The National tribune., 1900-06-21
SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
Situation Little Changed During the Past
Week.

| Lord Roberts sent news to the Eng.
llSh people last week, in which he an.
| nounced that the railway had been cleared
of Beers, and that he felt able to hold the
| line IN sufficient strength to prevent a re-
| currence of the successful Boer raid
against his communications to the rear.
| 1t is believed now that he has a strong
grasp upon the situation.
| BOtha, after surrendering the city of
Pretoria, retired 10 miles southeast on the
| Middleburg road. There soon rallied to
! his standard large force and his prox-
| unity interfered with the work of pacif-
| cation and prevented the Beers from lay
| ing down their arms. Botha held strong
! position, but on June II Roberts attacked
him fiercely. The fight lasted most of the
! day. The Beers evacuated their position
| during the night, retiring eastward. The
| losses seem TO have been of minor import
| ance OH both sides.
Roberts had before this, of course, re-
ceiyed word of the breaking of his COM
municatiOns. He now sent Kitchener to
JOIN Methuen TO the southwest and sent
instructions to the latter also The two
forces met at Nredefort road station in
the evening of June 10 and marched on
the next day to Rhenoster, where a COM
pIete victory was gained over De Wet, his
forces being scattered and his camp cap
tured. The losses were Insignificant.
About the same time Gen. Hunter, of
keiiy-henny's force, defeated large con-
tingent of Beers south of Roodeyal, where
the Beers had broken the communications.
Gen. Butler entered Volksrust on June
IL and camped near Laing's Mex. About
5000 Beers withdrew from his front.
Buller's casualties in fighting on June II
were 26 killed, 126 wounded and two miss
ing. He forced Almonds Mex, the last
defile to Charleston Flats, carrying the
position at the bayonet's point. Butler
was now in touch with Roberts, being on
| a direct road southeast of Pretoria, hay
ing crossed the mountains.
Brabant and Rumble were still in the
Orange River country to the southwest,
fighting more or less every little while
with the Beers there.
The latest is that the main Boer COM
nanders are retiring on Middleburg, fol-
lowed by the British cavalry and artillery
| occasionally shells reaching their rear
guards. The Beers are destroying the
bridges and burning the veldt behind them,
carrying Oft provisions and cattle, and
leaving the country barren.
Advices also say that the Beers have an
abundance of arms and ammunition with
dynamite and oxen, and that they are pre-
pairing heavy wagon trains for a retreat
to the Lydenburg district, where the
chiefs, notwithstanding rumors to the con-
trary, seem determined to make stand.
1t is understood that the British Gov
ernment has decided upon plan for the
civil settlement of South Africa. The
Orange River Colony and the Transvaal
will probably become Crown colonies. 1t
is believed that Sir Alfred Miner will
be High Commissioner, notwithstanding
the opposition he has incurred. The
Crown Colony form of Government can be
best understood by reference to the
West Indies. Sierra Leone and Ceylon.
Preparations are being made to get this
work under way as soon as possible. The
assistance of the troops will be necessary
in the initial stages, as Il guard, among
other things, against spasmOdic uprisings.
Sir Alfred Miner states that the Cham
ber of Mines at Cape Town has agreed
upon $50 representatives of 131 leading
mining and other companies, who will pro-
ceed to Johannesburg as soon as Lord
Roberts decides that it is practicable to
receive them. He is doing all he can to
reopen business, he says, but is discourag
ing the return of the Outlanders until the
question OF transport and food supply is
more settled.
The War Office casualty returns up to
June 0 aggregate 23,6G4. besides 792 Off
GERS and 12.33s men sent home as invalids,
but not including the sick in South Afri-
can hospitals.