The evening times., 1900-02-15
THE ADVANCE OF ROBERTS

| african maps within reach are so iacltina,
IN detail that 10 is impossible today to fol-
low the important movements reported bv
( Field Marshal Lord Roberts with anv de-
gree Of certainty. The same handicap is
experienced in London, where one of the
best-informed writer's this morning makes
a deduction that would put face upon
the situation on the Modder line totally
different TO that which appears to us.
In short this authority understands
French's advance to have been made
| through the Boef line, extending from
I Magarsfontein to Jacobsdal. distance Of
fifteen miles. Thus CrOnje's left is repre-
I sented as bisected and his Jacobsdal flank
hung NJ in the air. We cannot adopt
{ such theory on the basis of anything
we can find in the news. BY carefully
| studying the sequences directions, and
distances given in the Roberts messages.
and then noting point or two on the
map issued by our War Department IL is
1 probable that a better idea Of the opening
! movement of the campaign OF invasion
can be obtained than is conveyed by any
of the English military writer's. whose
comments we have had the pleasure Of
seeing thus far.
/ Some days ago. and following the nomeu-
I clature OF our most reliable war map. we
! ventured to predict. on the assumption that
/ Lord Roberts would try to turn Cronje's
/ left at Jacobsdal, that French would be
/ sent with the cavalry. followed by one or
| more infantry divisions and artillery. to
/ make crossing of the Riet River at a
/ point east Of Honey Nest KIoof on the rail
/ way This point being ten miles south OF
/ south h-southeast OF JacobsdaI coiucides
/ with the place called Ramah. opposite
/ which the crossing actually was made 4
brigade OF mounted infantry on Sunday
last. under Colonel Hanuay took the drift
I leading to Ramah; ANA engaged the Bocr
outposts holding the KlOofs on the north
I side Of the RieL They were dispersed and
( Hannay held the c-rssiug and pushed his
artillery and baggage through 10 the ham
let. We assume deductiyely that the cross
ing referred 20. que cast OF Honey Nest
Kloof. is the DekieI's Drift Of the dcs-
I patches and over which French moved on
( Monday. II is possible inasmuch as Rob
| erts says "the cavalry division under Cen
/ eral French seized the crossing Of the Biec
I River at Dekiers Drift" that it may b. a
i little TO the left OF Ramlh. II not identi-
( cal il seems reasonable to think that the
; two points were not widely separated as
Roberts would not b. likely 20 give his
heavy British infantry a longer detour than
necessary
) french was promptly followed by the
1 Snth and Seventh divisions. which camprI
| above DekeIs Drift Tuesday night
Meantime, the cavalr- division. on Tues
day. made a forced march twenty-five
/ miles north. seizing Clip Drift and Ron
deval Drift. on the Nodder River BY
this time n all has gone well the iufsu-
try should be well on Freucb's heels.
Perhaps we should not b. too sure about
( It., but we cannot see wherein the reports
i indicate that French cut through Crouje's
/ line II would seem more natural &C. turn
I Jacobsdal TO the east. and thus get I'M the
Boer rear without the necessity for a
fight against eutrenchrd forces FOR the
ridges between Nagarsfonteiu and Jacobs
dai have been understood 10 De well en-
trenched. though lately they may not
have been adequately manned owing 10
details sent 20 CoIesberg in the end 10
matters little. Frcu n. al latest accounts.
was wen around Gnd behind CroBJe's leff
and threatening that wing in reverse. as
well as cutting the Boer lines OF retreat
from SDytfontciu and Kimberley
Il viii be vastly interesting 90 ,e, what
Cronje may do on his side. in view OF This
bold British opening. That ne was alto
gether taken by surprise We cannot be
lieve. since the movement under cousid-
GRAFTON has been widely predicted in Lon
don and Washington for weeks. He ma-
be short Of men. aud 70 is even possible
that he has detailed large part OF his
force to execute a coup down i'm tho quadri-
lateral district leaving Roberts t5 employ
all his resources against position which
the Beers 90 not intend to hold or course
this is guessworh- One thing is evident
however: II Cronje is suH in considerable
force at Magarsfontein and means 10 fghr.
he has a very serious problem before him.
Methuen is on his front with fifteen thou
sand troops. with plenty or artillery and
behind good defensive works Roberts.
with thirty-hve thousand men is moving
around his left. and If not checked. Will
be completely In his rear by tomorrow or
Saturday. Another successful move in The
game, and Kimberley will be relieved and
its garrison added TO the British column.
It would seem. then. that Cronje must en-
trench his rear and draw in his left 10
Magarsfontein. or if il be actually fact
that he has been outgeneraIed and cor
nered that he must make a break bv
Mcthp ms right at Sand Drift. lr take the
present and perhaps last opportunity TO
retire north by Kimberley TO BoshoL and
so out in.o the Free state veldt. But il
is not improbable tFat the British cavalry
might be at Boshof before ne could ger
there. The whole subject viii be c0nsid-
erably clearer after we are permitted 10
know what may have happened to the
Sixth and Seventh divisions. on their
march from the Riet TO the Modder
THE MINES DESTRUCTION.
The second nr H..