The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-29
BOBS'S TACTICS.
British Generals Movements
are a Puzzle to
Onlookers.
ADVANCE EXPECTED APRIL 2
Egypt's Neutrality Questioned
by DR. Leyds on Strength
of England's Admission.

hONDON, MdTCn ~, 15OV--ouPPO"AN-0
as to Lord Roberts advance from Bloem-
fontein is the topic of the day and is
likely to continue so, if the British Com
mander-in-Chief in South Africa conceals
his movements as carefully as he has
done in the past. April is set by various
critics as the probable date Of the de-
parture of the main army from Boem-
fontein 1t is pointed out that there Will
then be over a weeks hard marching be-
fore Kroonstad is reached, though there
seems no certainty that Kroonstad VIII
entirely occupy Lord Roberts attention.
The advance. when it does occur, Will
probably be made by parallel columns
along a broad front. The movements OF
the cavalry force and part of the infantry
towards Glen can scarcely be construed
as an actual advance, though they un%
doubtedly point to the imminenee of such
STEP But only a small part of General
Gatacre's forces have yet arrived at
Bloemfontein, and until that movement Is
completed it is not likely Lord Roberts
will start for Pretoria.
The latest news from BIoemfonstein,
contained in a despatch published in the
second edition of the 'Times," dated
Wednesday, March 2S, again dwells upon
the necessity for not making prema-
ture advance. This correspondent, who.
on several occasions, seemed to have been
chosen as the mouth pice of Lord Roberts,
cables:-
s.It should be clearly understood that
the present halt in the vicinity of Bloem-
fonten is absolutely necessary as mill
tary precaution. It should be borne IN
mind that we are about to enter on a
new phase of the operations, with the
main communications through recently
occupied hostile country, and that the re-
cent successes necessitated great ex-
penditure of horse power. Here and in
Natal we shall move on the commence
ment of the South African winter and
must be prepared to face the effects OF
the first frost upon such animals as may
be affected with horse sickness. It would
be suicidal to push troops forward till
they are equipped to meet tie exposure
of winter Horses clothing and food We
must have"
The correspondent adds that the Boer
forces have been re-equipped and he says
he is fully convinced that 1900 foreign
troops have been landed to aid the Re-
publics.
From this despatch the inference might
be drawn that the London critics have
been premature in prophesying an imme-
date advance, as at Kimberley and Paar-
deberg. The best-based conjecture is well
nigh worthless as to when Lord Roberts
contemplates moving.
A denutation of Dutch Church Ministers
had an audience of Premier Schreiner, at
10 ministers urged
the separation of the sick and well Boer
nrisoners and asked that the sick be not
sent to ST. Helena.
Mr.. Schreiner replied that he had no
mower in such matters but would use his
friendly offices. He added that he had
made strong representations to the Imper-
ial Government against sending any of
the prisoners to st. Helena but without
success.
1t is reported that the prison transports
will sail for st. Helena at the end of this
week.
From Natal and Mafeking there is no
further news as this despatch is sent
At Chelsea Barracks, this morning, the
Prince of Wales inspected battalion of
sharpshooters organized by Lord Dun
raven for the Imperial Yeomanry. He
complimented them on their appearance
and said-
ST sincerely hope that you may shoot
straight when the necessity arises.
The most serious indictment of the
Roers, method of warfare which has yet
anneared in England comes from Mr.
Julian Ralph, the American war cores
ponden, in Letter from Kimberly, pup
Ished in this mornings DAILY Mail" II
is, in part, as follows:-
eft is a war steadily and stealthily
MANNED by the Queens Dutch subjects
and the Dutch Republics for fully twenty
wears. For between four and six years
they have been equipped for it. They be-
gan purchasing arms and planning de-
fences before the Jameson raid. Let no
one fool you with the falsehood about
that. Finally President Kruger begged
President Steyn to declare war three
weeks before President Steyn consented.
Next rid your mind of the no
ton that you are crushing two FARMER
Renublics There is not a farmer
in two countries and only one, the Free
State was a republic in any way except
nisnaming. These people are herders of
| IF did and The Afridis Turks and Balkan
peoples of today. His (the Boer 81 So
| called farms are as nature made them,
! merely reaches OF Nelul WhSlSOAA LIS Ne1t-
! tie Craze. On each one he has put up a
| home but its surroundings are almost m
| yariably more repellent and dlsorderly
| than any houses l ever saw, except the
| bins of free slaves in the United States.
| Their camps and strongholdS from Wh1eh
| we have routed them are the hlthiest
nlaces l have known men of any sort to
| live iii, and | have seen Red Indian, Chin
| ese and Turkish camps, and the camps or
many sorts of black men. AS to their
I bravery and honor have seen and heard
sufficient to fill a page of the .sDally
| MALI with accounts of their cowardly and
| dasterly behavior before | came to KIM
/ erley.
ssBut, here, find they have been guilty
of different and original enormities. Here
| they killed our wounded and laid their
1 bodies in a row after one of the forays
/ out of town. Here they armed many
/ blacks TO fight against us, showing all
4 the world how seandalousiy fraudulent
1 were their exclamation of horror at the
/ idea of our employing native Indian
1 troops There has hardly been a battle
/ in which the Beers have not abused either
| the white flag or the Geneva Cross. or
I both At Spion Kop our people saw them
\ loading Maxims in ambulances in order
i-to get them safely away. This We saw
! them do at the ModGer River also, and
| Kimberley is where the Beers shelled the
| funeral cortege of George l.. Abram an
American At many places they fired on
| our am5ulances l saw them do it at the
Modder River and saw them fire on our
observation-disclosures in that battle time and
time again.