The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-10
nrItt-I. Pencc P.o.rects.

/
While it would be wrong to form ulti-
mate conclusions on the basis Of what we
/ know OF actual conditions in South Africa.
| it is not the less true that BOCr resist
! ance seems to show some signs OF an
1 early collapse. II il be true that Joubert
/ and other leading generals have quarreled
/ with Kruger. and that the aged President
/ himself has undertaken supreme com
mand in the field we should be inclined
/ to take such developments as evidence
that things. are going rapidly in pieces in
! the Trsnsvaal army.
! It seems to be pretty wen settled that
both Kruger and Steyn were presen at the
rout Of their forces the other day. and that
/ the former used his utmost influence TO in
/ duce the burghers 70 make stand. This
/ appears to indicate that whatever military
( brain has been directing the Boer move
ments heretofore is out OF the game. The
| position from which Kruger's army was
! driven was iudofensible against the force
and guns Of Lord Roberts II the Beers
/ had listened to the scriptural eXhortations
Of their chief. and stuck IL out for
few hours longer. they wouId have avoided
rout by being all bagged. Dom Paul per-
! haps included
The defeated army does not seem 20 have
stopped on the British side Of Bloemfon-
tein. if We can trust the reports. The po-
sition at Abraham's Kraal. which has been
repeatedly described as strong and easily
| defended is now said TO be unimportant
and ready TO fall into British hands when
ever Lord Roberts wishes TO reach out and
take It, The chief reason for all this ap-
| parent decentralization is no debit the
/ growing anxiety OF the Free Staters to get
out Of the war mess into which President
Steyn has dragged them. They have moth
/ ing whatever 10 gain by continuing a fight
( in which they now see they cannot sue
coed. The European armed intervention
which had been promised them. and which
was to exteLl TO the foundation Of q gen
] eral South African Republic uhdsr Boer
/ and Afrikander control. has not material
I lied. and the Free Skaters begin to con-
slider themselves as victims OF confidence
game. u is believed in London that they
| Will try 20 make separate peace inside
I Of the next month, and perhaps in another
/ week. The joint overtures OF KruRer and
. Steyn. recently reported. and which de-
mauded sovereign independence as sine
qua non. probably were not very seriously
. intended except as a test OF what active
sympathy might be concealed in European
capitals. The real negotiations will be-
gin when Roberts draws the coils Of his
military development a little tighter.
English dispatches state that Sir George
White will bring General Warren and his
division around by sea and move TO Bel
THULE Bridge on the Orange River White
will then combine. under his command the
forces Of Garacre BrabanJ and a new di-
visiou-the tenth under General Hunter.
. to which General Clements Brigade viii be
attached. So White viii have am
whore from twenty to thirty
thousand men for couverging
movement with Lord Roberts. While moth
ing is reported on the subject. il is rea-
sonabIe theory that when White moves up
fTcm BeJhulie and Roberts from Abraham's
Kraal. Buffers main body may cross the
mountains comformably with the other
movements But. without counting Butler.
the British strength when White has his
command completed. will be nearly if not
/ quite seventy thousand and that
ought TO be sufficient TO crush
any resistance possible south OF
the Vaal. Readers will have no
/ ticed the prediction Of President Kruger
/ that the war will be over within a month.
He is probably as far wrong about that as
/ he is that intervention or arbitration viii
end &c. But if the signs Of the times are
worth anything. peace will be made before
( a great while. and without the iuterposi-
/ ton Of foreign powers. Probably the de-
| lection Of the Orange Free state. should
/ that occur would prsciDitate the crisis and
satisfy the Transvaal Beers that they are
throwing away their lives TO no purpose.