The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-03-03
ROBERTS IS SILENT
BRITISH, PUBLIC TBlRsTING FOR
NEWS FROM THE FRONT.

Conjecture AZ 10 the Reason for the
Denrth Of News-No DiMinutfOn
Of Coincidence In Robcrts-Public
Ready to Believe He Has Good
Reasons for Withholding Mention
Of Cronje-Buller's Advance Stub
bornly Contested-Cronje Willing
to Quit, but Young Beers Won't
Let Him.
London, Feb. 27.-Perhaps v be.
tore in the course Of the present cam
paign have such crowds visited the
war office as went there yesterday.
AS the Times remarked, .ssuch dearth
of news can only mean that success is
imminent" No dimunition of conf
dence in Lord Roberts is felt, howev-
er, and the public is ready to believe
that he q good reasons. for not men
tioning Gen. Cronje in the official dis
patches. Probably lie is in no hurry
10 end q situation which daily brings
parties of Beers in q vain effort to re.
nforce Gen. CrOnje. These he can
deal with i'll detail. Lord Roberts has
already captured over 400 Beers, and
at this rate he will soon have quit q
respectable array of prisoners to hold
as hostages for the $500 British al
ready in Pretoria. Gen. Cronje's re-
!usal to accept the offer of Lord Rob.
erts regarding the women. and chill
aren indicates either that the position
70 less desperate than is reported or
that he has been able to dig an abso-
tutely safe place for them. Everything
goes to show that Gen. Buffers ad-
vance Is most
~Stubbornly Contested
and most carefully thrown out. 1t is
hoped he will soon be in a position
where Gen. White will be able to as
Bist him materially. The situation is
n0w presenting q most interesting
phase. In about q month the congress
pf the Afrikander bund will meet and
1t is then believed MI. Hofmeyr will
propose peace terms on the basis of
the republics reatining absolute indie
pendence, but offering to disarm. II
these terms are rejected it is under
stood a manifesto will be boldly issued
% the Dutch throughout South Africa,
calling upon them to throw off their
allegiance to Great Britain. Probably
these rumors are exaggerated, but
there is no doubt that the greatest
anxiety prevails in Cape Town re-
garding coming events. Germany,
through the semi-o cial Berliner Post,
re%iterates that all reports of German
I quite without founda-
lion.
Cronjc Is Ready to Quit.
Paardeberg, q. F. S., Feb. 27.-Gen.
Crenje's position is more hopeless than
ever. Our guns dominate the sloping
ascents from the river on all sides,
and by the rush Of the Shropshires on
edEesday night up the river bed the
Beers lost 200 yards space in their
cover. Deserters say the British fire
has been very deadly and affirm that
Gen. Cronje himself if willing to sur
render, but is overborne by the young
Beers from the T%ransvaal. There are
women and children with the Boer
force. Gen. Roberts proposed to let
them pass out of danger, but this sug-
gestion, as well as the proffer of med
ica! aid, has been rejected. The kopje
captured by the British last Wednes-
day, when fifty prisoners were taken,
Is q most important strategical posi-
ton. It's possession should enable us
to repulse the Boer reinforcements
from the eastward.
Occupied by British.
London, Feb. 27.-Lord Roberts has
sent the following additional advices
to the war Office, dated at Paaderberg,
Saturday p. M: "Methuen reports
that Barley West was occupied by
our troops on Feb. %. The loyal in
habitants displayed great enthusiasm.
The country west of the railway from
Cape Town to Kimberley is gradually
settling down. A detachment has
started from De Aar for Britstown,
and Douglass and Prieska will shortly
be visited by our troops. Methuen's
account of the admirable manner in
which the Kimberley hospital is man.
aged made one desire to send some Of
our sick and wounded there"
: Bocrs Lose Heavily.
London, Feb. q. = The war office
the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts: parties Of beers re-
Gently arrived from Natal attacked
our oEtposts in force again yesterday.
They lost a good many killed and
wounded and nearly 100 prisoners, in
Guiding q commandant and three field
comets. Our casualties were four
officers wounded, nine men killed,
twenty-three wounded and two men
missing"
Uprising Threatened.
London, Feb. 27.-The standard has
the following from Cape Town, dated
Saturday: ''The Boer force occupying
Prieska consists of l2O rebels, led by
Free Staters. A proclamation has
been read annexing the Prieska dis
trict to the Free State and all loyal
British have been given five days to
quit the place. I am assured by resi-
dents of Prieska that unless troops
are 0 sent there the whole north
east district will rise"
scouts Compelled to Retire.
Sterstroom. Feb. 27.-A reconnais-
ten guns, found the Beers occupying
ridge three miles beyond Molteno, IN
the stormberg direction. Montmor-
ency's scouts charged the Beers, who
crept around the scouts flank, pour
ing In q deadly fire. The scouts were
finally compelled TO retire, having lost
heavily, fourteen being missing, Capt.
Montmorency being killed.
Urge kruger to Sue for Peace.
London, Feb. "a. 80 The I,ourenzo
Marques correspondent OF. the Times
s.avu. The feeling among 0f7nia1u ~