Connecticut western news., 1900-12-27
INVADERS GOING WEST.
Leave Britstown to British and
 Move Toward Prieska.
ENGLISH TROOPS IN PURSUIT.
Most of the Damage to Railway Re- paired - Some Correspondents Say Situation Is Not So Serious, but Others Repeat Their Warnings.

paired - Some Correspondents Say
 Situation Is Not So Serious, but
 Others Repeat Their Warnings.
 London, Dec. 26.-The government still 1oes not issue anything indicating be- lief in the gravity of the situation in South Africa, and a majority of the correspondents at Cape Town do not treat the invasion of Cape Colony by the Boers as a serious matter. They say there is too great readiness to take an alarmist view of the situation. Prac- tically no colonists have joined the in- vaders. The government has taken care to keep their stocks of ammunition low, and it is believed that only q few ef- fective arms are in the possession of anti British colonists.
 The correspondents add that the dam- age done to the railways and telegraphs of the colony was slight and has been repaired. Most of the breaks in the lines were caused solely by the weather. A mail train from Johannesburg reached Cape Town safely on Tuesday. There is no civilian traffic, however, farther north than Victoria West, and trains are run ming irregularly between De Aar and Kimberley.
 The government is represented as talk ing the most elaborate precautions to pre- vent the situation from developing seri- ously, and the incursion has expedited the recruiting for the various irregular corps to a marvellous extent, while many villages and towns are forming volunteer guards and constructing intrenchments.
 Alarming Reports Confirmed. On the other hand, the Cape Town correspondent of The Morning Post, in a !. | K, alarming reports. He says that the DO sition of the colony is hanging in the balance and that everything depends on the quantity of ammunition which the disloyal Dutch have at their disposal. II is estimated he declares, that 1,500 Dutch inhabitants of the Philipstown dis trict have joined the invaders.
 The Cape Colony treason act is consid cred insufficient to meet the present sit uation, as it only provides punishment of disfranchisement for five years foI the rank and file of those who take part in a rising. Energetic measures are be- ing taken to stem the invasion, but there Is unquestionably some danger of parties of the Boers getting through to other parts of the colony and gradually rais ing the whole Cape territory in rebellion Re-enforcements cannot arrive too soon.
 The Daily Mails Cape Town core spondent quotes local papers as saying thnt never in the dark days a year age were the Boers so far south or the pros poets graver Reports from various part. ] of the western provinces foreshadow perilous possibilities unless the invasion Is completely checked.
 A responsible colonist who recently travelled from Upington to HumansdorI Is credited with declaring that 90 pei cent of the people in the country dis tricts are simply awaiting the arrival ol the Boers or the appearance of a re sourceful leader as a signal to rebel. Fighting is going on near De Aar Particulars are unobtainable. Two hun dred Boers have left Britstown after communicating all supplies available.