The evening times., 1900-03-10
Rriffsh Peace Prospects.

British Peace Prospects.
While il would be wrong to form ulti-
mate conclusions on the basis of what we
know of actual conditions in South Africa,
il is not the less true that Boer resist
! ance seems to show some signs of an
early collapse. If il be true that Joubert
and other leading generals have quarreled
with Kruger. and that the aged President
himself has undertaken supreme COM
mand in the field we should be inclined
to take such developments as evidence
that things. are going rapidly in pieces in
the Trahsvaal army.
1t seems to be pretty well settled that
both Kruger and Steyn were present at the
rout of their forces the other day, and that
the former used his utmost influence to in
duce the burghers 10 make a stand. This
appears TO indicate that whatever military
brain has been directing the Boer move
ments heretofore. is out of the game. The
position from which Kruger's army was
driven was indefensible against the force
and guns of Lord Roberts. If the Beers
had listened to the scriptural eXhortations
Of their chief. and stuck it out for
few hours longer, they would have avoided
a rout by being all bagged, Dom Paul per-
haps included.
TIE defeated army does not seem 10 have
stopped on the British side of Bloemfon-
tein, if We can trust the reports. The po-
sition at Abraham's Kraal which has been
repeatedly described as strong and easily
defended, is now said to be unimportant
and ready to fall into British hands when
ever Lord Roberts wishes to reach out and
take it. The chief reason for all this ap-
parent decentralization is no doGbt the
growing anxiety of the Free Staters TO set
out OF the war mess into which President
Steyn has dragged them. They have moth
ing whatever to gain by continuing fight
in which they now see they cannot sue
ceed. The European armed intervention
which had been promised them. and which
was to extend TO the foundation of gen
eral South Afncan Republic under Boer
and Afrikander control, has not material
lied. and the Free Staters begin to con-
slider themselves as victims Of confidence
game Il is believed in London that they
viii try TO make a separate peace inside
of the next month, and perhaps in another
week. The joint overtures OF Kruger and
Steyn. recently reported. and which de-
manded sovereign independence as sine
qua non. probably were not very seriously
intended except as a test OF what active
sympathy might be concealed in European
capitals. The real negotiations will be-
gin when Roberts draws the coils of his
military development little tighter
English dispatches state that Sir George
White will bring General Warren and his
division around by sea and move TO Bel
thule Bridge on the Orange River. White
viii then combine under his command the
forces of Gatacre. Brabant. and new di-
vision-the tenth-under General Hunter,
to which General Clements Brigade will be
attached So White viii have an
where from twenty to thirty
thousand men for conyerging
movement with Lord Roberts. While moth
ing is reported on the subject, it is a rea-
sonable theory that when White moves up
fTcm Bethulie and Roberts from Abraham's
Kraal. Buffers main body may cross the
mountains comformably with the other
movements But. without counting Butler.
the British strength when White has his
command completed will be nearly if not
quite seventy thousand, and that
ought to be sufficient to crush
any resistance possible south OF
the Vaal. Readers will have no.
ticed the prediction of President Kruger
that the war will be over within month. .
He is probably as far wrong about that as
he is hat intervention or arbitration viii
end it,. But if the signs of the times are /
worth anything. peace will be made before F..
a great while. and without the interposi- /
ton Of foreign powers. Probably the de- .
fection of the Orange Free State, should /.
that occur. would prsCipitate the crisis and /
satisfy the Transvaal Beers that they are /
throwing away their lives to no purpose. /