The Bowbells tribune., 1900-03-02

Ready to Believe He Has Good
Reasons for Withholding Mention
of Cronje-Buller's Advance Stub
bOrnIy Contested-CronjeW Willing
to Quit, but Young Beers Won't
Let Him.
London, Feb. 27-Perhaps never be,
fore in the course of the present cam
paign have such crowds visited the
war office rs went there Yesterday.
AS the Times remarked, "such dearth
Of news can only mean that success is
imminent" No dimunition of conf
aence in Lord Roberts is felt, howev-
er, and the public is ready to believe
that he has good reasons for not men
tioning Gen. Cronje in the official dis
patches. Probably he is in no hurry
10 end Il situation which daily brings
parties Of Beers in vain effort to re.
lnforce Gen. Cronjc These he can
deal with i'll detail. Lord Roberts has
at this rate he will soon have quit a
respectable array of prisoners to hold
as hostages for the $500 British al
ready in Pretoria. Gen. Cronje's re-
fusal to accept the offer of Lord Rob
erts regarding the women and chill
dren Indicates either that the position
Is less desperate than is reported or
that he has been able to dig an abso-
lutely safe place for them. Everything
goes to show that Gen. Buffers ad-
vance is most
StubbOrnly Contested
and most carefully thrown out. 1t is
hoped he will soon be in Il position
where Gen. White will be able to as
sist him materially. The situation is
now presenting a most interesting
phase. In about a month the congress
IF the Afrikander bund will meet and
It is then believed MI. Hofmeyr will
propose peace terms on the basis of
the republics reatining absolute inde-
pendence, but offering TO aisarm. II
these terms are rejected it is under
stood a manifesto will be boldly issued
% the Dutch throughout South Africa,
calling upon them to throw off their
allegiance to Great Britain. Probably
:hese runors are exaggerated, but
here is no doubt that the greatest
anxiety prevails in Cape Town re-
sarding coming events. Germany,
through the semi-o cial Berliner Post,
'eiterates that all reports of German
are quite without founda-
ion.
CrOnjc Is Ready to Quit.
Paardeberg, o. II. S.. Feb. 27.-Gen.
Jrcnje's position is more hopeless than
,ver. Our guns dominate the sloping
lscents from the river on all sides,
Ind by the rush Of the Shropshires on
,dresday night up the river bed the
Beers lost 200 yards space in their
cover. Deserters say the British fire
1as been very deadly and affirm that
Gen. Cronje himself if willing to sur
.ender, but is overborne by the young
Beers from the Transvaal. There are
and children with the Boer
'orcc. Gen. Roberts proposed to let
hem pass out of danger, but this sug-
yestion, as well as the proffer Of med
ca. aid. has been rejected. The kopje
captured by the British last Wednes-
lay, when fifty prisoners were taken,
s a most important strategical posi-
lion. It's possession should enable us
10 repulse the Bocr reinforcements
rom the eastward.
Occupied by British.
London, Feb. 27.-Lord Roberts has
sent the following additional advices
to the war office, dated at Paaderberg,
Saturday p. m: ''Methuen reports
that Bar]sley West was occupied by
our troops OH Feb. %. The loyal in
1abitants displayed great enthusiasm.
The country west of the railway from
Cape Town to Kimberley is gradually
settling down. A detachment has
started from De Aar for Britstown,
md Douglass and Prieska will shortly
be visited by our troops. Methuen's
account of the admirable manner in
which the Kimberley hospital is man.
aged made one desire to send some of
our sick and wounded there"
Beers Lose Heavily.
London. Feb. %. - The war Office
published the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts: "Parties of beers re-
Gently arrived from Natal attacked
our ortposts in force again yesterday.
They lost good many killed and
and nearly 100 prisoners, in
Guiding a commandant and three field
cornets. Our casualties We're four
officers wounded, nine men killed,
wounded and two men
Uprising Threatened.
London, Feb. 27.-The standard has
the following from Cape Town, dated
''The Boer force occupying
Prieska consists of 100 rebels, led by
Free Staters. A proclamation has
been read anncxing the Prieska dis
trict to the Free State and all loyal
British have been given five days to
quit the place. am assured by resi-
dents of Prieska that unless troops
are soon sent there the whole north
east district will rise.''
Scouts Compelled to Retire.
Sterstroom, Feb. %. - A reconnais-
sance in force by Gen. Gatacre, with
ten guns. found the Beers occupying
O ridge three miles beyond Molteno, in
the Stormberg direction. Montmor-
ency's scouts charged the Beers, who
crept around the scouts flank, pour
ing in deadly fire. The scouts were
finally compelled to retire, having lost
heavily, fourteen being missing, Capt.