Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-06-22
WARS NEW ASPECT.
kRueER's FORCES ARE NOT YET
CONQUERED.
South African Struggle Has Entered
Upon a Stage Which Perplexes the
British-Roberts Attacks Botha, but
Fails to Whip Him.

Interest in the TransvNal war has been
greatly increased by the surprising turn
events have taken since Lord Roberts
entered Pretoria, remarks the Chicago
News in reviewing the South African sit
luation. The day after that event, which
was generally accepted in Europe and in
America as hcralding the close of the
struggle, Lord Roberts line OF communi-
cation was cut at Roodcval md the MILF
tia battalion of the Dcrbyshire regiment
guarding the railway was compelled after
heavy loss to surrender. This wiping out
of Il battalion and the news that Lord
'Mcthuen was engaged in fierce fighting
near Hebron at once gave a new aspect
to the war. 1t was perceived that the
taking of Bloemfontcin and
burg and Pretoria were incidents, not
crises. To the mobile forces Of the Boers,
and that in turn they We're applying
Lord Roberts tactics to himself. Whether
this rear attack and severing of the line
of communication by destruction of the
railway Cor twenty miles will have the
result of compelling Lord Roberts to a
rrctroSiaGe movement remains to be seen.
Tho later reports that Blocmfontein had
been rctakcn by .he Bocrs and that De-
wet at the head Of 10000 men was
marching against Johannesburg lack con-
f61mation.
Gen. Kelly-Kenny has in part retrieved
the disaster at Roodeval by defeating the
force of burghers who cut the British line
of communications. but the fact remains
that the war has entered upon a new
and p%"rpleXinG stage to the British. This
new phase cannot properly be called'guer-
rilla warfare any more than the move
mcnts of the American forces sfter the
British capture OF Washington In 1914
could he so called. In each case the fight
ing forces remained intact-the scene
only of the conflict was changed.
liz the case of the Transvaal it is evi,
dent that British occupation OF Pretoria
and Bloemfontein will be prccarious I'M
til the main body of the Beers has been
met and defeated in battle. That would,
probably. not be a difficult. thing for the
British to accomplish with their cnor.
mous!y superior forces, but the tactics
of the Beers arc wisely to prevent such
a pitched battle. BY breaking up into
comparatively small but effective detacll-
ments and striking swiftly as at Roodc-
val the Beers may be able to prolons
the war for some months yet. Their
success in this direction is likely to in
lspirc them with renewed hope and en-
.ergy. 1t is this fact, rather than the &C.
tual loss of a battalion OF, men, that dis
turbs London and England to-day. Gen.
Kclly-INenny's success and the fact that
Gen. Butler has at last pierced the Drak-
!ensbers mountains and entered the Or
Iangc Free State with the result of maxi
ing the Boer position at Laing's Mex UNI
tenablc, are the relieving features in the
situation from the British point Of view.
Lord Roberts has fought n battle with
Gen. Botha, at the end of which, though
the British gained considerable ground,
the Beers were not beaten. Roberts line
of communication was partially restored
by Il victory gained by Gems. Methucn
and Kitchener over Gen. Dcwet. The
Boer camp was captured and the burgh-
Is; it is added, were scattered.
As matters now stand it looks as if the
Beers might maintain the unequal strug-
gle for a long time, and this considera-
ton. in connection with the grave events
occurring in China, has brought the
English people to a more serious mood
than it has known since the earlier and
darker DAVIS of the war.