Connecticut western news., 1900-06-21
THE BOER WAR.
The Latest Developments I'm the
 South African Situation,


 The news from both sides is coming in very slowly, but from what is Altering out through Lourenco Marques, Lord Roberts has made an effort to induce the Boers to lay down their arms and with. out success. If they have heard. as they no doubt have, of the complications in the far east, the leaders have an addi tional incentive to continue the war in the hope of extorting better terms later than the British government is willing to grant now. According to the accounts from the Boer side their commands ar. falling back slowly before the British, de stroying the bridges, burning the veldi and carrying away everything in the shape of cattle and provisions that can be of use to the enemy. They are alse said to have an abundance of ammuni tion and to be preparing for a general trek into the mountains of the Lydenbure district. which. along with the Barberton and Zoutpansberg districts, were desig mated from the beginning of the war as places of refuge in the event of defeat The Barberton district In particular Is ol great importance on account of its gold mines which are still being worked by the Boers, while the others are capable of being held almost indefinitely by a well armed and active body of men against much superior numbers. It seems therefore as if the far eastern complica. tions are likely to afford the Boers the chance of which they stood so badly in need when all the governments to which they appealed refused to intervene on their behalf. Lord Roberts will of cours, press the campaign all the more vigorous iy for the same reasons that give the Boers encourag cement to persevere iu their resistance. so that we cannot bt long without interesting news to indicate how matters are likely to go.
 General Butler is apparently still h. the neighborhood of Laingsnek, the tun. nel under which is again clear, as a train passed through 1t on Monday afternoon One of his divisions has occupied Wax kerstroom. but with what motive is not stated. It may be intended to advance into the Barberton district, to which a road runs by Luneburg, Derby and other places, close to the Swaziland border In any case, 1t appears certain that Gen eral Butler is not yet in a condition tc make an immediate advance in co-opera tion with Lord Roberts. There Is noth ing of importance from the Free State except the repuise of an attempt by a Boer commando to cut the British com munications at the Zand river south Of Kroonstadt. The political situation in Cape Colony is not improved by the con stitution of Sir Gordon Spriggs' cabI net. which contains four partisans of Mir Cecil Rhodes out of five members, while the parliamentary majority Is in sympn. thy with the Afrikander Bond. It is pertinently pointed out that a suspen- sion of their constitutional rights with. ont their consent womb amount to a re. lease of the Dutch Afrikanders from their allegiance to the British crown and justify them in any action they might take to recover them or to throw it ofi altogether.
 The destruction of a railway bridge al Hector spruit, 15 miles west of Koomati. poort. will prove a serious inconvenience to the Boers. The act Is probably the work of some pro-British sympathizers as the blowing up of the Begbie work. st Johannesburg was believed to be.