Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-13

CBy Telegraph to Virginian- Pilot.)
London. April 13.-4:05 a. m.-In a
round about way London hears that
Lord Roberts. when wiring to the
Prince of Wales ut Copenhagen con-
CALCULATIONS upon his escape from as
sasslnation. added two or three hopeful
sentences portending an carly advance
with wide reaching combinations.
Quiet assurances are passed around
among military men that Lord Roberts
is employing his great army effectively,
and that the adventurous Boer COM
mundoes are likely to be enmeshed.
Scraps OF news--a detail here and an
other thcrc--have reached England to-
night over comparatively idle cables,
but they do not illuminate the situation
SITUATION AT WEPENER.
The Colonials at Wepener still hold
OFF the Bocrs Lord Mcthuen has
worked eastward until he is within
eighty miles Of Kroonstad. Boer scouts
have gone around Ladysmith and have
appeared at Dewdrop and other places
on General Buffers TANKS and rear
The officers of Buffers irregular horse
estimate tho Beers in Natal tbs Is, 000
but these figures are probably excess
sive. 10000 being regarded here as the
After General Harris brigade leaves
him. General Butler will still have close
upon $4,000 men. 1t is generally as
sumed that this brigade is going to Join
Lord Roberts but It's destination is
really unknown.
The Beers have issued note TO Por-
tugal regarding the use by the British
of the lIeira route for the transporta-
lion of troops to Rhodcsia and this
may. If the Beers act against Portugal.
lead Great Britain TO land troops at
Iouren2o Marques This possibility has
heen seriously discussed and Is referred
TO at length in the morning papers to-
day.
BOER PEACE COMMISSIONERS.
The work OF the I3ocr Peace Com
missioncrs has begun. Mr.. FISCHER has
asked Italy TO intervene, and the Ital-
Ian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the
Marquis iii Visconti-Venosta. has repli-
cd that while he would receive the en-
Vcys, the best he could do would be to
transmit their proposals to London.
thus following the course of the United
States.
Sir Alfred Miner when replying to n
dcputation Of clargymcn in Cape Town
yesterday CThursday) said:
Never again must be the motto OF
al. thinking and humane men, but not
from lust of conquest of Il desire to
trample on the gallant, ii misguided
There must be no compromise or patch
work in the settlement and no opportu-
nifty for misunderstanding. intrigue. the
re NiVal OF impossible ambitions, or the
accumulation or enormous ornaments.
The British will no longer tolerate
dissiinilar and antagcnistic political
systems in n country which nature and
history have declared to be one"
In these absolute utterances of Sir
Alfred Miner he speaks for the I'M
pcrial government.
~ TREMENDOUS ARMY.
Tt is calculated that Lord Roberts
now has 2l4,000 effective troops, with
1000 more ailoat or under orders. The
War Office has instructed officers not to
take any more expanding bullets to
Africa for revolvers
H!ldyard Steyn. brother of President
Steyn, in the course of an interview 81 T
Bloemfontein. said:
The original war plan of the Beers
was to overrun all Cape Colony, but on
becoming involved in the sieges of
Kimberley and Ladysmth the burghers
found the design spoiled. To this I at
tribute the Boer failure to conquer the
British. l expect the war to last until
Christmas"
The seventh month of the war is be-
ginning With Easter tide. and the
morning paper editorials expatiate
upon the need of soberness.
HEAVY CANNONADE.
Pretoria Wednesday, April IA
heavy cannonade was heard this morn
ing in the direction of Butt Fontejn.
situated midway between Windbure,
and Boshof, in the Orange free Sfate,
and north of Brandfort.
THE BRITISH REFUSED
Advices from the Bocr Headquarters
in Natal say that after a heavy bonn
bardment the British are retiring in tho
direction of Ladysmith and the Fede-
rails are going to their old positions.
BRITISH FORCE SURROUNDED.
Advices from Wepener, where a Brit
ish force is surrounded, say the battle
continues favorable to the Federalc
About 1880 British troops are said to be
there.
CAUSE OF BOER ACTIVITY.
Bioemfontein. April 11.-According to
information received here the Boer nc
tivty eastward OF the railroad and in
proximity to the border is largely due
TO the fact that Presidents Kruger and
Steyn have found they are unable to
keep their forces together in Inactivity.
the burghers declaring they are UNI
willing to remain with their commands
unless actively employed. as they are
convinced the British game Is a wait
ing one. 1t is believed the Boer move
ment was originally designed to oblige
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