Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-17
READY TO ADVANCE
Lord Roberts Will Begin His March
On Pretoria In Several
Days.
The BOERS ARE SCATTERING
Important News Is Expected Very Soon
From the Seat of War-The Beers Have
Withdrawn From Wepener and
Rouxville.

Withdrawn From Wepener and
Rouxville.
London, April l7.-There is all i'm
preston prevailing here that Lord Rob
erts will within the next few days en-
trap the Boer commanders in the Orange
Free State and will have them all pris
oners before May l. Lord Roberts has
spread his net far and wide and he will
make a big haul when he draws it in
The Beers seem to have become aware
-of this fact for they are fleeing in al
directions. Lord Roberts Is able to con
centrate large force at any point upon
short notice and the Beers are now
chiefly thinking of retreat, but in most
cases retreat has been made impossible.
ABANDONED THE SIEGE.
Bloemfontein, April 17.-The invest.
ment of Wepener has been abandoned
by the Beers and they are unable to re-
treat nOrthward because the British
hold all the roads. News favorable to
the British will be heard soon. There
will be no rapid advance upon Pretoria
however on account of the lack of hor-
ses many of which die on their way to
Capetown. The arrangements for
watering and feeding on the way from
Capetown to Bloemfonten are made
quate and the animals break down ra-
pidly. Despite the energy of buyers
aboard the war office seems to have
great difficulty in supplying the enor-
nous number OF horses required.
ROBERTS READY TO ADVANCE.
London, April 17.-At last Roberts
seems to be on the eve of making his
main advance toward Pretoria. Unless
all usually reliable sources Of informa-
tion and all indication smuggled past
the censors are at fault, the British
army will within few days be march
ing northward. After many premature
and unfounded reports that purported
to foretell this move, there is naturally,
even in the best-informed quarters, con-
siderable hesitation in definitely settling
upon the time when Roberts is likely to
leave Bloemfontein, but there is set
tied impression that it will occur either
at the end of this week or the beginning
of next. The long, weary wait in the
Free State capital has apparently eff
fected the much-needed rehabilitation,
though probably Lord Roberts would
have still further delayed the advance
had not the Roer activity forced him to
put his forces in such position that
to-day, unless they quickly proceed
northward. his strategic advantage will
be lost Critics agree in the supposition
that the advance is to be made in par
allel columns, with a broad front, west
Of the railroad, the third and eighth di-
visions sweeping northward to the ex-
treme northwest, the entire force
amounting to $4,000 men. Exactly what
part Butler will take is still secret
which none are able to solve. From the
seat Of war there is significant silence,
while from The Hague comes the news
that the Boer delegates refuse to make
public the object Of their mission. They
hope to be received by Queen Wilhelmi-
ma, but nothing in this direction has yet
been decided upon.
Bloemfontein, April 1.-THE Beers
have divided into small bodies and are
prowling about looking for rations.
They even come within a few miles of
this city. Three johannesburg caval-
rymen actually did enter the city and
escaped without being discovered. A
Boer demonstration was made at Karee
siding to cover the withdrawal of an
immense convoy of provisions. The
Boer incursions into southeastern Or
ange Free State was due to the need of
replenishing supplies.
BoERs RETREATING.
Bloemfontein, April II. = General
Chemside saw the rear guard of the
Beers disappear for tn" southeast In full
retreat. The enemy appeared to be in
strong force four miles east of Redders-
burg. They are falling back before our
advance guard. The Beers are hugging
the Basutoland border The Basutos
are marching parallel with them along
the frontier watching eagerly for the
slightest encrOachment on Basutoland.
LIKE THE FILIPINOS.
Lorenzo Marquee, April 17.-The tone
of the Standard and Diggers News, pub
lished at Johannesburg. shows that the
Transvaal government is relying
strongly upon Intervention by the Unit
ed States in case Bryan Is elected in the
fall. Great results are also expected
from the campaign of Webster Davis.
The same issue also states that while
the British semi-blockade of Delagoa
bay has not done the slightest harm to
the Transvaal, 1t has enriched foreign
firms at the expense of ruined British
ers.
INDIGESTION AMONG BOERs.
Maseru, Basutoland, April 1.-THE
Beers for two days past have been dis
playing great activity along the Red
dersburg and Rockville road. Their
scouts report the British advancing in
these places to the relief of Wepener,
and the burghers are consequently d.
vided whether to remain or to retire.
The majority Of them desire to aban-
don the investment of wepener, fearing
to be cut of, while the minority, led by
Commandant Olivier, Is reluctant to
move as long as there is a chance tc
capture Colonel Dalgetris' garrison
The scouts just reported recent firing In
the direction Of Thabanchu.
Reception ~ the Queen.
Dublin, April 17.-After her morning
drive today Queen Victoria received In
audience the daughter Of Sergeant Major