The Topeka state journal., 1900-06-15


of some Importance, as the town is not
only the terminus of another railway to
Johannesburg, but it is within easy
reach of the Kroonstad- Vierfontein
railway.
The Crorje who surrendered the place
Is son of the famous General Cronje
now prisoner at st. Helena The son
was prominent during the siege of
Mafel1ing.
Apart from the fact that Lord Rob
erts' dispatch comes direct from Pre-
toria, showing the telegraph line is re-
opened, the only other point Of interest
IS the fact that the Beers, whom Cen
eral MethJten was reported to have so
utterly routed, have sufficiently re-
cuDerated to attack a reconstruction
train.
the capture Of the well known pugilist
Jim" Holloway, who was an adjutant
in the Boer army and who blew up the
bridge at Fourteen Streams. Hanoway
was among body of federals cap
tured in the western part of the Trans
Taal.
The Afrikander Bond congress
opened at Paarl today, with seventy
delegates, including seven assembly
men, present.
II is feared at Cape Town that the
parliamentary deadlock will lead to a
| temporary suspension of the constitu-
tiOn. and there is much anxiety in re-
/ gard to the possible outcome of such
( a grave step.
Sir John Gordon Sprigg is experience
/ ine much difficulty in forming a cab
! met, Mr.. Schreiner persisting in his re-
/ fusal to support a ministry dominated
/ by Cecil Rhodes, owing to personal an
/ tiDathies- A. coalition seems imDrac-
/ ticable. Messrs. Rose-Innes and Solo
mon are not inclined to accept subor-
! dinate positions in a government COM
| posed of the nominees of the South Af-
/ rican league. If Mr. Schreiner is dis
! satisfied with the personnel and pledges
I of the new ministry the latter will be
| unable to pass imperial measures. and
| a dangerous deadlock will ensue which
may lead to a grave constitutional
crisis.
ARTIFICIAL OPTIMISM.
New York, June ia dispatch to
| the Tribune from London says:
The optimism induced bv General
Roberts dispatches is artificial. Gen
I eral Methue en- S success in restoring COM
/ munication with Pretoria has not al
tered the fact that the Free State raid
ers have taken over a thousand prison
ers at I4indley and Roodeval and re-
treated with them and their guns and
that the raids may be repeated. De
Vets commanders have not been dis
/ persed and what ever precautions may
be taken there will be danger of another
raid. since the railway cannot be absO-
lutely protected by infantry battalions
nor by artillery trained all along the
line from RlOemfOntein to Pretoria
The conquest of the northeastern sec
tiOn of the Free State has not yet beer
effected and operations by the series o1
columns from Heilbron, Lindley, Sen
ekal and Flicksburg are rendered diff
cult by the transport problem.
! General Butler has cleared Laing'.
Z ! Mex and General LyttletOn has received
the submission of the WakkerstrOon
district but the Boer army has not beer
/ captured. 1t has retired with all ii!
guns and supplies and will fight again
in the mountainous district remote from
the railway. BOtha's army has alst
! withdrawn from the positions which i
= / held for two days against Lord Rob
{ ] erts' forces east of Pretoria, but it ha
not been dispersed, nor have the Brit
ish taken either guns or prisoners.
Boer commanders at Ermelo an
Middleburg are mutually helpful an
; can be concentrated in the Lydenburt
Il district and De Vets commanders ca
: cooperate with them effectively in tn
( Free State.
The most encouraging feature of yes
?, terday's news for the British side wa
q evidence that the damage done I
i Laing's Mex tunnel and the section {
. railway north Of KroOnstad was not Sc
= riOus and that both lines of cOmmunica
q tion would be in working order in a fe'
= days. With unimDeded supplies fc
I two large armies operating in tn
u TransVaal there ought not to be an
{ long halt toward Lydenburg eithe
u from the west or from the south an
- the resistance of De Vets raiders OugI
- 10 De speedily overcome by the BrtttS
~ forces under Rumble with help frol
II Butler.
. Military men assert that Gener;
- Meth1en will be in command of tt
u, forces along the railway from Kroo1
l stad to the Vaal and that Generi
~ Hunters division after reaching j
hannesburg, will be sent to Neidelbel
~ and will open the railway to Stander
~ ton. Eventually De Vets forces mu
- be dispersed before there can be a
ia invasion of the I.VdeDburey district NJ
= General Kitchener is likely to rema-
- at KrOOnstad until the campaign in Il
- -, Free State has been set in order The
- have been many stories about bad fee
- irg and lack of cooperation betwee
- Roberts ard Kitchener but these a
nc not well founded. General Kitchene
~. IS chief of staff, works necessarily, al
~ ~ is Roberts trusted lieutenant, especia
~ I ly in managing the details of the tran
- port. Kitchener is not liked in Il
=, army on account of his brusque ma
~, neI's, but Lord Roberts knows how
~ ~ get on with him as we'll as with ever
-, body else.