The evening times., 1900-02-27
victor, ON Mninbn Day.

All England is in a roar of excitement,
delight and glory today. the nineteenth
anniversary Of the fight and massa-
ere OF Majuba Hill. Cronje. after a
heroic resistance. his food aud ammuni-
tion exhausted. his guns damaged, his
wagons burned. and his force decimated by
a hail OF British shot and shell, finally
surrendered to Lord Roberts at daylight
this morning. His capitulation included
one thousand women and children, whose
suiIerings and terror during the battle
must have been too awful for realization
According TO our dispatches il would ap-
peaS that about eight thousand Beers have
become prisoners OF war to the British
general From this it will probably follow
that The British prisoners at Pretoria will
be released by exchange. unless Lord Rob
erts should happen 10 borrow leaf from
General Grants book and keep sl his pris-
oncrs on the theory that they are too
badly needed by the Beers to make their
enlargement good policy.
England has now one substantial victo-
ry to her credit. and in circumstances Of
apparently much military promise. The
! British advance through the Free State
should not be a difficult problem. and
Bloemfontein, its capital, viii very likely
be taken before long. incidentally. the
Boer disaster at KOodoe's Rand will almost
| certainly call the Transyaal forces from
[ Natal. and il viii be surprising IL Sir Red
vers Butler is not in Ladysmith within the
next two days But Cronje's surrender
after all. may not bring the end OF the war
appreciably nearer. The second line Of de
/ fence. planned by General de Brialmont
! CORES ponds with that of the Vaai River
/ There Viii be stubborn fighting when he
. Beers retire upon this line, and even before.
/ They seem to have some idea that Roberts
will turn back and attempt long turn by
way Of Kimberley and Mafeking- What
reasons there may be fnr this theory. we
do not know On the strength OF past re-
( views and predictions perhaps the line over
/ ne open veldt TO Potchefstroom would ap-
pear the more desirable for the invaders;
but there is not much definite information
in regard to typographical OF other phys
! ical conditions rcrth Of Bloemfontein at
present within our reach. and the war
board a. Pretoria may be correct in their
proguosis Of tho situation.
While the Beers may still be able 10
make long ard bloody fight. they must
be fully convinced that ultimate defeat is
Inevitable. and. although they may De eX-
pccted to maintain bold front theil
agents in Europe and elsewhere will not
the less strain every nerve from now on
to secure foreign intervention CT mediI-
ton. We may confidently look for the
development Of whatever designs in such
a direction have been held in reserve by
European cabinets. and it would not bJ
astonishing TO hear that Russia aud france
had acted automatically to secure a ces-
satiou Of hosdlitics. The assumed enl
probable intention Of these powers is e
prevent the absorption by England Of ID,
South African republics. and the conse-
quont consolidation Of that part Of the
Continent under British rule, How fal
they are prepared to go in carrying oul
this policy may depend upon the extent "a
which Germany will stand by Great Brit
ain But The field of diplomacy. during thu
next few weeks, bids fair 10 be as inter
cstiug az that of the South African war