The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-02

iiton's column. after clearing the hills,
advanced to Florida, on the railway be-
tween Johannesburg and Krugersdorf.
and halted there Wednesday night. while
French was on the road to Pretoria.
lew miles away. Gen. Roberts had de-
ferred for twenty-four hours his entry
into johannesburg. but the seventh di-
vision was holding the hills north of the
city and a portion of Hamilton'3 column
was guarding the western approaches
johannesburg was defenseless and the
British occupation and protection of the
mines. The city had been surrendered
and Gen. Roberts and Commandant kraus
were cooperating TO prevent an out.
break of violence and the destruction OF
valuable property.
The chief breaks in the continuity of
this story were caused by the lack OF In
formation respecting Frenchs cavalry
force and Pole-Carew's division, with the
Guards brigade. Both forces were known
to be moving in the direction of Pretoria
but not so rapidly as Lord Rosslyn's i'm
agination had pictured. Pretoria was at
the mercy OF the advancing cavalry and
infantry and arrangements had been
made for the surrender Of the capital
and for the release Of the British prison.
ers. but there was no official news re-
speeding these two events al midnight.
johannesburg had been occupied on
Thursday, the British troops under Gen.
Roberts having marched in, and the flag
having been raised over the Gold Reef
city The occupation of Pretoria is a
foregone conclusion, even If it has not
occurred already.
There are two theories here respecting
the complete collapse of the Dutch defense.
one vas briefly summed up by promi-
nent official yesterday in these words:
Kruger has teen forced out. The people
OF Pretoria are unwilling to follow his
fortunes longer and have taken measures
to protect the city against a siege and de-
vastation- He has gone TO Lydenburg IN
a final attempt to rally the Beers in that
mountain stronghold and the burghers are
themselves from n lost cause Johannes
burg has locked after its interests in the
same way and the Boer generals are not
disposed to sacrifice their business invest
ments."
The other theory has already been re-
ferred to In these dispatches, "a supported
by members OF parliament and military
men. 1t assumes that Kruger. Botha.
KrauS and other Boer leaders have entered
into secret agreements with either Sir AL
fred Miner or Lord Roberts by which the
march OF the British columns has been ex-
pe1ited and the Beer commandos scatter
cd and kept under restraint with view
10 the protection of property and the IRE
vention of needless bloodshed II President
Kruger has made terms OF mis- own II
has been the deepest game ever played by
him, but there are members OF parliament
who believe that this has been done and
that he has retired to Lydenburg fer the
purpose OF concealing his own arrange
ments for bringing the war to an end and
and immunity from Imprisonment.
The Boer powers OF resistance have
weakened 30 unexpectedly and the British
successes have been 50 rapid and complete
that this theory helps to explain what Is
happening I'm South Africa.
Possibly more accurate summary OF the
case would be the simple statement that
from l5,0oo to 10000 burghers have found
soldiers Irresistible. and have suddenly
abandoned a hopeless undertaking