The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-08
BOERS EVERYWHERE RETIRING
BEFORE THE VICTORIOUS
BRITISH FORCES
TO MAKE ASTlND At KROOISTiE
MYSTERIOUS SILENCE AS TO THE
WHEREABOUTS OF FRENCH,s
CAVALRY
STRATEGY OF LORD ROBERTS
1t Has Proved So MasterfuI the Beers
Are at the Mercy of Their
FOes-DetaiIs of Win
burg Fight.

LONDON, May 8.-The Beers are every
where retiring before the British, except
on the Natal frontier and at Mafeking,
to the inner circle of their defenses:
They appear determined not to fight until
the Kroonstad hills are reached.
Lord Roberts is expected to do another
forty or fifty miles and then wait for a
time IN order to bring up supplies and
to repair the railway. There are one or
two hints in the dispatches from the
front that he may rest for few days
at Smaideel. Gen. French's 10000 cavalry
have not been mentioned in the official
or unofficial dispatches for four days 1t
is by no means likely that he is idle and
the conjecture is that he is either de-
touring towards Kroonstad or raiding the
Ladybrand district.
Fifteen thousand British are now oper-
ating on the western frontier of the Free
State. AS the deadlock at Warrenton has
been broken and the Beers are retreating
there is nothing formidable except dis
tance between Warrenton and Mafeking
The most hopeful advices from Mafeking
Of April 22 were that the garrison would
be barely able to hold out for a month.
AT that time the fever was spreading.
According to advices from Maseru,
Basutoland, several thousand Free Stat
ers are north of Ladybrand, where they
have collected great herds. The district
is rich In food for men and horses, and
the Beers seem resolved not to move
northward, but appear to be preparing to
resist where they are. If they are left
alone they will menace the line of COM
munication after the main British army
has passed into the Transvaal.
Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener per
sonally directed the artillery in the Vet
river engagement.
Queen Victoria will send, signed pho
tograph to Col Kekewich, the hero of
Kimberley
Six thousand four hundred and fifty
eight troops are now at sea on the way
to South Africa. No others are under
order to go, except as recruits to fill up
the losses of the regiments at the front.
LATEST FROM MAFEKING.
Lady Sarah Wilson wires from Mafe-
king, under date of April %, as follows:
THE situation is unchanged. The gar
r1son is depressed at there being no sign
of relief, but is as determined as ever to
deprive the Beers of a crowning triumph
on the western border. A case of whisky
realized $40 at a rattle, and pound of
flour was sold at auction for two guineas."
BOER COMMANDANT ALARMED.
The Lourenzo Marques correspondent Of
the Times says:
"Commandant Snyman is so alarmed at
the prospect of having his retreat cut off
that he has applied for permission to re-
tire northward from Mafeking to inter
cept Col. Plumer."
BRITISH FORCES JOIN.
The war Office has received the follow
ing dispatch from Lord Roberts dated
SmaIdeel. May Z:
"Gen. Hunter, after defeating the enc
my May 4, joined hands with Paget near
Warrenton The enemy left thirteen Kill
ed and wounded on the ground, and we
captured several prisoners. Our losses
We're slight. Hunter speaks in high terms
of the gallantry of the Yeomanry under
Col. Mayrick
"The enemy have retired from the front
of Thaba NChu, and the exceedingly