The evening times., 1900-03-27
IN NGr;cn and Eurnne.

! Nfilc t3,e geHs today from South Africa
/ is urs .raas s5crai. Il is net without import
/ anQe. especially II i, be true, as appears
altogether probebe, tAat Conmandant Oil
! yier. With his ftye Thousand men and six
/ teen gurs, has managed TO e.ude General
/ French. and has Joined the Beers either
4 at KrcoEstad or in Natal DIVERS force
! viii be of the greatest service TO lis 81 e
at the present iUnctgre, since, even wi b
it. the best military opinion is that Kruger
cannot have more than thirty thousand
-nen in the field, and some authorities place
the number at half that figure. French is
reported as returning to B'oemfonts:n,
where LcTd Roberts is still making his
preliminary arrangements fer an advance,
and perhaps waiting to get the southern
part OF the Free State clear of enemies
Butler is still watching the Beers On the
Biggarsberg range, and apparently holding
OF from aggressive movements until the
ether British army is ready 10 move.
The fate OF MafekiEg is as uncertain as
ever. While Lcrd Methuen with about SIX
thousand troops is operating around Four
teen Streams. and Colonel Plumer seems
to be on the defensive at Gaberones. a
fresh column has just started from KIM
berley, ostensibly for Griquatown to put
down the rebellion in Grigualand West
but il may be surmised, in reality pointer
for Mafeking through detour to the
west and northwest. IL Baden Powell eau
manage 10 hold out a while longer. he will
be relieved. In any case the columns con-
verging on the town will take it ultimate,
ly. and il win then be made a base for
banking movement against Pretoria.
Thus. the prospects arc that by the time
Roberts is ready to Move. the advance viii
be made in three columns from BIoemfon-
tein. Natal and Nafeking, and il does no;
seem possible that with the limited forc>
FL their command. the Beers can seriously
check il. This seems TO be the view taken
by experts in Continental Europe as we'll
as in England.
Because il is the general view. the move
ment should be the signal for whatever
international menacss. troubles. or inter
ferences may be hid under the present dip
lomatic situation in the Old World. What
might perhaps be regarded as hints of a
coming storm OF some sort are conveyed in
the increasing disturbances in China, ac-
companied by indications that the Empress
Dowager is almost on the point OF slam
ming the ODen door in the faces of the
United States and several European ma
tions-principally England and Germany.
II is rumored that an understanding has
been reached between the three govern
ments named providing for common if not
joint action in the event OF an assault up
on their commercial rights in China.
The one other suggestion of hostility to
Great Britain is contained in the military
activity of France in Morocco, where it
looks rather as if war with native tribes
was being confected to afford excuse
fer a demonstration. perhaps designed to
promote seizure of the Morocco Medit- !
erranean littoral by France If any seri-
Gus intention of the kind is hidden behind |
the movement it is reasonable TO expect |
that Frances ally will be soon heard from
in some other quarter-perhaps in Asia
Minor or on the Persian Gulf. The crux |
OF the situation will be reached when the |
date Of Lord Roberts entry into Pretoria J
becomes calculable. Then the general set |
tlement of accounts should begin if there |
is TO be one.