The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1900-12-28
KITCHENER HOPEFUL
Believes the Cape Colony In.
vasion Checked.
FEELING NOT SHARED IN LONDON
DE VETS Raid Thought to he a
Well Planned and Serious Az
fair-COmmunicatiOn with
BIOemfOntein Cut on.

LONDON, Dee. 24.-Lord Kitchener
dispatches, breathing a confidence hardly
justified by their contents, are almost
the only available news from the seat of
hostiites in South Africa, but kilograms
from Cape Town depict the situation in
anything but roseate views.
Without believing the assertion of tn,
Transvaal agency in Brussels that 5000
Beers have invaded Cape Colony, it is
quite evident that the invasion was a Sc
rous and well planned affair.
The Cape Colony cabinet had an i'm
portant sitting yesterday. 1t appears that
the Beers have destroyed railway
bridge 80 feet long about II miles south
of DE Aar and that no Cape mails have
arrived at Bloemfontein for three days.
Further anxiety has been caused in
Cape Town by the discovery that during
the last two months public bodies in out
of the way places have requisitioned sup
plies of dynamite. The colonial govern
ment is now endeavoring to recover pos
session of these explosives and is remoy-
ing all stores of arms and ammunition
from suspected depots.
Other advices from Cape Town repre-
sent the Dutch element in Cape Colony
as greatly elated over the southwark
progress of the Beers and as boasting
that the whole district of Victoria West
will join the raiders. 1t is suspected in
Cape Town that the force travelling from
Zoutpan's drift is not body of Beers,
but one of colonials Fastening to join the
invaders.
The Pietermaritzburg correspondent of
The Daily Mail says:
',rhe Beers are active between johann
nesburg and Pretoria, exchanging shots
with the British outpOsts, and it is re-
ported that parties of Beers are towering
around Johannesburg.
The war office has received the follow
ing dispatch from Lord Kitchener, dated
Pretoria, Dec. %:
80 far as it is possible for me to form
an opinion from the reports of officers on
the spot, | think the Boer movement into
Cape Colony has been checked. OF the
two forces that entered the colony, the
eastern is still north of the Zoutpansberg
range, while the one that entered west
appears to have been turned in the direc
ton of Britstown and Prieska. Our
troops are getting around both bodies,
and a special column is also being or
ganized which will be dispatched imme-
diately when / know where its services
are most wanted
1.-THE Beers here have not received
much assistance in Cape Colony, so far
as my information goes. We have armed
some of the colonists, who are assisting
our forces. Railway and telegraph com
munication has been much interrupted
by the very bad weather.
"De Wet is in the neighborhood of
Senekal General French, in conjunction
with General Clements, attacked a force
under Beyers south of the Magaliesberg.
The Beers broke away in a Southwestern
" direction toward Potchefstroom and
were followed by General Gordon with a
column of French's force.
Yesterday evening about 3 o'clock
elements force was engaged south of
ELEPHANTS mex, but | do not yet know
the result"
A later dispatch from Lord Kitchener,
dated Pretoria. Dec. %, says:
THE western column of Beers occu
pied Britstown and cut the railway south
of De Aar Junction. The enemy is be-
ing followed up"