The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-14
ORANGE
FREE
STATE
Is Abandoned to the British
Next Fight at Lindley.

LONDON, MAY 13-4:OO a. m.-Ihe SIT |
uation at the seat of war in South Afri- |
ca is as satisfactory from the British
view point as the most sangunine friend |
could have hoped a week ago. The oc-
cupation Of Kroonstad practically places
the Whole Orange Free State in British
possession.
It is evident from Lord Roberts last
dispatch that the disintergation has COM
menced. The Free Staters are scatter
ing to their homes, while the Transvaal-
ers have gone northward declining 10
fight longer in the orange Free State.
What little resistance the former still are
likely to make seems to be centering
at Lindleyl whittier President Steyn has
transferred his government. 1t is evil
dent that the strategy of Lord Roberts
and the rapidity Of his advance have
bewildered and ulsheartened the Beers,
as resistance since the British reached
Zand river has been slight The only
point where they seriously attempted to
check the advance seems TO have been
on the British right, where they defend
ed with some vigor two kopjes, which
eventually we're carried by the East Ian
casnires and Sussexes, the Beers finally
retreating, leaving a group of gunners
dead on the top Of the hills The only
point in the Free State where the Beers
seem in force except at Lord Roberts
front, is on the southwest, where Gener-
ais Rumble, Campbell and Brabant are
holding them in check west of Ficksburg
and Ladybrand, and are gradually push
ing them back as well as effectually de-
feating all of their efforts to break
! 81 &
munications.
There is no further news regarding the
advance of the reAef column to Mafe-
king, but it is possible that Lord Rob
ers success will result in forcing Beers
to raise the siege. Pretoria advices via
Lorenzo Marques states that the Beers
supply Of smokeless powder is exhausted
and that all attempt to manufacture a
fresh supply has been unsuccessful. A
dispatch from Cape Town dated AMY 12,
says that Lord Strathcona's horse had
gone to the front and that Lord Castle
town had been appointed commissioner
of the Wepener district
NO INTERVENTION.
Copyright 1900 by the Associated Press)
LONDON, MAY 12.-The Beers seem to
be on the eve of playing their last card,
and according to many keen observers in
England, it is being p.ayed, not in South
Africa, but in the United tSates, through
the medium of the Boer delegates who
sailed for New York from Rothdam last
week. AS the bulk of British opinion
does not contemplate for a moment that
Mr.. Fischer and his companions will ac-
hieve success, it is only natural that ser
ious thought is not chiefly devoted to
prognosticating the date when the war
will be ended. Most estimates concur in
agreeing that hostilities will have ceased
by June, wnen President Kruger learns
that the last country APPEALED to namely
the United States will afford no help and
that he has no alternative, in the face
of the overwhelming force now victor
iously sweeping into hls territory, but tC
to sue for peace What Great Britain's
answer to that request will be- was un.
mistakeably defined by Mr.. JOSEPH
Chamberlain the secretary of the state
for the colonies at Birmingham, yester
, day, when he declared llIat the Boel
republics must become a crown colony
, whose initial stage of organization will
be controlled by a military administra
> ton. By agreeing to these terms Presi
dent Kruger, must, therefore, give up al
for which he has been fighting.
But c1 the ol--er hand, now that term
I have Geen so emphatically enunciated
i they must either be granted or Englan
, will stand defeated. The latter alternativ
:. however, does not enter England's cate
: CORY ofpossibilities. Her people are firm
ly convinced that Lord Roberts vii
steadily advance, perhaps will della
| and losses of daredevil units, and ma
be without infiicting a crushing defeat
until he occupies the TransvaaL His for
ward progress, they believe, will be stop
B ped only when President Kruger, learn
\ ing of the failure Of Fischer's mission
J asks for peace. This will come soone
than previously expected is the tren
of popular opinion today. long sieg
of Pretoria has become a remote cor
: tingency. Sharp figths at Kroonstad an
on the Vaal river a series of rear guar
actions with constantly retreating force
an organized development of a hostil
country and then by June, or, perhap
earlier, peace am occupation. Such is tn
average forecast of the struggle in Sout
. Africa. May be it is altogether too OF
: timistic, but the present successes of III
British arms and the evidence OF the
well defined plans and excellent organ
zation forms much excuse for optimism
. In comparison with what 2OO.0OO Britis
!, troops nave been dong in South Air
ca during the week, the events in Eni
:, land, itself are perhaps unimportant. "
!, they TEEN with human interest and inte
~ nal Importance, First and foremost
= the question of Australian federation
In