The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-28
Roberts Says His Advance is
Necessarily Slow.
BEGINNING OF THE END
LOndOners Think They See the
Finish of the War.
Believe That BOtha is Making
His Last Stand.
But Heavy ReenfOrcements Have
Been Ordered Out.

London, Aug. 2S-Lord Roberts re-
ports, under date of Belfast, August
q, follows:
Our movements are slow on account
OF the nature of the country. Today we
made satisfactory advance and met
with decided success. The work fell
entirely to Buffers troops and resulted
IN the capture of Bergendal, a very
strong position two miles northwest OF
Dalmanutha. I met Butler at Bergen
dal shortly after it was reached by our
troops I am glad to find the occupa-
ton cost less than was feared. on ac-t
count of approach being across an omen
glac1s for two or three thousand Yards
ana the determined stand of the enemy
The Inniskillings and Second Rife brig
ade formed the attacking party. The
latter suffered most. hope the casual
ties do not exceed fifty or sixty One
oif1cer was killed and two We're wound
ed. A good many Beers were killed
ana pompom was captured.
French advanced on the left to
Swartzkopjes on the Leydenburg road
and prepared the way for the move
ment of POle-Carew's division tomor-
row.
'Baden-Powell reports that he soccu-
pied Mushroom without opposition. As
the country where he and Paget are
operating is dense bush and veldt it Is
not desirable at the present to proceed
further north and their troops are re-
turning 10 pretoria
BOTHA'S LAST STAND.
New York, Aug. 2S.-Lord Roberts
dispatches announce what many people
here take to be the beginning of the
final stage in the South African cam
paign, says the London correspondent
chief held council of war with his
lieutenants, Butler, French and Pole
Carew, on Saturday and on Sunday be-
gan general attack on General
<nfh .t.Nt..
not much impression has been made
In the preliminary operations Of the
previous few days the Beers had chosen
a line of defense l-of great natural
strength, stronger in fact, than any
they have held since they fell back
from the Tugela- Their forces were dis
posed along formidable chain Of hill
country, extending over a front nearly
thirty miles, their fianks resting on
spurs of broken ground protected by
moraSses.
The British advance began on the
west to the north of Belfast, from
which place the Beers fell back toward
the Lydenberg road. Lord Roberts re-
ports that the Beers are making most
determined resistance in a. locality well
adapted for their defensive tactics and
badly suited for cavalry movements
Some experts think that this is really
General Botha's last stand, and that If
defeated here he will be completely
crushed. Lord Roberts superiority in
numbers is so great that he may prob
ably attempt to work right around the
Beers and drive them from their posi-
tion by menacing their line of retreat
To judge from previous experience il is
unlikely that the Beers would stay long
enough to permit the manoeuvre to be
accomplished.
Meanwhile. the Beers are themselves
busy in endeavoring to raid Lord Rob-
erts' lines of communication, both in the
Orange river colony and in Natal. At
Weinburg, a body of imperial yeomanry
was in difficulties under an attack OF
a considerable force of Beers on last
Friday. They were rescued by rein
forcements hastily sent up from Kroen-
stad and Heilbron. On Sunday the
Beers again renewed their attack on
Weinburg, but were beaten off, leaving
among the prisoners captured by the
British Commandant Oliver, whose fa-
nous march from Cape Colony through
Lord Roberts lines to the northeast OF
the Orange River colony was one of the
notable episodes of the spring.
To judge by the fact that heavy re-
inforcements have been ordered to pre-
pare to embark for South Africa in the
next few days the British war office
does not yet believe that warlike opera
tions are drawing to a close.