The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-06-07

prepared TO advance, BY waiting rlx
days he gave the Beers time to recover
from their panic and TO make some
show OF defending the capital
The account Of Mondays engagement
and Tuesdays entry IL better reading
for each side In consequence Of the
delay The Beers have the credit for
making final stand al Six Mile Sprult
and Of seeking TO ambush the British
and then TO outnank them and Lord
Roberts. Instead Of marching in several
days after the enemy had scuttled out,
has the satisfaction Of entering the
capital In gallant style after sue
eessful engagement
Lord Roberts does not appear to have
used more than two brigades Of lnfan-
Try. with strong body Of cavalry
and. while the very guns were kept
well In front, there was little work
for them. He had stationed two brig
ades Of cavalry north Of Pretoria and
General Hamllton's column TO the west
and had not attempted TO concentrate
his forces. since the Boer commanders
we're not strong. After a few hours Of
manenyerIng the capital was left de-
fenseless
The forts constructed at the expense
OF the mine owners and strengthened
during the war. were abandoned, the
Creusots and Krupps and the famous
Long Toms. which were to render Pre-
torla impregnable. were taken east TO
the mountains and the capital. which
President Kruger's burghers had boast
ed would be defended for month after
month. was suddenly left after a feeble
engagement
The facility with which Johannes
burg and Pretoria have been taken
leads many military men to suspect
that there is secret understanding
between President Kruger and the
british government by which the war
viii be brought 10 an end without un-
necessary loss OF life and wasteful de-
struction OF property. This theory
while plausible cannot be proved.
since neither President Kruger, nor
Lord Roberts will admit that there
has been any secret intrigue or that the
closing scenes OF the war have been
prearranged In any sense. The safer
generalization is that the Beers have
fought calamity against the resources
OF a mighty empire and have been
finally overwhelmed by superior num-
bers ana energy, and that Lord Rob
erts has worked out an intricate prob
lem In the dynamics OF war. He has
known how much force was needed on
the advance line. and what kind OF
force. and how 10 protect his line Of
communications most effectively by op-
eratIons on the eastern iiank under
General Rumble.
The campaign may now be said to
have ended west OF the line drawn from
Pretoria to Flcksburg. General Hun
ter's division is reported to have en-
tered Ilchtenburg. Lord Methuen viii
probably turn up at Potchefstroom
and General Badep-Powell and Cen
eral Darlington Will occupy Zeerust
and Rustenberg, The occupation Of
Pretoria viii probably dishearten the
Free State forces and the Bethlehem,
Harrismith and Vrede districts will be
gradually overrun by General Rundle's
forces. The remaining operations Of the
war will be restricted to the Lyren-
burg district, to which the forces still
holding Laing's Mex must retreat
through Ermelo.
There are many signs that the strug-
gle will end In the course OF q fort
night and the details OF surrender of
Pretoria, communicated by Lord Rob
erts at midnight. support this view.
From Lord Roberts report It appears
that the Beers were driven back fair
~ into Pretoria on Mondays engage
ment, and that the surrender of the
town was demanded. General Botha
proposed an armistice for settling the
terms OF surrender and Lord Roberts
replied that there could be no con-
dltions. General Botha decided against
any attempt to defend the town, and
the civil officials arranged for the en-
try OF the troops during the after
moor, no bad haen done at Johannes
burg.
The wives of General Botha and Pres
ident Kruger remained in the town
and no attempt was made to remove
the British prisoners to Waterfall.
All the prisoners will be speedily re-
leased and the stand made in the Ly-
denburg district is not likely to be
serious.