The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-05
FRENCH IN JOHANNESBURG. THE PACIFIC COMMERCE
KRUGER GETTING READY TO
LEAVE THE COUNTRY.
Mafeking Relieved and Baden-Powel
Preparing to March Toward Pretoria
Beers Are Ready to Surrender

Beers Are Ready to Surrender
CAPE TOWN. May est is rumored
here that General French has entered
Johannesburg.
LONDON. May 2S.-The rumor that
johannesburg had been occupied by
General French, coupled with the Stock
Exchange report that the Beers had
agreed to surrender Internationally
served to considerably improve the kaf-
fir market this afternoon.
LONDON, May 29.-The Lourenzo
Marques correspondent of the Times
telegraphing Monday says:
"COmmandant General BOtha con-
suited the TransVaaI Government a
few days ago. and, in the strongest
terms urged capitulation, recognizing
that the struggle is utterly hopeless.
Neither persuasion nor the liberal use
of the "sjambok" can induce the men
to stand.
"Steyn is equally emphatic for peace,
but Kruger is still obdurate. The
strong feeling of the Pretoria peace
party, however, may at any moment
carry the point
while the reports of a possible bOr-
der conflict between the Beers and the
Portuguese are not credited here, the
uneasiness of local officials continues.
All sorts of sensational rumOrs are
afloat The latest is Of the hauling
down of the Portuguese flag at the POr-
tuguese consulate in Pretoria. The
Beers are undoubtedly strengthening
their commanders on the border"
According to a special dispatch from
Lourenzo Marques there are 800 Beers
on the Portuguese border.
LONDON, May 2l-The War Office
has received the following from Lord
Roberts:
"NEREENIGING, Sunday, May 81
1:15 p. m.-We crossed the Naal this
morning and are now encamped on the
north bank. The advance troops, which
crossed yesterday, We're only just In
time to save the coal mines on both this
and the other side of the river from be-
ing destroyed. Our casualties were
small.
"Baden-Powell reports that the rail-
way between Mafeking and Buluwayo
has been restored and that supplies are
being brought into Mafeking. He says
the Canadian artillery Joined Colonel
Plumer from Beira with incredible rap
idity.
Lieutenant Weber was taken pris-
oner at Hebron a few days ago. He
went there on telegraph duty. 1t was
not known that our troops had been
temporarily Withdrawn"
KROONSTAL, May 81 General
Hamilton has invaded the Transvaal,
having crossed at Wonderfontein Drift.
TAAIBOSCH, Saturday, May 26.-
General French crossed the Vaal at
Lindegues Drift yesterday, and General
Henry, with mounted infantry, today
They pushed forward and nearly sue
ceeded in saving the bridge, only the
northernmost span being destroyed. All
the refugees agree that the mines Will
be destroyed.
The Beers are taking up position at
Kip River Drift. having left the Vaal.
The commandants have assembled to
discuss the advisability of disseminating
the struggle. Meanwhile, there is a
force of the enemy at Myrton.
| LONDON, May %, 2:20 A. M.-Nhile
Lord Roberts 10000 infantry, 10000
horse and $50 guns are moving on
Johannesburg and Pretoria, through a
parched and deserted country, the sit
uation at the Transvaal capital as 1t
was last Friday is thus described by
| an observer who sent his message by
| private hand to LourenZO Marquee yes
| terday:
THE situation, both from a military
! and a political point of view, has be-
! come very critical. President Krue-
ger yesterday admitted that for the
| first time matters are very grave. The
Boer determination is to trust every
! thing to the last stand on the Gatsrand
| mountains, to the north of POchef-
! stroom, where 5000 Kaffirs are digging
trenches. To that point every avail
able man and gun has been sent.
THE whole of the western border of
the Transvaal from end to end is de-
fenseless, and General Baden-Powell
can march in when he likes. Lord
! Roberts, on the other hand, will en-
counter the greatest resistance. The
Boer endeavor is to lure the British
into appearing to threaten Johannes
burg with attack, an excuse thus be-
ing given them for the destruction of
property. The Transvaal Government
will not dare destroy the mines and
property without an excuse. Much dy-
Mantle has been sent down the line
and 100 900 cases lie ready at Zuurfon-
tein, near johannesburg.
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 invention
is for use on a railway, where 1t lies
perfectly concealed until the weight OF
a passing train explodes the charge.
General Lucas Meyer says surren-
der would be at once proposed by the
Beers, but everybody fears the igno-
miny of being the one to make the
proposition. He declares that he is as
sured that his men will not stand
President Steyn and Mr.. Reitz, the
Transvaal State Secretary, are strong
ly opposed to peace, but Kruger is
not so much against it,"
LONDON May 2S (midnight). The
War Office just before midnight pub
lished the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts:
kip RIVER CTransvaaD, May %
5:25 p. M.-We marched twenty mile
today and are now eighteen miles from
johannesburg. The enemy had pre-
pared several positions where they in
tended to oppose us; but they aban
doned one after the other as we neare'
, them. We pressed them so hard tina
, they had only just time to get their fiv
guns into train and to leave as sool
as some of the Australian Infantr,
dashed into 1t.
"French's and Ian HamiltOn's force
are apparently engaged with the enem,
: about ten miles to our left, as firini
3 has been heard since noon.
III. j. Whigham has just returne'
to Lourenzo Marquee from Pretoria
where he went disguised. He write
that [rueger has all the arrangement