Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-10
ENFORCED IDLENESS
Lord Roberts Booked for Long
Period of Inactivity.
The Beers in Small Bands Making
Things Very Uncomfortable.
Roberts Stationary. Butler anchored" ana
Msieking Still Besicgcd.

London. April f0.--5 a. M.-BritonS
are now beginning to realize, though
reluctantly to realize that Lord Rob
,rts IL Hi for q winter campaign. last
ing several months. This is the end.
i'll a frw words, If the high hopes bas-
"a upon Lord Roberts brilliant dash to
Kimberley and BlOemfontein.
Prpparations are being made to hold
BIoemfontein against surprises. Lord
Kitchener has been given an important
duty. being responsible FIR the protec-
tion Of the railway, while Lord Rob
erts is waiting for remounts and win
trr clothing for the troops, whose thin
cotton Khaki uniforms and boots are
worn out.
Cen. Brabant and Gen. Gatacre are
both at a standstill. Lord Roberts will
probably for some time confine his OPP
erati0ns to clearing the Free State be
hind him Of raiders and to relieving
Mafeking. for which purpose appar-
entity the 6th Division, now arriving at
Cape Town, has been ordered to Kim
berlcy.
Lady Sarah Wilson and other Mafe-
king correspondents send diaries of the
doinrs there, showing that the Beers
have tried, By abandoning their
trenches. To lure the beseged out into
Ky mine ambush. Fortunately, the
British engineers discovered the mine.
cut the wire communication and I'M
carthed 80 pounds Of dynamite and
war gelatine.
What the chances are for an advance
tl Pretoria may be judged from the
flct that only from 5000 to 10000 horses
are IN their WAY to the Cape and from
thu further fact that the military tail
oring departments only within the last
three days began making wooden khaki
uniforms IL IL said il will take at
least two months to provide 100000
uniforms
Mr. Gteyn's address To the Free
state Rad HIT Kroonstad IL confirmed.
Thc Fischer Wolmaran' deputation
has full PnW r t0 negotiate for peace.
subject to tna Elal's sanction"
Lady Roberts Mill remain at Cape
Town. mile Duke of Westminster, the
Duke of Marlborough and Lord Henry
CavenGish Bentinck have gone to tn
front
The Elorufuntein correspondent Of
The DIZZY Telegraph telegraphinG. Sun
any. y-: The railway ana telegraph
ary rI-ing wen Work and trenches
have b.en prepared id suitable posi-
tipns around Blnemf ntein. The great
pst vigilance IL exercised. Some Of the
troops Sleep III the trenches. C1nfir-
nation has been received Of the report
that the Beers are in laaGer in con-
siderable force. with guns, at Donker-
short. IN miles southeast. The British
scouts rep III Hin Their body still closer.
The Beer patrols have grown very dar-
n
The Blormfontein correspondent of
TIL Times telesraphing, Sunday, says:
TIL cip -urcd Beers agree that only 50
men remained unwpunded out of the
whole British column at Reddersburg-
Gen. Gat4cre and his staff We're fired
on from enclosures while they tempo
rarily occupied Rcddersburg. Consid-
cradle movements Of troops have &C
CURED here with the object Of prevent
ing a surprise
The Times publishes the following
from Weptncr dated Sunday: The
Wepener garrison is practically iso
lated However. the lines are enor-
mously strong and the force is fully
provisioned. DesuItory firing between
outposts continues. a commando esti
mated Mt 1000. with four guns. went
into laaEer. last night. five miles from
here. i'll the direction NJ De Vets
Dorp.
The correspondent Of the Times at
Lourenzo Marquee gives details of
peculiar treason trial which has been
proceeding al Johannesburg. Three
men We're charged with decoying
State Engineer Munk to house at
the City ana Suburban mine with the
intention Of holding him as a hostage
against destruction Of the mining
property. They were also charged
with attempting ~ murder him and
with forcing him under threats to hand
over C2o0. The judge declared the case
to b. non -politiCal ana mere ruffian-
ism. sentenced one Of the three TO
seven years Imprisonment for at
tempted murder ana acquitted the
others.
The BlOemf rntein correspondent
III the Daily Mail tclcgraphing.
sunday says: The air is
thick with rumors Of large forces OF
Beers t1 the southwark, but there is
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