The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-20
British War Omce without AGSices,
but Mr.. wyndham of Opinion
"It Is All Right
MORE HILL WORK FOR BULLER
WILL ATTEMPT TO DIsLODGE THE
BOERs FROM BIGGARsBERG.
Possibility that Methuen Will Ad-
vance ON Pretoria by Way of BUS
tenberg-O1fvfer's Movements.

LONDON, March 20. a. m.-The War
ONCE has had no news up to this hour
confirming the report of the relief of Mafe-
king, but George Wyndham, parliamentary
under secretary for war; replying to a pri-
vate inquiry in the lobby of the House of
Commons about midnight. smilingly said:
'T thinltit is all right
The Free Staters seemingly have not
quite collapsed. They are in considerable
force around SmithfeId, though much dis
pirited. A British spy from Rouxville re-
ports that Commandant Olivier and a COM
mando are going to Kroonstad. The agents
he left behind are using desperate means to
raise recruits. communicating British
Beers under penalty of death. Kroonstad.
where the Beers are concentrating. is 137
miles from Bloemfontein. 1t is surrounded
by a country of hills and jungles.
General Gatacre is now resting at Spring
fontein. preliminary to joining Lord Rob-
erts-
General Buffers hill work before Lady,
smith has given him an experience which
10 about to be used in forcing the Biggars-
berg range. 1t is believed that 5000 of his
10000 men are about to engage General
Botha's force, and the next news of fight
ing will probably come from Natal.
The Times. commenting editorially on
the report that Germany will ask the bel
ligerents to guarantee the safety of Johan-
nesburg, says: I'VE decline to believe that
any responsible German statesman would
make such a proposal. Certainly the gov
ernment will not make agreements at for
eign instigation''
During the pause in military operations
in South Africa Spencer Wilkinson. writ
ing in the Morning Post, deals specula-
lively with possible movements. He says:
Lord Roberts may send one or two strong
cavalry columns to move unexpectedly on
various points, thus upsetting the Boer
plans of defense and rendering possible an
advance of three converging forces on Pre-
toria without any heavy preliminary fight
ing"
A dispatch to the Daily Telegraph from
Bloemfontein says: I'm speech which he
made here few days before the British
entered the town President Kruger admit
ted that his men would be unable to keep
I'm the field for another month";
Judging from Lord Methuen's presence at
Warrentown and the capture of the near
by passage of the Vaal at Fourteen
Streams. keen observers believe Lord Rob-
erts meditates an advance in force on Pre-
toria by way Of Rustenburg. This might
start either from Fourteen Streams or from
Clerksdorp, and would probably coincide
with an advance via Bloemfontein and
Natal. Thus Lord Methuen may be given
the chance to redeem his reputation, as has
been dune with General Gatacre.
The leaders of the Afrikander Bund are
circulating a petition in Cape Colony ask
ing the imperial government not to take
away the independence OF the Beers.
The Lourenzo Marques correspondent OF
the Times. telegraphing Monday, March 10
says: Last night the Portuguese authori
ties hurriedly dispatched by special train
a force Of infantry TO reinforce the garri-
son on the Transvaal border.
Thirty-two thousand additional troops fol
South Africa are now Mt sea-