The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-07
story Was Circulated i'm Order to Di-
vert Roberts's Attention from
the Lydenberg District.
ARMIsTICE AT LAING'S MEX
THREE-DAY TRUCE BETWEEN BULL.
Err AND THE ENEMY.
Duke of Norfolk Injured, and Three
EarIs Among the Captured
Irish Yeomanry.

LONDON, June q o.lo a. m--Mlntdry
operations in South Africa are. apparently,
at a standstil. For a day or two the tired
is filling the magazines and warehouses at
his new base. Pretoria. preparatory to a
long chase after the retiring Beers in the
direction of Lydenburg. His cavalry are
probably seeking to intercept Commandant
General Botha.
Some dispatches are to hand which left
Pretoria Monday. while the fighting was
going on outside the city. They come by
way Of Lourenzo Marques. One of them
says: Toward the end of the day. when
the British naval guns were shelling the
southern forts, a number of projectiles
burst, damaging the suburbs All day
armed burghers have been leaving Pre-
toria. going east. The greater part of the
railway rolling stock has been removed
General Botha was lighting essentially
rear guard action. his object being not to
defend Pretoria, but to delay Lord Roberts
until the railway switch had been cleared
and the main part of the Boer army had
started to withdraw. The British advance
best line of retreat along the railway"
Possibly Lord Roberts may have been
able to cut the railway before a full re-
tirement was effected. That Pretoria would
be defended was apparently given out after
the council of war, with view of mislead-
ing the British. Lydenburg, the district
into which the provisions originally des-
tined for Pretoria have been diverted and
and reserve supplies of all sorts are stored,
is a volcanic region of fertile valleys, in
closed by great ramparts of precipitous
rock. penetrated by narrow. winding pass
es. There are herds of cattle in the valleys
and there is much native labor available
for the fortifying.
NO FOOD AT PRETORIA.
The Beers used both heavy and light
artillery at Pretoria. What is supposed
to have been the last train out of Pretoria
| arrived at Lourenzo Marques on Sunday
evening. The passengers included num-
ber of foreign volunteers who were leav-
ing the Beers, and also the wives and chill
dren of Hollanders. They described Pre-
toria as destitute of food and clothing
What the Boer officials could not take the
natives and townspeople did.
Probably the most important Boer army
| is at Laing's Mex. where both sides are
passive. General Rumble and General Bra
bant are little southwark.
General Baden-Powell had extended mar
| tial law to the Marico and North Lichten-
berg districts. Shots were exchanged be-
| tween Boer and British patrols eighteen
| miles east of Mafeking on May S Part
of the forces lately at Pretoria are re-
ported to have gone westward to meet
Baden-Powell, and to make a show of hold
| ing the country through which he and Gen.
| eral Hunter are moving.
| A dispatch to the Daily Telegraph from
Newcastle. dated Tuesday, describes the
| Beers there as unorganized rabble,
| without flour, meat or sugar. Their sur
render is only question of time. Never
| theless, the correspondent AYERS, they hold
strong positions, with the prospect of
| safe retreat toward Lydenburg.
| 1t is understood at Newcastle that the
| British government has approached the
Natal government with a proposition that
Natal should voluntarily renounce local
| elf-government for a time, in order that
| a general system of crown government
may be instituted for all South Africa,
L
and the subsequent autonomy of the var
| ious states simultaneously.
| wARSHIPS IN DELAGOA BAY.
Lourenzo Marques correspondents attach
significance to the number of British war
ships in Delagoa bay. suggesting that they
are there possibly in anticipation of aiding
the Portuguese in the event of disturb
ances on the Transvaal border.
The Times. dealing editorially with the
| South African situation, says: First there
must be an interval of military govern
| rent next a season of administration
| crown colony and then finally self-govern-
ment, with equal political rights for all
white men. For the first Lord Roberts is
| the natural person to be named as ruler,
| for the second Sir Alfred Miner
Lord Salisbury cabled TO Lord Roberts
| as follows: II earnestly congratulate you
| on this crowning result OF your brilliant
| strategy and the devotion of your gallant
/ soldiers"
There Is a strong feeling throughout the
| country that striking honors should be con-
| ferred Immediately upon Lord Roberts
| without waiting until he returns TO Eng
land.
The Lourenzo Marques correspondent of
| the Times telegraphing June 5. says: "Ac-
cording TO refugees from Pretoria, thou
/ sands of burghers under General Botha
have taken an oath to continue the strug-
| gle to the bitter end. United States Con-
| sui Hollis started for the Transvaal to-day
The nature of his mission is not made pub
lie here
| A dispatch to the Times from Buluwayo
dated May Is. says that the Rhodes.an