The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-15
REVIEW OF THE SITUATION.
Spencer Wilkinson Explains Condi-
tions in the Orange Free state.

tions in the Orange Free state.
LONDON, April 15-Spencer Wilkinson,
reviewing the situation in South Africa
for the Associated Press at midnight, says:
I'VE NAV have To wait a few days before
General Roberts opens his new campaign,
his principle being never to start until
all is ready. There is no doubt now that
he has been waiting for horses. About
5000 horses reached Cape Town this week,
and 5000 are due at Cape Town next week.
We. at this end. however. do not know
how the army now stands in the matter of
remounts.
The general position now may best be
gathered from a short retrospect. Lord
Roberts reached Bloemfontein on March
13, the army being tired out with heavy
marches and the horses for the most part
ruined. He opened the railway south and
settled down to rest and rent his horses.
The Beers within about fortnight had
recovered their detachments from farther
south and had regained their spirits. On
the 18th General Roberts had to push
them back from Karee siding and about
the same time the Beers set out on big
raid south, beginning with the surprise
at Sannaspost, where they took British
convoy on March 81. On April the Beers
effected a second surprise and captured
Reddersburg. Soon after this they We're
attacking part of General Brabant's divi-
sion near Wepener. General Roberts is not
ready for a move and he would not be
drawn into any action. He took steps,
however, to guard his railway. That these
were effective steps seems proved by the
fact that the Beers have not attacked his
line. His force since then has received
part of the new equipment, and has been
constantly increased.
General Roberts reached Bloemfontein
with the Sixth. Seventh. Ninth cavalry
divisions and the Guards Brigade. He
now has also the Third, Eighth and
Eleventh divisions and expects the Tenth
from Natal, though the precise destination
of the Tenth is not yet known. He also
has organized a complete division of
mounted infantry under Col Daniel Ham
ilton, an officer who enjoys his full con-
fidence. He has also arranged his COM
mands so as to have for each post a man
upon whom he can rely. When General
Roberts moves this expanded army it will
go easier than the smaller one with which
he started two months ago.
while these preparations have been un-
der way the Boer raid has come to sand
still. General Brabants men under Col.
Dalgety at Wepener have apparently pun
ished their assailants, and although the
report of the Boer retreat from Wepener
may be premature, ii is at least probable
to forecast that the Boer raiders have gone
into a cul de sac between the guarded rail-
way and the Basuto border, which the
Basutos will defend against invasion. An
eastward move from Bloemfontein would
menace their retreat. Such move, COM
bined with the presence of General Cherm-
sides division at Reddersburg. probably
accounts for the stoppage of the Boer ad-
vance southwark. If the Beers cannot hurt
General Roberts's communications they
can do him no serious harm. They must
begin to be uneasy about what he can do
to them when he sets out.
THE removal of division from Natal
points to Buffers being confined to the
defensive until the advance in the western
theater of the war has made itself felt.
General Lord Methuen's division in
front OF Boshof may be covering prepara-
tions on the railway south of Warrenton
or In the region between Kimberley and
bIOeulIOnleln Oh WHICH no report mas Deen
allowed to come through. There were
stories some weeks ago of a projected rail-
way, of which no more has been heard.
They may have had no foundation, but II
is equally possible that there is more In
them than it is convenient TO publish. Gen.
Roberts knows how to muzzle correspond
ents when necessary.
at expect when General Roberts next
moves he will strike at the main Boer
army. not necessarily by attacking it's posi-
tion, but rather by such maneuvers as will
compel ii to fight at disadvantage of posi-
tion as well as of numbers. War of this
sort is decided not by the occupation of
territory but by the destruction of the
enemys armies. This was the fundamental
idea of General Grant. it had been that
of Napoleon, and it is the keynote of the
present war, because the Beers. like Ma
poleon's and Grants foes. fighting for
independence. Nothing but a crushing out
of their forces will end the war"