Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-05-05
FRANKFORT
Story Of Occupation of Town as Told
by Lord Roberts.
MET LITTLE OPPOSITION.
This Action Deemed to Have Given
English Key To One of the Main
Roads Leading to the Dra-
kenberE Passes.

London, May D.-Ihe war office has
made public the following report from
Lord Roberts, under date of Brandfort
May 3:
I'VE occupied Brandfort today without
much opposition and without, hope,
many casualties. The First brigade of
mounted infantry covered the left flank
of the Fourteenth brigade of the Seventh
division, and the right flank was sup
ported by the Fifteenth brigade. Pole
Carew's division advanced directly Oh
Brandfolt. The Boer army, which was
under command of Delarey, retired in
a northeasterly direction"
This is generally considered the most
important communication received from
the front since the capture of General
Cronje and the relief of Ladysmith The
position gives the key to one Of the main
roads leading to the Drnkcnberg passes,
which possibly may be the means Of CO.
operation with General Butler later on,
provides an advance base of supplies,
ETC.. and at the same time menaces the
Beers now southeast of Bloemfontein.
The Bocr army which was at Brand
fort was commanded by General De-
larey. 1t is presumably retiring on Win
berg. which,. possibly, will be the next
immediate objective of the British,
Brandfort 50 miles nearer the Trans
vaal capital, is now Lord Roberts head
quarters.
Roberts' Army Again Mobile.
What particularly gratiiies the British
public is the evidence that the army of
Lord Roberts in the Orange Free State
has Sc,
Capable of undertaking the general ad.
vance, so long retarded. 1t is hardly ex.
pcctcd that the Beers will make much of
Il stand south of Kroonstadt, and posi-.
by not there, if Lord Roberts succeeds
in capturing Winberg, thus interpreting
between the main federal army and the
Boer forces in the neighborhood of Tha.
banchu and Houtnek, in which case the
latter would be forced to move far 10
the eastward. in which direction their
mobility would probably enable them to
reach the Bethlehem and Harrismitl
inc of safety.
The only opposition which the British
encountered ut Brandfort seems to have
come from the IrishAmerican command.
The central British army is now in line
with the extreme left at Boshof, under
Lord Mcthnen. and the extreme right at
Elandslaagtc, under General Butler, SO
that movements of these wings in CO.
operation with the main army may soon
be expected.
A dispatch from Thabanchu says:
THE Beers have evacuated Thnbanchu
hill and are believed to be still trekking,
though one gan has shelled the camp in
discriminatory Scouts report that some
of the Beers retired toward Wepener.
They believe that the Beers evacuated
the position during the night, trckking to
the north in three directions. General
Rumble is in command here. 1t is OK
pectcd that General Brabnnt will effect
a junction at any moment
In the House of Commons.
In the house of commons the usual
variety of war questions was asked. The
parliamentary secretary of the war office,
Mr.. George Wyndham, said no further
report had hcen received from Lord Rob
erts with reference to the KoorEspruit
disaster.
The goyci nnont leader in the house of
commons, Mr. A. j. Balfour, replying to
questions regarding the reports of the i'll
treatment of British prisoners at Pre-
tora. said her majosty's government was
considering the advisabiity of further
repres entations on the subject through
Washington and through the United
States consul at Pretoria, Mr.. Adclbcrl
$. Hay, who has charge of British inter
csts in the TransvaaI.
Later the house went into committee
of supply OH the war office vote Mr.
Walter Runcleman, Liberal, representing
Oldham, started the debate on the pub
lcation of the Spion Kop dispatches. He
declared the government had diSregarded
every consideration except publicity and
asserted that the responsibility for the
publication rested entirely with poiti-
cians, although in this case the secreta
ry Of war had deliberately attempted to
throw the responsibility on the com
mandcr in chief.
The public. Runccman asserted had
expected the recall of the censured COM
manders. as in the case of General Cat
had been sent to administer large ter
ritory. while General Butler retained his
command.
Mr.. Wyndham in reply quoted the
Duke of Wellington as precedent for
the publication of the dispatches. In so
doing he said he resented the grave in
situation that the secretary of state for
war was guilty of anything dishonorablc
in requesting General Butler to rewrtc
his dispatch. He added that the Marquis
of Lansdowne (the war secretary was
above the suspicion of being guilty of
such conduct.