Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-02-22

| respondent of the cape Town Argus
says: Gen. Cronje is surrounded at
! Paardcbcrg drift. but is offering a
! stubborn resistance. The British are
Smelling the Beers vigorously and ex-
poet to capture the whole force.
London, Feb. 22.-4 A. M.-Lord Rob
| erts' list Of ~ killed ana wounded Of
| ficers. including TWO generals, in the
| engagements UP to Sunday evening.
causes anxiety, especially as in the Of
| ficcrs list neither the losses Of the
Welsh ana Essx Regiments nor those
/ Of thu Mounted Infantry are included.
This is about the number that fell at
| Colonso. where the On-commissiOned
| officers ana m1n brought the total
losses to 500.
Ii is considered strange that. when
sending his casualties. Lord Roberts
gives no Information as to the result
If thu fighting II he has sent such d
report. The war office is Withholding it.
Moreover nothing is known as to what
took place, Monday, Tuesday ana yes
tcrday. Thes. absence Of details from
Lord Roberts ~ contrlsted with his
rather full narratives during the first
pant Nj hi~ operations, produces uneasi-
ness among military observers.
All IN. comment in the morning pa
pers. botl editorial ana critical. is
freight at with the disturbing suggcs-
-iNa that I-splte hard fighting, Gen.
Ciuui. Eas been abl" To beat off his
pUrsurrs has escaped and is being re
iutu-c,I by ram from Lldysmith and
hy forces un foot and horseback from
northern Car. colony, as Well as the
lat. b.leauurrs If Kimberley.
A- th. correspondents with Lord
Roberts lr. silent. the kilograms from
E.cr sources receive some countenance.
Tho Intt.r aver That Gen. Cronje. while
tn British were ondeaVoring to sur
round him between Paardcberg and
Ka,dnusraud. received reinforcements
under Dew.t and that together the
Bo.r commanders fought the British
To- Il standstill.
However All this may be, public
opinion here viii not be treasured I'M
I'll the war office issues explicit state
ments If successes, which, Of course.
would clear away the gathering doubts
respecting the uninterrupted success
Of Lord Roberts forward movement.
NJ one doubts but there is a fear of
temporary disappointment and that
lot Of hard fighting is yet ahead of
the British.
The latest report regarding Gen. Bull
Ter circulated in the House of Com
mons last evening. was that an agent
IF the De EeerS 60. had received
Cablegram from cape Town which
must have passed the censor to the eff
feet that Gen. Rarton's Fusilier Bri-
gade has reached the hills command
ing Ladysmith Quite apart from this.
however. and from every other rumor.
the early relief Of the beleaguered gar
rison is thought inevitable
Many distinguished persons on the
way home from theatres and clubs
called at the war office to inquire for
n,Hs The ladies' lobby was open I'M
til midnight. The arrival at the war
office of several III eminent officials. af-
ter H. gave substance To report that
important information from Lord Rob
"rt5 had been received. but the an
was then forthcoming
that no further bulletins would be
posted during the night.
The Times says cditDrially: The
silence Of Lord Roberts is susceptible
Of more interpretations than one: but
ii certainly indicates that the serious
operations in which he is engaged are
MT yct complete. cur correspondent
at Lourenzo Marques mentions
serious report which may he another
version NJ tn. Bocr story regarding
Gen. Dewrt. that companies from Pre-
toria ana ~ the capture Of the Riet
river convoy. If the two events have
occurred ii would be a curious coinci-
dence.