The Afro-American advance., 1900-03-31
FAURESN|IH.| Is OCCUPIED.
Clements Finds Two Guns and q
Large Quantity of Ammu-
milton Buried.
CONJECTURE As TO ROBERTS ADVANCE.
April Set by the Critics as Probable
Date for Departure OF the Main
Army from Bloemfontein DR..
Leyds Charges Egypt with Breach
of Neutrality.

London. March 3O.-Ihe war ONCE
has received the following dispatch
| from Lord Roberts, dated Bloemfon-
tein. March 2s:
Gen. Clements occupied Faureamith to-
day without opposition. One ne-pounder
and one Martini Maxim were discovered
| in prospecting shaft OF mine, where
a large quantity OF ammunition was bur
| led Arms are being surrendered gradual-
| ly and the inhabitants are settling down.
Col Pitcher visited Ladybrand on March
26 On leaving the town he was attacked
1 by party OF the enemy, and one of his
| force was wounded and five are mlsainG.
During the skirmish north of the ModGer
river on March Is five men were wounded.
| Three are reported to- be missing. Capt
Sloane-Stanley, OF the Sixteenth laneers.
and five men of that regiment were taken
| prisoners"
Future Movements of Roberts.
London. March 30.--Coniecture as to
Lord Roberts advance from Bloemfon-
tein is the topic of the day and Is
likely TO continue so If the British
commander-in-chief in South Africa
conceals his movements as carefully
as he has done in the past. April 2
is set by various critics as the prob
able date of the departure of the main
army from Bloemfontein. 1t Is point
ed out that there will then be over n
weeks hard marching before kroon-
stad is reached, though there seems
no certainty that Kroonstad will en-
tirely occupy Lord Roberts attention.
The advance, when 1t does occur, will
probably be made by parallel columns
along a broad front. The movements
of the cavalry force and part of the
infantry towards Glen can scarcely be
construed as an actual advance, al
though they undoubtedly point to the
imminence of such step. But only
small part of Gen. Gatacre's forces
have vet arrived at Bloemfontein, and
until that movement is completed 1t
is not likely Lord Roberts will start
for Pretoria.
The latest news from Bloemfontein
contained in a dispatch published In
the second edition of the Times and
dated Wednesday. March aa. again
dwells upon the necessity for not
making a premature advance. This
correspondent, who on several occa-
sions. seemed to have been chosen as
the mouthpiece of Lord Roberts,
cables:
at should be clearly understood
that the present halt in the vicinity
of Bloemfontein Is absolutely ncces-
sary as a military precaution. II
should be borne in mind that we are
about to enter on "A new phase of
the operations, with the main com
munications through a recently oc-
cupied hostile country, and that the
recent successes necessitated n great
expenditure of horse power. Here
and in Natal we shall move on the
commencement OF the South African
winter. and must be prepared TO face
the effects of the first frost upon
such animals as may be affected with
horse sickness. IL would he suicidal
to push troops forward till they are
equipped TO meet the exposure OF
winter. Horses, clothing and food
we must have"
Boer Forces Reequipped.
The correspondent adds that the
Boer forces have been reequipped, and
he says he is fully convinced that 1j0-
600 foreign troops have been landed
toad the republics. For this the infer
ence might be drawn that the Lon.
don critics have been premature in
prophesying an immediate advance as
at Kimberley and Paardeberg. The
best based conjecture is well-nigh
worthless as 10 when Lord Roberts
eontemplates moving.
Regarding the Boer Prisoners.
A deputation of Dutch ministers
had an audience of Premier Schreiner
at Cape Town Thursday, The minis
ters urged the separation Of the sick
and well Boer prisoners and asked
that the sick be not sent TO St
Helena
Mr. scbreiner replied that be had
no power in such matters. hut would
use his friendly Offices He added
that he had made strong representa-.
tious 10 the imperial government
against sending any of the prisoners
70 St Helena. but without suceess.
II IL reported that the prison trans.
ports win sail for Sc. Helena at the
end of this week
From Natal and Mafeking there IL
no further news as this dispatch IL
sent.
Young GIadstone's Views.
London. March 56.~speaking az
breakfast of the liberal agents al Not.
tingham Thursday, Herbert Glad
stone. son Of the late William r