The National tribune., 1900-05-10
SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
Latest Developments in the Sitnation-The
British Advance.

; in a northerly direction from Thaba NchJ
with a body of mounted infantry ant
Smith-Dorrien's Brigade of Clements
; Division. AT Hautney he found himself
opposed by a strong force, commanded by
Gen. Botha in person. ReinforcementS
reached this force during the day, and
!, French was directed TO strengthen him dur
; ing the night from Thaba Nchu. This he
was able to do, as the number of Beers il
the neighborhood of Thaba Nchu had con-
siderably decreased.
Earlier in the day Gen. Roberts informed
the War Office that the Beers made per
sistent attacks around Thaba Nchu or
Saturday and Sunday. The position held
by Rundle'S Division was very strong
however, and he had the assistance OF
GOrdon's and Dickson's Brigades, the cav,
airy under French, Smith-Dorren's in
fantry brigade, and a body of mounted
infantry under Ian Hamilton. Pole-Ca-
rew'S Division had returned from De Vets
Dorp. There had been desultory fighting
for several days before this in connection
with the preparatory movement of ad-
vance.
Gen. Hamilton, whose force all day
| Monday was in touch with the enemy,
| Tuesday succeeded. in conjunction with
Gen. Smith-Dorrion's Brigade, in turning
their position with little loss.
Inc enemy udNlllS moved DacR iI
along the line, an advance was made in
the direction of Brandfort, Gen Wavells S
Brigade moving from karee, Gen. Bruce
Hamilton's from Glen, and Gen. Max
wells from Krantz kraal. Close to the
! last-named brigade were four field bat
at Holzhuisfontein was Broadwood,s Cav
airy Brigade and two horse batteries.
| The Beers were on Schanskraal Hill
and behind when advance began. Nine
hundred and thirty Beers retired after
some heavy firing on the left, from west of
Klinospruit. and Gen. Broadwood, on the
right. tried to intercept them, but the enc
my abandoned the position.
| 1t was said that when Botha S force was
| disposed of the advance to the north might
be expected TO begin in earnest.
On May 2 it was announced the positions
| Cavalry Brigade has reached Isabelfontein,
IS miles north of Thaba Nchu. Gen.
Ian Hamilton is bivouacking at Jabocs-
rust, Is miles north of Thaba Nchu. Gen.
| fuckers Division is moving eastward
| from Karee Siding. The divisions of Gen
| Thaba Nchu. Thus Lord Roberts has
| $4,000 men operating clear of the railroad
along a front of 40 miles"
Soon afterward it was announced that
| the British had taken Brandfort.
Brandfort is on the railway about 80
miles north of Bloemfontein and 15 miles
from Karee Siding, where the British
advance has been resting since the en-
gagement there early last month. 1t is
d town of considerable size.
The First Brigade of mounted infantry
covered the left flank of the Fourteenth
Brigade of the Seventh Division, and the
right flank was supported by the Fifteenth
Brigade. Pole-CareWS S Division advanced
directly on Brandfort. The Boer army,
which was under command Of Delarey,
retired in northeasterly direction.
tits considered the most important COM
munication received from the front since
the capture of Gen. Cronje and the relief of
Ladysmith. The fact that the position gives
the key to one of the main roads leading
to the Drakensberg passes, which possi-
bly, may be means OF cooperation with
Gen. Butler later on, provides an advance
base OF supplies, etc, and at the same
time menaceS the Beers now southeast of
Bloemfontein, is obviously the reason for
the importance attached 10 the intelligence.
The British continued their advance.
there being considerable desultory fighting.
The latest dispatch Of Lord Roberts shows
that the Beers are in full retreat toward the
Zand River and Kroonstad. Roberts said
under d1te of May 6:
I'VE crossed the Vet River this morning
and are now encamped at Smaldeel June
ton. The enemy is in full retreat toward
Zand River and Kroonstad.
The turning movement made by the
mounted infantry Just before dark yes
terday. was very dashing affair. The
Canadians, New South Wales Rifles,
New Zealand Rifles, and Queensland
Mounted Infantry We'd with each other
in the determination to clsse with the
enemy, and Capt. Anley, of the Essex,
behaved in very gallant manner"
The advance was made all along the
line.
AN APPEAL TO AMERICA.
The Boer Peace Delegates started from
the Hague on May on their way to the
United States. Before leaving they made
statement in part as follows:
Briefly, the object of our visit to the
United States is to appeal to the Govern
ment and people to seek the re-establish-
ment Of peace. We have, thus far. only
visited Holland, because the people are
of our race, and we wish 10 see the reso-
luton adopted at the peace conference
applied in our case.
I'VE think we shall do we'll to go now
TO the United States, sister Republic, |
where the people had the same struggle !
century ago which our people are now
having. We are going TO the home OF a
free people. We are going with the OBJ
lect TO rectify erroneous opinions and TO
make the truth known.
Where calumny and misrepresenta- |
ton have preceded us, we 20 prepared |
to make the truth known, trusting that
our appeal 70 the free people Of our great |
sister Republic will not be in vain We
do not go to one party or the other. We
go the American people in its vast entirety, |
constituting to-day the greatest peace
factor in the world, which only awaits its |
lead to unanimously declare that this
useless bloodshed shall and must cease.
We go TO tell the American people that
we are prepared to place our case in their
hands for their arbitration, so satisfied are
we that we demand nothing that an i'm
partial, freedom-loving Nation is not will
ing TO grant.
The English press teens with false
hoods by which it seeks to throw dust
in the eyes Of the American people.
We are prepared TO meet these false
hoods by asking tho United States to
Judge between US. VIII England agree?
If not, then all these falsehoods will not
deceive Americans, for they will realize
that what England seeks is to crush our
Independence as they sought unsuccess-
fully, thank God, 10 crush American in
dependence in the last century,"
Significance of Thick Lips.
DR.. A. Bloch, the French anthropolo-
gist, attacks the theory that thick lips