The sun., 1900-03-20
PLANS OF LORD ROBERTS
He May intend TO Advance
Boldly on Pretoria From
Westward.
THE BOER WOMEN ARMING
Al Bloemfontein Dispatch Reports
THAT a Corps of Two Thousand
Has Been Raised at TransvaaI
Capital and Will Fight
to the Death.

London, March 10-Neither the ad
vance by way of Fourteen Streams nor
Colonel Plumcrs movement has yet re.
suited in bringing news Qf Mafeking's re-
lief. From Bloemfontein or Natal there
nrc apparently no serious developments,
and public interest remains centered in
Colonel Baden-Powell's force in Mafe-
King.
1t appears likely that the converging OF
the troops toward Mafeking indicates a
much more serious purpose than merely
its relief Judging from Lord Methucn
presence at Wancntown and the capture
of the nearby passage of the Naal at
Fourteen Streams, keen observers believe
that Lord Roberts medtates an advance
in force on Pretoria by way of Rusten-
burg. This might start either from Four
teen Streams or Klerksdolp and would
probably coincide with an advance via
BloGmfontein and Natal. Thus Lord
AIethuen may be given the chance to re-
deem his reputation.
Commandant Olivier has accomplished
inother step in his retreat from north
ern Cape Colony, eyacuating RouNVllle
and going toward Kroonstadt, where
President Steyn is.
4 dispatch to The Daily News from
lbl0NnlIOnlcln Hulttl i TINdA say
"Eycnts have occurred which induce
me to predict that the war will last only
so long as it takes TO march to Pretoria.
The educated Beers, even the Transvaal-
crs, are ready TO accept the inevitable.
Il am fold that Il corps of 1000 women
has been formed ut Pretoria. 1t is called
the Amazon corps. All the members are
uniformed in kits and are armed.
BeIated News From MafeISing.
A dispatch from Mafeling dated Sat
urday, March 10, gives this view of con-
ditons there:
'.rhc garrison is holding it, own. We
have heard numerous Iumors that the
siege will he raised, but 50 far that is not
thc ease. We are pcgging along patient
ly on quarter rati0ns, supplemented ny
the occasional capture Of cattle.
.'Our homemade gun crratically bonn
bnrtls the Roer trenches. Horrible Sto-
ries are current that the Beers are intlict-
ING namelcss tortures upon captured ma
tive runners. These may not be true
but they are tending TO inhnme native
passions to such an extent that i maS
soon be impossible to hold the natives IN
check.
s'Owing to the Beers having deliberate
" bonlbardcd the native stadt, which i
1IH OIL women Hlll CllIuIcH, N"ioleA i,s
den-Powcll has armed the natives. but he
has only allowed them to act the de
fcnsiyc. although they have clamored Il
be allowed to go out and attack Mt thu
point Of the assagai. They will be pre-
vented as long as possible from intlictin;
rcprisals on the Beers.
A Cape Town dispatch says:
"Owing to the quarreis of Colone
ScbiaI. the German officer in charge o
the Bocr artillery who was wounded an'
taken prisoner 1T the battle of Elands
laastp, he has been removed from th
prisoners camp to u transport.
The British War Loan.
IN the house of commons the chancello
of thc exchequer, Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, announced that the total numhc
of applications for the war loan was ID,
500 and that the total amount OF sub
seriptons was G335, 100000. The iargcs
application. he added, was for t1o,o00
600. Applicants for E10.000 and upwur
would get & per cent of their application
Below E10000 the assignment woul
yary erom 4 per cent to an allotment i
fill.
In the house Of commons in answer t
n question on the subject of the seizllr
Of the British steamer Mashona, lade
with American flour for the lransvaa
by The British guuboat Partridge, an
whether the government, through tn
United States ambassador, Mr.. JOSEF
H. rhoate. had undertaken to meet an
Claims for loss or damage sustained b
American citizens Interested ii the cnrs
ii consequence of he delay Of the deliN
el5 a then, goods aud whether The claim
Of l;iitish subjects would he treated o
the Same lSoting MIR. Broderick col
flmpd the announcement that the pri2
court had released Che Mashona, and adj
ell:
'.tIer maicstv's govcrnmcn4 does nf