The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1900-05-03
Gen. French's Cavalry Are Re-
turning to Bloemfontein Civ
ing up the Pursuit.
ELABORATE OPERATIONS ALL FAILED
Nothing to Show When the Main All.
vance Is to Begin If 1t Is
Even Contemplated.
One Correspondent Describes Lord
Roberts Arm. as Wreck. BE-
cause IL IL without Horses
and without Transports.

and without TRANSPORTS.
London, April 3O.--The only dis
patch from Lord Roberts was the
usual list of deaths and sicknesses.
The flood of newspaper dispatches de-
scribing the recent operations throws
no light whatever on the present po-
sition of affairs or on the great ques
tion as to when the main advance is
to begin. The Standards announce
ment that Gen. French's cavalry are
returning to Bloemfontein is clear
proof that there is no further hope of
catching the retreating Beers, and
the London papers are beginning to
display impatience at the practical
failure of the elaborate operations OF
last week.
The Standard says: "It is disheart-
cning to find that these elaborate ma
neuyers have had so small result"
The Daily Chronicle remarks: 1--WE
are reluctant to criticize Lord Rob
erts, but it is impossible to shut our
eyes to the fact that during the last
ten days we have gained very litti,
from our enormous display of force
Without doubt these operation
have been of very exhaustive nature
and will entail further delay. The
Bloemfontein correspondent of the
Times. writing on March 3, after the
Paardeberg affair, describes LORD
Roberts army as wreck" because
it was without horses and without
transport. The Bloemfontein corrc-
spondent of the Post speaks now Of
the urgent need at present and always
of more horses.
The Daily Mail publishes state
inent from Col. Lon, who was blamed
for the loss of the guns at Colenso.
that in advancing the guns as he did
he merely obeyed orders, and that the
..taff was quite ignorant of the prox-
unity of the Boer position.
The sudden decision of the Boer
peace delegates to go to America is
attributed to the fact that the gov
ernment of the Netherlands, after
sounding all the European capitals.
told them they had nothing to hope
from Europe.
Col. Dalgety's force at Wepenel
numbered 1.700. His losses during the
siege were 30 killed and, 149 wounded.
1t is reported that there was an ar
tillery engagement yesterday at ,Karee
Siding, hut no details have been re.
ceived.
London, April 3O.--A special dis
patch from Thaba N'chu, dated
Thursday, describing the fight at Is
rael's Poort, which is about seven
miles west of Thaba N'chu. says:
"The British artillery shelled the
kopies all day from three positions
The Boer positions were extremely
well chosen, consisting of a long
range of very precipitous hills, with
narrow poorts (passes) between, com
manding a vast extent of country
The mounted infantry made wide
turning movement, while the foot in
fantry advanced to within 1000 yards
under good shelter.
During the afternoon the battle
became general and extended over a
frontage of ten miles. The rife
Maxim and artillery firing was deaf
ening. At o'clock the Canadians at!.
vanced in open order, but, meeting 9
with a terrific fire, they took shelter
in donga. When they finally car
tured the kopie the Beers Were seen
retiring north and east with wagons
and subsequently. when the infantry
made dash, the rest of the enemy
fired a few shots and cleared off,
According to special dispatch
from Lourenzo Marques, the lates;
authentic estimates of the Boer forces
place them at $4,000, of which 1900
are at Kroonstadt, 5000 at Fourtee'
Streams, 5000 in Natal. 700 aboui
Mafel<ing, and 1000 at Pretoria, whilt
$50 have been ordered north to in
tercept Gen. Carrington's force. The
work of entrenching Pretoria is pro
ceeding.
Several correspondents give tn;
credit for the Beers clever escap,
from the British net to Louis Botha
the new commander-in-chi who, i
is said, directed the withdrawal j.
person. Bloemfontein is still suffer
ing from shortage of water, tn,
Beers having removed the indispen
sable parts of the water works ma
chinery, which the British engineer.
have not yet been able to replace.
The Hague, April 3O.-The members
of the Boer peace commission will sal
from Rotterdam for the United
States next Thursday evening by th'
Holland-American line steamship
Maasdam. DR.. Leyds and DR.. Muellel
will not accompany the delegates.
London. April 30.-According to
special dispatch from Thaba N'chu
dated Sunday, the British troops, nov
that the adjacent country is cleared
of the Beers, who trekked hurriedl,
in the direction of Ladybrand. will re
cuperate for short period.
Ordered to Manila.
Washington. April 29.-Surgeol