Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-04-26
VEPENER BLOCKADE.
II Still Continues, Although Relief
Is Said to Be Near.
ROBERTS CENSURE OF GENERALS.


London, April l9.-lleavy rains in
pede the movements of the BIRTHS
columns. The blockade of Wepen,
continues, although relief is nea
Large quantities of stores are bein
moved southwark from Bloemfonteil
which is q reversal of the course {
freight for the last six weeks Thre
shipments are made necessary BY IN
: operations in the southeast OF tb
Free State. There are 1000 sick i
the field hospitals, most Of the case
being of dysentery and enteric fever
With the exception of these facts
the embargo upon ygr intelligence j
almost complete. The special CORE
iPoadenE send trivialities or state
pents which obscure, rather than ex
plain the situation, in their efforts tt
prepare matter that will pass the cen
<sor Here and there phrase indi
Gates an expectancy that large things
ere about to happen.
:. What is to be done with Sir Redvers
BpllV and Sir Charles Warren occu'
pies everybody's attention. The pa
pers continue to comment earnestly
upon Lord Roberts censure OF these
commanders. They ask II more er-
rors are not likely to occur together
with frutless waste of life, in the
event that men who have been de-
clared incompetent by their superior
continue to command 10000 troops.
It is now generally accepted that the
government had purpose in thsHnb-
lication of Lord Roberts dispatch and
that the recall of Gen. Butler and Gen.
s,arren has probably been decided up
on.
According to Boer reports there is
q steady flow Of foreign volunteers to
the Transvaal Hitherto these adven-
turers have been attached to the va
rious commanders. Now it is said they
are to be formed into special legion,
with continental officers, and there Is
q rumor that the command will be
given to a distinguished French SOL
dier, lately retired, who is now in the
Transvaal or is nearing the end of the
Journey thither.
sDenser Wilkinson's Comments
London, April 49,. Spcnser Wilkin-
son, In the Morning Post to-day,
criticises the delay in the British Of
fensive operations caused by the Boer
raids in the southern part of the Free
State and the necessity of relieving
Wepener. He regards the raids as
designed to recommandeer the surren
dered Free Staters and adds: "Thcse
boer measures can only be effectively
stopped by defeating and destroying
the Boer army in the field, Delay in
offensive operations is, as II rule
equivalent to a victory for the defend
ers, and the present general halt has
lasted long time"
Mr.. Wilkinson proceeds to criticise
the omission to supply the needful
remounts, clothing. boots and stores,
and the rolling stock to convey these
to Bloemfoniein, Precisely The same
reasons, he remarked, have prevented
the relief Of Matching. lie cites Gen.
Morgan's raid into Kentucky in 1869
as an instance of the probabilities
against the Beers ii the British had
o sufficient number of horses, and he
concludes thus: "liut fate is against
the British army, and one would like
TO know who helps fate in these af-
fairs"
Americans Tear ON Red Cross Badges.
London, April l9.-According to
dispatch to the Daily Mail from Lou
renzo Marques, nearly half the mem.
bers OF the Chicago Ambulance CORPS
when offered Mausers ON their arrival
OF Pretoria, tore off their Red Cross
badges. Adelbert S. Hay, United
States consul, notified the Transvaa
government that he must report the
circumstances to Washington.
London, April 2O.-A deluge of ram,
lasting ten days, has brought the
operations in the southeastern part
OF the Free States almost to
standstill The creeks have become
roaring rivers and the roads are
streams of mud.
A similar message, dated Bloom.
fontein, April 10, reports an exchange
of shots in the direction of DcWets
Dorp, where the Beers are said to be
concentrating after their withdraw
al from Wepener." There is moth
ing else to Indicate that the invest
mcnt of Wepener has been aban-
doned by the Beers. Notwthstand-
ing the rain, however, the British have
made some progress, as DeWet's Dorp
has been occupied by Them prob
ably by the advance of Gen. Rundlc's
division. DeWet's Dorp is about "a
miles from Wepener.
An obscure message from Aliwal
North, dated April 10, save that
Gen. Brab0nt has arrived there, but
whether he returned alone or with
his troops is not clear.
Boer reports from Aliwal North
say that from 5000 to 10000 Beers
are at Wepener.
Extended reports of the Blocmion.
fein concert for the benefit of the
:.