Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-09
WAS A RUSE FOR DELAY
ThatI Is The Opinion of Lord Sal
isbury--R0bertS Says That
The Beers Are Very
Badly Scattered.

London, March 8.--From various quar-
ters come signs Of the possibility Of peace
in South Africa being shortly within the
bounds of practical politics. All the dis
patches from Roberts headquarters, in
Guiding those of the chief
himself, indicate the lack of guiding
spirit among the Beers and individual
demoralization portending disintegration
unless speedily stemmed.
The flight of Burghers from Poplar
Grove according to all accounts was
wholly inglorious. A Times dispatch
from Poplar Grove under yesterdays date
goes SO far as to assert that the rout
Of the Beers was complete, that the sub
mission of the Free State is being de-
manded by the Burghers from their un-
willing president and 1T is expected it's
submission will be made within a week.
Dispatches from the Boer camp at
Glencoe, via Lourenzo Marques, depict
lier, seizing a rifle and inviting volunteers
to accompany him as he wishes to have
shot at the enemy himself.
President Kruger is also quoted as
having declared in his address to the
troops that he did not know whether ar
bitration or Intervention would end the
struggle. but that it would end quickly
within the next month he strongly be-
lieved.
Meanwhile, the British are not staying
their advances. Roberts has moved ten
miles nearer Bloemfontein, evidently with
the view of seizing and utilizing the rail-
road possibly to reach. the Free State
capital in three or four days.
The British occupied jamestown un-
opposed Thursday and the Beers are re-
ported to be retreating beyond Aliwal
north, so that Cape Colony is practical
ly clear of armed Beers.
Reinforcements from Natal are going
to Lord Roberts. General Warren's divis-
ion and some artillery have already been
ordered to join the commander-in-chief
SO that the latter is preparing for all
eventualties including possible desperate
opposition to his crossing the Vaal river
and the necessity of the siege of Pretoria,
where thousands of natives are reported
to be employed in the construction of de-
fensive works, concerning which SO much
secrecy Is maintained that no one is al
lowed to walk or drive on the outskirts of
the town. fea
John Redmond's speech in the house of
commons yesterday does not meet with
unqualified approval in Ireland, whence
the Irish Transvaal committee telepraph-
ed to Mr.. Redmond:
1--WE challenge you to come to Dublin
and repeat in public the statement you
made in the house of commons in the
name of the Irish people,
Late this afternoon it is learned that the
peace rumors We're founded on the fact
that Kruger has appealed to Lord Sails
bury for a cessation Of hostilities. Offer
Ing at length by cable the terms which he
Is willing to accept. These, however. are
not taken seriously as they include prac-
tically nothing more than what the
Iransvaal government offered prior to tie
issuing of the British ultimatum.
Official circles here regard the nronosi.
ton as merely ruse of the Beers to gain
time and do not consider Kruger is vet
ready to consider the sweeping demands
which Great Britain will make as reim-
bursement for the loss of life and great
expenditure. It was understood Kruger's
advances had met with emphatic retec-
ton. at the hands of Salisbury, who is
believed to have said that no attempt to
retain the independence of the Transvaal
can be considered for a moment by the
British government