The National tribune., 1900-04-26
Who, with a force Of 500 of British Horse, |
has held Lhe Doors at bay at Wepener.

thinking it ought TO have succeeded. That
II failed may in some measure have been
due TO the difficulties Of the ground and
the commanding positions held by the en-
cmY, and probably also to errors OF judg-
ment and want Of administrative capacity
on the part Of Warren. But, whatever
faults Warren may have committed, the
failure must also he attributed to the dis
inclination Of the officer in supreme COM
mand TO assert his authority. and see
that what he thought best was done. and
also 10 the UnWarraEtahlc and needless
assumption Of responsibility by q subor-
dinGte officer
This Of course resulted in an outburst of
newspaper and military comment. which
has not ret wholly subsided.
on April IS Roberts informed the War
Office that the siege Of Wepeuer was still in
progress, and that two columns Of the
British were on their way 10 attack the
b1Si2gars. After that VARYING reD0rtS
came as to what the Beers were doing.
1t would seem that at this time continuing
rains had the effect o. paraiyzing the war
operations in general. IT was stated
that CJi. D5lgetty'S casualties since he
has been be5iaged at Wepener have been
20 killed and 100 wounded. The Boer
losses are reported to have been considerably
heavier. AfJdr the night attack on April
II the dead We're left on the field, where
they still lie UnblTied. Various small
tDliilttS were reported IN oLiler dlSIficlS.
From the Aafelling district there was
no confirmation Of the Boer report that
Baden Powell was dead. The Mafeking
garrison still hold out. though the pinch OF
hunger was beginning to be felt. The
Beers resumed shelling after the repulse of
Col Plumer's attempt at relief on March
One dispatch said: Lord Roberts has
spread his net far and wide to catch the
adventurous cOmmandOS that have been
making mischief in the southeastern part
of the State. The net has not yet been
drawn in; bat at the headquarters Of Lord
Roberts the impression exists that the
power Of the Beers is decreasing. The
Beers. being aware of this, are presumed
to be thinking now chiefly of retreat
\ dispatch of April 20 stated:
Lord Roberts is now ready to move.
The requisite remounts and equipments
have arrived, and all the infantry divisions
are now supplied with tents. The Beers
in the immediate neighborhood are quiet,
but both sides are steadily preparing for
the coming struggle. The whole regular
and volunteer drafts have arrived, and the
Highland Brigade is now at its full strength
The latest arrivals of remountS show an
one now awaits eagerly the announcement
of n renewed advance.
1t was announced on the same date that
Notwithstanding the rain the British have
made some progress, as DE W etS DOrD has
been occupied by them probably bv the adj
vance of Gen. Rundle's division. De
Vets Dorp is about "a miles from Wep-
ener."
Dispatches of April 30, though meager
and unsatisfactory, clearly indicated re
newed activity at all points where the
British and Boer forces are in striking
distance of each other. Interest for the
moment centered at De Vets Dorp and
Wepenef, where fighting evidently was in
progress.
The Beers in Natal made several at
tempts to draw Butler into battle. On
April 21 Beers made an unsuccessful at
tempt to capture. or destroy a convoy re
turning to Bashof. The losses were small
April %, Roberts began his movement
to clear away the Beers from his right
flank. The first movement vas directed
against the long Boer lie stretching to
De Wetsdorp. There IS sharp fighting
and the Boer line waJ generally forced
back for considerable distance.