The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-01
TIDE OF BATTLE TURNS
AGAINST THE BURGHERS
Lord Roberts Has Gen. CrOnje On
The Run.
POSSIBILITY THAT THE B0ERS
HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED
Gen. Butler Meets Slight Resistance In Crossing
The Tugela-Case of Consul
Macrum.

Mayor of Windsor. just as yesterday
she dramatically announced. through
Lord William Cecil, commander OF a
militia corps, the tidings of General
Buffers success hours before the War
Office was able to relieve the impatient
anxiety Of the United Kingdom.
Nevertheless, as the Queens words
are not actually quoted in today's an
nouncement. official confirmation is
eagerly awaited. and especially as Bull
ler's dispatch OF yesterday is very gen.
orally regarded as foreshadowing a
juncture Of his and General Whites
forces some time today. Public inter-
est, expectation and anxiety therefore
sway increasingly and impatiently be-
tween Ladysmith and Bloemfontein.
Practical relief of the former place is
regarded as due more to Lord Rob-
eTt's brilliant strategy in drawing of
the Beers than to Buffers numerous as
saults, and news Of the result OF the
battle between Kitchener and Cronje.
reinforced by a force thus drawn of
TUEs Lady8mith. Is expected to almost
fynchroniZe with the announcement
y at General Butler has reached his OBJ
jtetfVe. Accomplishment of the latter
cvent, however Is regarded with great
Kitchener to thoroughly cripple
Cronje. for the BOer General has proved
himself so clever and daring in slipping
through the British lines that even II
Roberts quickly occupied Bloemfontein.
there are many fears expressed that
Cronje might still preserve the effec-
tiveness of his mobile force.
The War Office this evening an
nounced that 10 had no news from other
sources. There is yet nothing to throw
light on the main issue. Regarding
military conditions. the military critics
in the afternoon papers express the
keenest satisfaction at the phase Jf the
campaign as revealed by the latest
news, drawing attention to the fact
that whether or not Roberts succeeds
in effecting a decisive defeat he has
forced the Beers to release their grin
on Ladysmith. Kimberley, Zululand
and Lower Natal, though admitting
that the siege of Mafek.ng may be
made more severe by the arrival OF a
portion Of the Boer force driven of
from Kimberley, endeavoring TO aveage
itself on Colonel Baden-Powell.
An Arundel dispatch dated Tuesday
shows that the Beers In force made a
determined attempt to invest Arundel.
but were baffled by the smart maneu-
vering of the British mounted troops.
Cecil Rhodes is expected to arrive in
Cape Town February "a Further de-
tails of the attack by G, ss.ei plifmer's
force on the Boer positions. defended
by 12-pounder. near Crocodile Pools
not far from GaberOnes. show that the
British were struggling up the hill in
the dark. through barbed wire, they
alarmed the Boer watch dogs. who
gave the alarm. The Beers opened fire
and the British charged. but the Beers
exploded dynamite mines, doing much
damage. and the British retreated.
The Pursuit Of Cronje.
LONDON. Feb. 21.-with 10000 Brit
ish troops in hot pursuit Of Cronje. or
already surrounding him. Lord Rob
erts' campaign in the Free State has
thus early reached a critical point, and
England is waiting the issue with
marked impatience.
Up to o'clock this morning the
War Office had Issued no bulletin con-
cerning the momentous operations be-
tween Kimberley and BlOemfOntein
other than an unimpOrtant one, show
ing that the commander In chiefs
headquarters has been established at
Paardeberg. thirty miles east OF ia
cobsdal, close to the main road to the
Free State capital, from which il Is
forty miles distant. Nor had any dis
patches come through 10 the newspa-
pers from the scene Of war. Lord
Kitchener, who Is in command OF the
pursuing army. has with him all Of
French's cavalry, the Sixth, Seventh
and Ninth Divisions, and MacDOnald's
Highland brigade.
Cronje has probably with him. be-
sides his original force OF 10000. 5000
invaders of Cape Colony, some OF
whom were in the command that
fought Clements az Colesberg. while
others were at Stormberg. According
to some authorities. the Free Staters.
who are moving from Colenso and