Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-09
THE SITUATION REVIEWED.

THE SITUATION REVIEWED.
LONDON, May 81: 10 a. m.-Four
thousand British cavalry watered their
horses at Stand river Monday twenty
five miles beyond Smaldeel, where Lord
Roberts continues to date his dis
paches.
The scouts who have been searching
the country for miles along the stream
have found no Beers south of the river.
They enemy are laagered in unknown
force on the north bank.
Thus the British advance guard is
within forty-five miles of Kroonstad.
The Free Skaters, in the expectation
that Kroonstad will speedily become
untenable, are, according to informa-
ton from LourenZo Marques, preparing
to transfer their government to He'll
bron, a little more than fifty miles
northeast.
The proclamation of Lord Roberts
appears to have little effect upon the
inhabitants of the invaded districts
Every farm is found deserted except by
the women and children. All the men
are away fighting.
Correspondents at headquarters are
now wiring freely concerning the in
cidents connected with the occupation
or Smaldeel. Some evaporation is ex-
pressed at the ease with which the
Beers escaped with their transports
before the very eyes of the British
For instance, when the British entered
Smaldeel the Boer OK wagons coolly
outspanned only five miles away as if
in contempt Of the ability Of the Brit
ish to overtake them.
Lord Roberts is described as rightful-
ly unwilling to sacrifice his horses for
the sake of a comparatively miner adj
vantage" Nevertheless the waste of
horse flesh in spite of all precautions
Is enormous.
Smaldeel is village of only a score
of dwellings, but it expanded in one
night to a vast canvas city and the
glow of the camp fires was like a
scene in an iron smelling district.
The city is likely to fade away in a day
by the immediate progress of the in
fantry to Stand river.
The tidings from Mafeking are
gloomier than ever. Everybody there
has an empty stomach and a pinched
face. The natives are no longer given
pa llQSoSy anu IlIC w hICCo AOW Ici 70
nothing but quart of that substance
and pound of horse sausage daily.
Everything else eatable has gone In
sufficient food, wet trenches and cold
nights are deadly to the health of the
garrison. This information comes from
reliable natives. Lady Sarah Wilson,
under date of April 9th, says:
'+The Beers now number $500 includ-
ing young Eloff, President Kruger's
grandson, who has sent for six more
guns
The Mafeking correspondent Of the
Times, who also emphasizes the grav-
ity of the situation, says:
1t is impossible to ignore the fatal
significance of Col. Baden-Powell's
reference to the hardships endured by
the women and children, among whom
many deaths have already occurred.
"The commissariat is holding a GER
tain stock OF food stuffs in reserve for
use in the direst extremity"
The British column is reported to
have reached Taungs, thirty miles
north of Warrenton. According to
Pretoria advices, the British are near
ing Vryburg, which is half way be-
thCCu w dl GlltOn dLN l1dlChluS. G6ll.
Hunter is probably not in personal
command of this relief column.
His forces embrace 10000 infantry
and from 5000 to 5000 horsemen, an
army far greater than has hitherto
been supposed. Lord Methuen is ap-
parently a subordinate. While the re-
lief column is moving towards Vry-
burg, Gen. Hunter is apparently pre-
pairing an orderly advance northeast
along the Vail river to participate in
the Pretoria advance as Lord Roberts
left flank.
Cape Town correspondents learn that
an important movement in Natal is ex-
pected within the next four days. Gen.
Butler is rapidly completing his trans
port organization.
The proceedings of the Transvaal
Rad indicate President Kruger's undi-
minished tenacity of purpose. In the
course of the debate he said that
should he be sent to St. Helena the
republican cause would still go on.
Generals Louis Botha and Lucas Meyer
are in Pretoria, consulting with the
Volksraad.
A dispatch from Maseru, Basutoland,
dated Tuesday, May 8, said
Lord Roberts rapid advance has
confused the Beers, who are holding
the roads between Wepener and Cloco-
Ian, along which continuous stream
Of wagons and cattle has been proceed
ing northward for days. On Monday
some of these counter marched and the
herds got into an inextricable muddle,
the Beers not knowing which way 20
turn.