Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-04-12

sick ard wounded now in hospital. To
the war office return Of casualties
must be added the losses of last week.
and The wounded, aggregating about
l".rUn men. making a grand total of up
wards Of $4,000 officers and men put
out If action.
London. April 12.-5.10 A. M-There
is little fresh intelligence from the seat
Of war. 1t looks as though Lord Rob
erts may be preparing to take strong
force to clear the Beers from behind
him. \ Cape Town dispatch says he
will not move for another week, owing
To the necessity Of gathering stores and
supplies.
Sir VIM. Catacre's sudden removal
is the theme Of much speculation. The
curt manner in which il is announced
causes much comment. The general
impression is that it is connected with
the Reddersburg affair. although there
are many who consider that there must
be something more serious, as Gen.
Gatacre is not the only general in
South Africa who has been retained in
command after formidable blunders.
The war Office has received no news
ana utterly discredtS the rumor The
operations in Natal have not yet been
fully explained. There appears to have
been an attempt To outlank the British
at Elandsla1gte ana to sever them
from thoir base at Ladysmith. The
Duke IF Marlborough has arrived at
Bloemfaut in. There are now - grand
sons Of the Duchess Of Aberdeen serv-
ing with the British forces.
1t j. announced from Rloemfontein
that COL Inigo Jones has been ap-
pointed tl Thu command Of the Guards
brigade. C1L Maxwell to the command
of thu 18th Brigade. COL. Knox to the
command of the 23rd brigade. and
Major Erazicr-Creagh of the Indian
staff corps. t. the command of Roberts
Horse.
Tho Bloemfont~in correspondent Of
the Times tolegraphine. Wednesday.
says: tit il announced i'll general orders
that Gen Sir Herbert e. Hermsde has
been appointed To the command Of the
@rd Division. vi,e Gen. sir Wm. CAT
acre. ordered home to England
The Bloemfontein correspondent of
the Morning Post tclegraphing, Tues
day. says: The Beers to the south
mcnt. possibly in consequence of our
occupation of the railway. Bodies of
the enemy are still moving from Win
burg southwark through Thaba N'Chu.
Their destination has not been ascer-
tanned. The Beers in the neighborhood
of Paardeberg show no disposition to
interrupt our communication with
Kimberley. from which point civil con-
voys are still arriving"
Tho 81 Bl1emfontein correspondent of
the Daily Telegraph in a dispatch, da-
ted Tuesday. says: "The permanent
defcnaes are nearing completion. 50
that the town can b. held by a rela-
lively small garrison. a British scout
who has visited the water works re-
ports that the machinery ami dams are
intact. only a few Eoers remain in
the neighhorhood. The enemy have
trekked six miles north and formed a
laaEer near Waterfall. News from
Gen. Brahant at Wepeuer shows that
all is going satisfactorily there.
Troops are getting new kahki serge
uniforms ana boots"
Gen. Erabant's force is confident Of
being able 10 hold out. The Beers af-
tcr showing cnnsdera he dash. have
Wavcrcd when it came to the final is
sue ana have struck at the least vital
point, whore they are greatly handi-
capped by their proximity to the Basu-
To border. owing to the strategiCal
concentrations since the cnemy's move
ments became defined, there need be
little anxiety as to the safety Of the
Cape border. No organized invasion
"f cane Colony is now possible. except
under extreme risks. which Command
ant Olivier is not likely to take. espec-
ially as his horses are reported to b.
greatly exhausted.
The correspondent of the Times at
Continued on page p