enemy are
attacking in very half-hearted manner
| and are anxious about their communica-
tions, hearing that forces are approach
ing Wepener from two directions-one un-
der Gen. Rumble via Reddersburg and an
other under Gen. Brabant, with Gen.
Hart's brigade in support, via Rouxville
O,o = <.qI
10, the few Beers there retired, and Gen.
Brabant made some unimportant arrests
Violent storms of rain have somewhat
interfered with the march of these col
umns, but it is hoped they will soon be
able to make their presence decidedly felt.
Gen Settle reports from Kenhardt
April IA, that 200 Transvaalers made de-
termined attack the previous day on Do
passport, held by party of our men. Our
loss was two killed and one wounded
The enemy's losses must have been heavy,
as they applied to us for doctors and an
ambulance
MAFEkING NEEDS FOOD.
PIUMER'S COLUMN, GABERONES.
April (via Lourenzo Marques, April I'D.
The Boer artillery about Mafeking is
well horsed. Their pom-poms are mount
ed on light four-wheeled carriages, each
drawn by four smart horses, in marked
contrast with those Col. Plumer fought
with at Crocodile Pool. The Beers. too,
are well mounted and well dressed, and
are At looking patriots. The grain and
other crops in the district are excellent,
so the Transvaalers are not likely to suf-
fer from scarcity of food for long time.
Plumer's little force is now strongly In
trenched northwest of Mafeking.
The country hereabouts Is much easier
traversed than that the Rhodesians are
operating in. The total casualties Sat
urday were seventy-eight, but many are
convalescent Men and horses are i'm
proving in health as the winter ap-
proaches.
Natives report that the inhabitants of
Mafeking are very hungry. Should hy-