The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-12


Before Lord Roberts advance from Pop
lar Grove on Saturday morning. The con-
scnsus Of British military opinion. both
at The front and at home. was that the
road to BloemfOntein was practically open.
Do was expected. however. that there
would be lighting at Petrusbor=. south Of
Poplar Grove. The event proved 10 be OK
actIy the reverse. General Tucker occu-
pied Pctrusbcrg without opposition. while
the parallel column TO the north appears
TO have fought steadily from Poplar Grove
10 Abraham's Kraal and AasyogcI Kop. on
The line between which points the British
advance rested yesterday This is the line
ON which-reasoniug on the basis OF in
formation published weeks ag0-we have
predicted jhat the main Boer tight in de-
fence OF Bloemfontein would be made. II
extends from Abraham's KraaI to Kip
Pan. the latter being only a few miles
south Of Aasyogel Kop. This place is
twenty-five miles from BIoemfontein. and
the leading London writer's were this
morning Of the opinion that Lord Roberts
would now have no difficulty in pushing
on and occupying the Free State capital
We must not forget that "A similar view
WAS entertained three days ago, when
the road was reported clear. but was not
found so. On general principles il would
be safer to expect that q more serious
fight than either that OF Paardeberg or
Poplar Grove will occur Immediately on
the Abraham's Kraal-Aasvogel line. or be-
hind il. unless the Beers are in such rel
aiively small force in the Free State as to
be incapable Of finding any position around
Rloemfontein not certain Of being turned
by the British. OF course. in the latter
case the Beers WI be unable TO do more
than fight rear guard actions and to him
der as much as possible Lord Roberts on
ward march. trusting TO make a successful
stand in the Transvaal. or hopins that
European complications may result in in
tsryention and so save them from the ne
cessity Of UNQUALIFIED surrender.
Perhaps it would be premature 20 in
dulge any idea that the backbone Of
B0er resistance is broken. but there are
indications which seem 10 point that way.
From the day General Cronje retreated
from MaglrsfOntein to the present time
Lord Roberts has shown ability TO out
flank his opponents on every occasion. and
it is probably due only to the difficult
character OF the country traversed and 70
the necessary slowness OF his movements
that he has not captured a good many
thousand more Boers than he did at Iloo-
does Rand
II there is to be a battle this side OF
Bloemfontein 10 should occur today or TO-
morrow. How serious such IN engage
meut might be is impossible to guess
That. as We have said. should denend upon
the numerical strength Of the Boer forces
in the Free state. With the generalsbir
that appears to mark the course Of Rob,
erts aud Kitchener. the other side is be.
ing kept occupied on the Orange River and
in Natal AS TO the former it IS rather
confusing 90 learn that the Beers are still
In control of the Norvals Pont and Coles
berg crossings. Why they should not hav,
moved northeast before Roberts reached
Poplar Grove is not easy to understand n
She absence OF definite information. 1t /!
not reasonable to suppose that their gen
erals could have thought themselves
strong enough to defeat Clements. Gaia
ere. and Brabant and TO attack Roberts
communications. unless upon the theor,
that they expected such general Afrikan
der rebellion to support them, that i
would turn back the British army from It
northern movement. As a matter Of fact