The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-02-28

succeeding. But Tor the unexpected
delay at Dekiel's Drift which was al
most impossible for wagons, the whole
Boer force would have been surround
ed The delay of one day there gave
! them their chance for a hasty retreat
CRONJE SURROUNDED.
LONDON, February 20.-3:45 A. M
A member of the Cabinet told H. W.
Lucy tonight that the War Office re-
ceived a telegram announcing that
! General Cronje was hopelessly sur
rounded
Mr.. Wyndham was beset by anxious
members of the House, but would only
reply that the Governments news was
extremely satisfactory. The sole ex-
PLANTATION Of the Governments with
| holding the news is that confirmation
and more details are awaited.
| The situation as described by cor
respondents over the Free State border
is tantalizing to the public. The ele-
mentary facts are that the Beers are
! trekking eastward toward Bloemfon-
tein with slow moving baggage trains,
and that they are pursued by Lord
| Kitchener, with General Kelly Kenny's
division General Macdonald, with the
| Highlanders, made a forced march to
Koodoosrand Ford, and on Sunday
pushed twenty miles eastward. Gener-
al French left Kimberley Saturday, go
ing east along the Modder river.
METHUEN At KIMBERLEY.
Lord Kitchener is trying to outmarch
and to outflank the Beers, thus check
ing their retreat, if possible, and driv-
ing them back into the hands of Mac
| Donald and French
The War Once message communicat-
ed to Mr.. Lucy seems to indicate that
Lord Kitchener has either got ahead of
the Beers or is about to realize his plan,
| hp IN
a decisive result.
Meanwhile Commandant de Larey,
| with the Beers from Colesberg, is hang
ing on to the right flank of the British
pursuing columns, seeking to delay
their movement and so to assist the
Eoer wagon trains to escape. students
of topography think the Beers Will
hardly risk fight until they get into
the rough country.
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Daily News, telegraphing Sunday,
says: Lord Methuen's force, 1 learn,
has arrived at Kimberley having got
through from Magersfontein without
fighting"
BOMB-PROOF MAFEKING.
LONDON, Feb. 21.-A dispatch to the
Daily Mail from Mafeking, dated Fri
day, February 9, says: "All business
here is being conducted underground.
The resident Commissioner has sumn-
tous apartments in a subterranean
'bomb-proof.' The Cape police have a
large hall with piano. The Mafeking
Hotel dining room seats forty. All
. these have been dug out and are i'm
pervious to shells"
10000 BRITISH TROOPS.
LONDON, February 21.-With 10000
British troops in hot pursuit of Cronje,
or already surrounding him, Lord Ro-
berts' campaign in the Free State hes
thus early reached a critical point, and
England is waiting the issue with
marked Impotence.
Up to o'clock this morning the War
Office had issued no bulletin concerning
the momentous operations between
Kimberly and Bloemfontein other than
an unimportant one, showing that the
Commander-in- chiefs headquarters has
been established at Paardeherg, thirty
miles east of Jacobsdal, close to the
main road to the Free State capital,
from which it is forty miles distant.
Nor had any dispatches come through
to the newspapers from the scene of
war. Lord kitchener, who is in COM
mand of the pursuing army, has with
him all of French's cavalry, the sixth,
seventh and ninth divisions, and Mac
Donald's Highland brigade.
Cronje has probably with him. be-
sides his original force of 1000 5000 in
were in the command that fought Gle
ments at Colesberg, While others were
at Stormberg. According TO some au-
thorities the Free Staters, who are NOV
ing from Colenso and Ladysmith, will
add 10000 more to Cronje's ranks, if
indeed they are able to join him.
Under the circumstances it is a great
mistake to imagine that the Boer re-
sistance has collapsed. If foreign ex-
perts with the Beers are listened to,
and Cronje succeeds in making his es-
cape, Bloemfontein will be evacuated
and battle will be offered the British
army in the hills befor Windburg.
BUTLER ADVANCING.
In Natal General Buffers troops are
still pressing forward. General Hart 8
brigade yesterday took possession of
Colenso. and at last reports was cross
ing the Tugela at that point. This ad-
vance guard is fourteen miles by road
from Ladysmith.
Apparently the remainder of the army
OF relief will soon be across the river.
The Beers have thus far not shown
themselves in any strength, and the in
Vasion of the Free State by Roberts
has evidently drawn away a large num-
Der of men The chances of the early
relief of Whites forces IN Ladysmith
seem to be good, but burghers have
shown slyness on many previous oC-
CUSTOMS, ana may be IN strong position
n few miles north of the river Some
more sanguine observers say, however,
that it would not be surprising If they
removed their guns and abandoned the
siege and fell back to the northern
border of Natal. AS far as dealing
another blow at British prestige. the
capture of Ladysmith would not be Of
great material benefit to the Beers.
ALL ABOARD FOR KIMBERLEY.
LONDON February 90 1856 p. M
The War Office has issued a dispatch
from Lord Roberts announcing that the
railroad to Kimberley is open and that
General Methuen will proceed there
with re-enforcements forthwith, and
that large supplies win be forwarded
to the town. The first train to KIM
berley left Cape Town last night and
the neighbOrhood of the famous siege
seems thoroughly cleared Of the Beers
THE SITUATION.
| LONDON, February 21-Spencer