Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-05-19
RELlEF or MAFEKING.

The relief Of Mafekng ends one OF
the most remarkable episodes OF the
British Boer conflict Il has lasted over
seven months, and the Inhabitants Of
The city. as well as the garrison. have
during that lime endured an the hard
ships Incidental to q siege.
The British success, it IS freely ad-
mltted is largely due to the foresight
ana wise arrangements OF col Baden-
powell.t the gallant defender q the place.
Al the beginning he perceived the me-
cessity for holding as large an area as
possible. ana he made his dispositions
accordingly. His lines OF defense were
pushed out as far as possible from the
city Then the food at hand was from
the beginning economically distributed,
while vegetables were grown and wild
birds were hunted. Thus prepared, The
defense was carried on. The attacks
made were successfully resisted,
Day by day the people were looking
FOR the relief column they knew was ON
the way TO the city; but every day they
were doomed 20 disappointment and
instead OF the triumphant shouts and
strains OF music. they heard only the
bursting Of shells. and the whlstling Of
bullets that came from the camp Of
enemies. But they held out against
hunger and sickness, worry and DEATH
| until the hour Of liberation came. Ba-
den Powell has again illustrated the
saying that II Is not the men, but the
man. victory depends on. Lady Sarah
| Wilson said Of him IN one Of her letters:
AS the siege drags us weary length,
and ordinary individuals feel the strain
more and more. the man upon whom
the whole thing turns, who has the
| whole weight OF the responsibility 10
bear remains absolutely calm, inNaria-
bly, cheerful. increasingly watchful ana
alert. apparently resting az little BY day
as By night
This explains sufficiently the secret
Of the success. one spark can Nndle
a great fire. and one man with the heart
In the right place can lead thousands to
deeds OF patriotism. such as require
bravery and endurance in the highest
degree.
From Pretoria the official announce
ment ~ made that the Beers have been
withdrawn from Mafeking 1t IS made
to appear that this was voluntary on
their part But neither the burghers
nor the world outside Of Africa, VII
be deceived by such little devices.
sim. the probability is that Presden
Kruger now contemplates making
grand display at johannesburg anc
Pretoria. Both those places are strong
~ fortified and well supplied with pro
visions and ammunition. They may b
IN a position To- Withstand a large army
for a considerable time. That the Boer
left Kroonstad without any show o.
, resistance. bringing their guns viii
them. indicates their determination NJ
longer TO waste their efforts In holdinl
Z open prairie towns but 10 ooncentrat
I for the last. bitter struggle, Lord Rob
3 erts win soon be heard from In III
% neishborhood Of the Transyaal capital
q and there the patriots viii once NOR
= have an opportunity Of displaying thel
4 strength. Cronie, however is gone an
n Joubert is no more, and their mantle
s do not appear 10 have fallen upon an
3 Of their successors.
n In the meantime It Sc but matte
e Of congratplatlou that Mafeking ha
y been relieved, and sat the anxiety an
e sufferings Of 1900 people have had a
/, end. Lord Kitchener once said II woul
take one year and 10000 men TO sui
due the republics So far. II appear
that this was too modest estimation
q But perhaps the relief Of Mafeklng an
.e the invasion OF the Transvaal Is the o
'e ginning Of the end But 1t would
1t unsafe to make predictions The W.
IS has developed a great many surprise
l. and there may be others stu In store