Evening star., 1900-05-08
What People Think Of the Situation
in South Africa.
FEAST DAYS ON The CONTINENT
Bitter Famine and Social Gayety in
Far-Off India.
AMERICAN ARTISTS ABROAD
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

LONDON, April IL, 1900.
Events have been for some time past
moving so fast in favor of the British in
South Africa that the latest news from
Bloemfontein has come as a great shock
to people here.
1t appears that at the affair at Redders-
berg British force of over 500 was sur
rounded by nearly seven times their num-
ber That Boer army of this magnitude
should have been able to get SO far south
without the British commander or any of
his officers hearing of it is remarkable
The Beers are very active in the neighbof-
hood of Wepener, and it is even said that
the British have withdrawn from Roux-
vile, which Is only twenty miles from the
Orange river. They seem practically mas
tiers of the country between the railway
and Basutoland, and there are also rumors
of their activity to the west of the line.
What the entire strength of the Boer
force south of Bloemfontein is it is impos-
slbe to say, but it is clear that they are
going to assail Lord Roberts communica-
tions. Their object is probably to compel
the evacuation of Bloemfontein, but they
cannot be strong enough to break for any
length of time Lord Roberts line of COM
munication with the Orange river. The
position Is certainly not without anxiety.
The Beers, however, are playing a rather
bold and dangerous game. An immense
British force is in the rear. 1t is Temporal
rily hampered from the want of horses. but
THIS disadvantage is being constantly les
sened. Ten thousand horses will arrive
this week in South Africa, and from the
remount establishment at Cape Town
horses are being sent daily to the front.
May Be Caught in a Trap.
In spite of the mobility and activity of
the Beers there is great risk that the re-
treat may be cut off, and it may be true as
stated in telegram from Boemfontetn,
that their movement in the south is in the
nature of raid. The long inactivity in Ma
tai is perplexing every one 1t is over five
weeks now since Ladysmth was relieved,
and we do not hear yet of any important
movement on the part of Buffers army.
1t may be that, like Lord Roberts, he is
waiting for more horses.
l believe that President Kruger is in
tensely anxious that the Transvaal should
not become the scene of warlike operations.
Whether he fears that British invasion of
the Transvaal would affect the spirit and
temper of the burghers I do not know, hut
in any case he is striving with all his en-
ergy to prevent it. There is however.
probably another reason. If the British
were once in force across the Vaal it would
be difficult to prevent johannesburg from
passing into their hands. The possession
of the gold reef city has been an i'm
mense advantage to the Transvaal govern
ment. They have been able to keep sew
eral of the mines working, and to provide
themselves monthly with a handsome sum
for the expenses of the war. Were they
to lose Johannesburg this source of supply
would cease and their power be materially
crippled.
The Paris Carnival.
On my recent journey abroad church feasts
and fasts seemed to keep even pace with me,
meet me everywhere and keep me company.
l arrived in Paris on Mardi Gras and found
the carnival fun fast and furious. On the
way from the station to the hotel my cab
was blocked at every turn and was obliged
in some instances to make a circuit around
certain thoroughfares of which the joyous
crowds had taken possession. We were
obliged to cross the Boulevard des Italiens.
and as we were edging our way along at a
walking pace I became at once target for
showers of well-aimed confetti. "Pouf, Houp
la, m sieu!' and handful of the brightly
colored paper discs was flung into my face
at one open window and the mischievous
face of girl peered In to see how IN 'sieu'
liked it. Bif. and another handful came in
at the opposite window amid screams of
laughter. 1t was great fun, and there was
nothing to do but submit and laugh too
until the crowd broke away and the cab
passed beyond the zone of fire Some of
that confetti lasted me many days. I found
it down my neck, In the pockets of my
clothes, In my luggage and everywhere.
Confetti Battle.
That night as I sat at an outside table
at the Cafe de la PaiX to have coffee the
boulevard and Opera Square were packed
with struggling thousands of men, women
and children dressed In fantastic costumes
and all armed with immense bags of con-
fettf The roaoways We're filled with the
stuff even off with the curbstones That
corner seemed the aim of every merry
maker in Paris. Foreigners Joined in the
fun, too. An American family sat in front
M m q vi Of
pretty girl OF about twenty, was especially
singled out for attack, which she bore in
good part, returning fire when she could
All the trees We're festooned with long rlb-
bons of paper which are thrown in boom
erang style. The next morning except for
a few of these festoons, Paris was swept
and clean and the Mardi Gras was over for
another year.
Four days later in Brussels I came in for
an aftermath of carnival frolic 1t seems
that they keep it up longer there and have
the business all over again on the following
Sunday.
Roman Festival.
1 arrived in Rome on saints day DIS
hard to avoid such days in the Eternal
City'O and found all Rome en- fete. 1t was
the festival of San Giuseppe. Everybody
whose name Is Joseph received flowers or
presents from his friends, and dozens of
people were carrying bouquets and wreatbs
through the streets. 1t is not the custom
in Italy to celebrate birthday anniversaries
but name days and all Josephs past and
present, are honored on that saints day
In butchers shop 1 saw on one wall a
picture of St. Joseph surrounded by
wreath of olive branches, on the opposite
wall portrait of Garibaldi, whose name
was also Giuseppe, treated in the same
manner, while on the other sides the pic
lures of Verdi and the present speaker of
the Italian chamber of deputies, also
Josephs, were entwined with flowers At
various street corners vendors of bigne. a
sort of hollow doughnut were frying their
savory wares at portable furnaces and SELL
ing them as hot cakes proverbially SELL
1t Is hard at first to see what bignes have
to do with the saints festival, but later
in the day a Roman lady on whom 1 called
oSrIal:a fha q Sha