Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-28

LONDON, May IS, 1920 A M-When
Lord Roberts wrote his first despatch
on Transvaal territory yesterday
shortly before o'clock in the after
noon he was fifty-one miles from Jo-
hannesburg and seyenty-seven from
Pretoria. His immensely superior
forces had passed the Wall river, their
last great natural obstacle, at three
points.
The Vaal forms a curve of eighty
miles from Parys on the west to Zand
drift on the east. The concave of the
curve is toward the Free State. Thus
Lord Roberts, advancing along the
railway was in position to strike any
part of the crescent by shorter lines
than those by which the Beers could
reinforce the threatened points. The
Beers retreated almost without show
of defense. Gen. French and Gen.
Hamilton apparently did not fire a
shot
OF Lord Roberts immediate force,
eleven men, belonging to the Eighth
mounted infantry, were the first to ford
the river. They came upon a Boer
patrol footing at Viljoens drift and a
skirmish lasting ten minutes followed.
Two hundred Beers tried feebly to
hold the Vereeningning colliery, but
they were dislodged.
Major Hunter Weston and Lieut..
Earle rode in advance of Lord Roberts
forty miles into hostile country to
try to cut the railway behind the
Beers before the Vaal was crossed but
they were too late
The Boer rear guard is at Moyerton,
ten miles south of Vereeninging. Their
main body is moving toward the Kip
river hills that cover the south side OF
Johannesburg.
While Lord Roberts 10000 infantry,
10000 horses and Is guns are moving
on Johannesburg and Pretoria, through
a parched and deserted country, the
situation at the Transvaal capital as
it was last Friday, is thus described
by an observer who sent his message
by private hand to Lourenzo Marques
yesterday:
THE situation, both from military
and political point of view, has be-
come very critical. President Kruger
yesterday admitted that for the first
time matters were very grave. The
Boer determination is to trust every
thing to last stand on the Cats Rand
mountains, to the north of Potchef-
stroom, where 5000 Kaffirs are digging
trenches. To that point every
available man and gun have been sem.
The whole of the western border of
the TransvaaI from end to end
is defenceless, and Gen, Baden-Powell
can march in when he likes Lord
Roberts on the other hand will en-
counter the greatest resistance. Boer
endeavor is to lure the British in to APP
pearing to threaten johannesburg
with attack, and excuse thus being CIV
en- them for the destruction OF prop
erty. The Transvaal government will
not dare destroy the mines or property
without an excuse. Much dynamite
has been sent down the line and 1907
900 cases lie ready at Zuurfontein, near
johannesburg.
Gen. Louis Botha and Gen. Lucas
Meyer have pleaded for the preserva-
ton of property. Both are large land
cd proprietors and fear coniscation,
but they have not received satisfactory
replies from President Kruger.
Meanwhile many French and Ger
man adventures have come forward
with schemes and inventions for blow
ing up the British troops Some of
these have received a tacit permission
to experiment. One German inven-
tion is for use on a railway where it
lies perfectly concealed until the
weight of passing train explodes the
charge.
Gen. Lucas Meyer says surrend-
er would be at once proposed by the
Beers, but that everybody fears the ig-
nominy of being the one to make the
proposal. He declares that he is assur-
ed that his men will not stand. Pres
ident Steyn and Mr.. Reitz, the Trans
wall secretary, are strongly opposed
to peace but President Kruger is not
so much against ii"
President Kruger's proclamation to
the Burghers asking their votes for or
against continuing the war is under
stood to say that they can quit now
with the prospect of retaining their
farms or continue to the bitter end
Rumors are current in Lord Roberts
army that the Beers intend to sur
render.
Several correspondents wire the Lon
don papers that there are 5000 for-