Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-03-20
PEACEFUL CONQUEST.
Bur4hers Appear Disinclined to CoR-
time the War.


quest Of the Orange Free State pro-
crosses so evenly that it is now believed
there VIII be little or no fighting until
Lork Roberts reaches the Vaal river. How
soon he intends to start out with this OBJ
jectlve is not vet limited at, but the pacl-
hcation of the Free Staters seems now
engaging all his attention. When the
move comes il will doubtless be accom-
plished with the secrecy and swlftness
which have characterized all the British
advances since Lord Roberts assumed
command.
The revolt of the Cape Dutch in the
northwest seems to have had its back
broken, and it is likely Gen. Kitchener
will soon resume his place beside his
chief
The lull that lets the British troops in
Natal and the Free State recuperate
brings no rest to the engineers and trans
port service. Girourd, the young Cana
dian officer who rules supreme over the
railroads. is now putting his system to
the most severe test, iii an endeayOr to
push supplies from Cape Town to Bloem-
fontein.
Commandment Olivier, after leaving
Burghersdorp, went 10 Rockville, where
he is now reported 10 be with only u
small force.
Leyds Leaves Brussels.
DR. Leyds. the diplomatic agent Of the
Transvaal. has disappeared from BruS
sells. According to a Globe special he is
believed to have come to London, but
nothing is known here about his arrival
1t seems scarcely likely that he would
jump into the lions mouth. and the en-
ergetic Boer representative is more likely
to be soon heard of at one of the ether
European capitals.
The Daily Mail has the following dis
patch from Lourenco Marques, dated yes
terday: Late arrivals from Pretoria
Alx-fNe< Il
nit their cause is hopeless. Gen. Lucas
Meyer refuses to fight again. and has re-
turned to his farm. Gen. Schalkburger
has also returned. and the burghers are
going home by hundreds"
A man who has had a quarter-century
of experience of the BOer character says:
Thousands Of Beers will trek again,
rather than live under our flag. Width
en-? They cannot go farther to the north
ward, for the Union Jack is there. They
may, however, attempt to find new homes
in German Damaraland or Portuguese
West Africa, That journey, with slow
moving oX-wagons, will take a year and
will involve great hardships when it
comes to crossing the Kalahari desert
Moreover, the journey will be. impossible
Immediately after the war. for the rea-
son that the Beers will have no cattle
with which to travel
German mveror's Reply.
Pretoria. Wednesday, March IA via
Lourenco Marques, Thursday. March 80.
The German consul has handed the fol-
lowing dispatch to President Kruger:
THE government of Germany and the
Emperor will be glad and ready to as
sist in the friendly mediation as soon as
the fundamental conditions to such are
apparent. as soon as it is demonstrated
that both opponents desire mediation.
Whether the desire already exists en- the
British side can be found by the repub
lies on direct inquiry at London or
through the good offices Of a third govern
ment which has no important interests
Of its own to consider in South Africa |
The latter assumption is qualified with
a number of nations in and outside of
Europe, but not with Germany. Any such
step on the part Of the German govern
ment would awaken suspicious and have
other than humanitarian view. The in
creased .mistrust thereby engendered
would not promote a peaceful settlement |
The request of the republics to transmit
their appeal for mediation to the Austro-
Hungarian and Swiss governments
whose interests are watched by the Ger
man consulate, has been immediately full
filed"
Roberts Criticises Gatacre.
London, March 17-Lord Roberts. in
transmitting Gen. Gatacre's report of the
Stormburg defeat, gives his opinions thus
THE failure was mainly due to reliance
en- inaccurate information regarding the
ground to be traverSed to the position !
held by the Beers, to the employment of |
too small a force and to the men being
tired out by long night march before
they came in contact with the enemy |
When it became evident shortly after
midnight that the guides were leading
the column in the wrong direction. con
slider Gatacre should have halted and en-
deavored &c find proper road, or should
have fallen back on Molteno rather than
have risked the safety Of the entire force /
by following route which brought the
troops into difficult ground commanded |
on both sides by Beers
Krnver Annexes Free State.
Bethulie. Orange Free State, Thurs !
day, March 15-Gen, Gatacre, on arriv-
ing here, found that all the Beers had |
lied. The town was nearly deserted, the |
Dutch having trekked on hearing of the
occupation of Bloemfontein
1t is believed that the Beers retired III !
the direction of Dewets doyp. The tele /
graph is open to Springfontein
10. hnr hc+ ii