The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-13
TO RELIEVE KIMBERLEY
ROBERTS WILL FORCE CRONJE
TO RAISE THE SIEGE.
THE PLACE REPORTED IN SORE STRAITS
The Flood of Armed Men England is Pouring
into South Africa viii Continue. Ac-
cumuIating Immense Stores
of War Material.

London, Feb. 13.-(4:15 \. M.)-Lord
Roberts has gathered $4,000 men. with
whom according to the best military
opinion in London. he purposes turning
the left OF the Magersfontein lines near
Jacobsdal. entering the Free State. COM
pelling General Cronje TO raise the siege
of Kimberley. and thus making his first
step toward Blocmfontein.
Yesterday Lord Roberts announced the
aprointment of General Sir Henry Col
vile. hitherto commander of the Guards
brigade to the command of the Ninth
division. which is being formed and Will
consist probably to Il great extent OF
colonial troops General Colville will
lie succeeded by General Reginald Pole
Carew.
Lord Roberts tells the correspondents
that when he gets down to business they
shall have ample opportunities TO send
news His chief press censor yesterday
issued new rules and in future all WRIT
ten communications are 10 go unchecked.
Only telegrams will he censored. For
the next few days little news Is likely
to get through. but later there will be
more freedom Thus says the CENSOR
and the last clause may be interpreted
to mean that something is about 10 hap
pen
Kimberley. twenty miles away from
the Mcdder River position. Is III sore
straits Details of the December death
rate show that in il populationtof l4,00U
whites and 1900 blacks the mortality
was sixty whites and 13S blacks per
thousand. The infantile death rate was
611 per thousand among the whites and
912 per thousand among the blacks.
Enteric fever was prevalent.
This frightful STATE of things i'll De
cember cannot have improved much. If
at all. since. and the fighting power of
the garrison must have been greatly
diminished.
Meanwhile the bombardment by the
Beers has increased. and there Is inn
minent danger of the town falling under
the very eyes of Lord Roberts. 1t Is
believed in circles close to the War Or
fee that he will move at once.
Scouts have approached within thou
sand yards OF the Boer intrenchments at
Magersfontein They have found these
Strongand ascertained that they are used
as dwelling places. Naval gunners are
constantly watching the enemyS lines
with strong glasses and they declare that
there is an appreciable diminution in
the Boer forces.
In Natal the Boer commanders south
of the Tugela occupy Bold's Farm and
several mines west Of Chieyeley. Two
thousand Beers. with three guns are adj
vancing through Zululand toward Natal.
| ~
tions to continue the stream of troops for
South Africa. Four large steamers have
been chartered. Japan agrees to let the
| Armstrong; transfer TO England fom
naval ouick-trers that were built for
her consentinG TO wait for the execution
of her own order until the hostilities III
South Africa are over. Several Euro
pean powers. by similar consents as to
guns being constructed by Nickers Sons
and Maxim. enable Engla,.J to secure
one hundred Maxims.
| Two thousand men are constantly em-
| ployed at Woolwich Arsenal. and all
! the gun and ammunition factories arc
working night and day to execute Gov
ernment orders. The weekly output of
| four firms is loco, 00O rounds.
Outside of the requirements for South
/ Africa, Great Britain is accommodating
immense stores of war material. Con
! siderable divergence of opinion exists a.
| to the adequacy of the Governments mil
| itary proposals. even now. The mllltars
experts and newspapers. while ac-
knowledging the difficulties TO be met,
complain that nothing is said about meas
ureS necessary for the immediately emer-
| gencies in South Africa. and declare that
the Governments scheme is mainly dl-
| rected to Il large increase OF volunteers,
unframed and unorganized men, while
nothing is being done to prepare large.
well organized force. ready TO take the
! field
The only point that meets with uni
versal approval is the announcement OF
| the creation of f., batteries, which LORD
| Lansdowpe has explained are to consist
| of 1J-EounderS of the newest and most
modern type and the further announce
ment that the reserves OF stores and am
munition which Lord Lansfiowne has ad
| mitted have been kept far too low. are
To lie rushed to the level. required by
there.
The Times which thinks the scheme
very unsatisfactory. says:
NO amount Of searching through It's
| intricacies and conjectures can lead to
the discovery of any guiding principle OF
definite object. This is scarcely the way
| to meet great emergency. Lack OF