Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-14
ANXIOUS FOR MAFEKING
General British Movements
Commissioners Leave For
the Hague---Wepener
Still Holds Out,

London, April IA, 2:G7 p. m.-The only
developments reported thus far to-day in
the cable dispatches received here from
South Africa is the heavy bombardment
of the British trenches at Warrenton
April 13, but which resulted in no dam
| age. The Beers apparently being under
the impression that the British meditat-
ed an attack.
Major General Sir Frederick CARING
ton. accompanied by detachments Of
Bushmen and Scotch scouts, sailed to-
day from Capetown for Beira, Portuguese
East Africa.
From Boer sources it is learned that
General Botha has returned from the
fighting lines at Glencoe and reports that
the British have removed their camp
in the direction of Elandslaagte.
Reassuring reports from Bloemfontein
published in this modning's papers, have
done much to restore the confidence in
London. All correspondents seem to
agree that Lord Roberts knows what he
is about. The critics of afternoon papers
eagerly speculate on the possibility of
Boer commands at Wepener being cut
off. This seems quite impossible as the
.
way of Dewtsodrp.
General Chermside is nearing, the OBJ
jective with the third division, by way
of Redderburg and General Brabants
force is moving from Aliwal North by
way of Rouxville and Bushman Kop
while across border, strong force Of Ba-
sutos are closely watching events. In the
, meanwhile General Rundle's division is
concentrating at Springfontein. Lord
Methuen's force is trying to get to Hoop
stad and it is believed General Hunters
division will strengthen the British left
at Fourteen Streams. The weakening
of Buffers force by the withdrawal of the
Union and Irish brigades now under Cen
eral Hunter is attributed to the fact that
general commanding in Natal, has decid-
ed that the forcing of his troops is i'm
practicable, and that he will merely at
tempt tho maintain status quo until Lord
Roberts main advance opens his road
through Laings Nek. There is no fur
ther information from Kimberley.
New York, April 14.-A dispatch to the
Tribune from London says: There has
been a complete shrinkage in war news
are no further details of Botha's recon-
naisance of Clerys position, which was
dwindled into an outpost affair with ar
tillery on both sides. The extent to
which General Buffers army has, been
reduced by the withdrawal of troops un-
der General Hunter is not yet known, but
the strength of his force is probably three
times as great as Bothas and it needs to
be, since the Beers will be operating on
the defensive under most favorable con-
ditions.
No further results of the change of
Boer tactics in the Free States are report
ed. General Roberts holds the railway
in great strength from Norvils to the
Modder river and is not diverted east
walI or westwar by the Dutch strategy.
He is saving his horses for march
northward and allows the raiders to
hang upon his eastern flank from Wep-
ened and Smithfield to Thaba N'Chu and
Winberg. Wepener still remains in pos
session of the Colonial garrison and no
additional advantage has been gained
by the Dutch. They have taken seven
guns and one thousand prisoners during
the fortnight, but otherwise their coun-
terstroke has failed, since Roberts forces
are massed for the march to Vaal river
in overwhelming strength and cannot be
diverted to the hills in the least. Cen
eral Roberts last reports are cheerful the
Boer movement having been checked and
Wepener holding out we'll.
Much has been telegraphed about Gen.
eral Roberts heavy losses in horses and
transport animals during the march
across the country to Bloemfontein. but
nothing has been said about similar loss
es on the Boer side. It is continually
asserted among military men that there
We're three horses for every Boer at the
opening of the war, whereas only a por-
tion of their force can now be mounted
at all. The Dutch have also lost an i'm
mense number of oxen, and are crippled
in transport service. Their raiding op-
erations have exhausted their horses
whereas French's cavalry brigades will
be fresh for service when marching or