Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-04-28
BRAbANT DID IT.
Announcement That wepsner
Has Been Relieved.
Little Chance OF Roberts Catching
Retreating Beers - Besieged in
MafekinE on Starvation Diet -
Persistent Rumors OF DissensiOn
In Cape Town Cabinet.

London. April 96.-It is officially an
nounced that Wepener has been relieved
The war Office has issued the following
from Lord Roberts, dated Bloemfontein
| April %, 1925 p. M:
The enemy retired from In front
| Of Wepener last night and this morning
| fled norlheastward along the Ladybrand
road.
Their number was between 1000 and
5OOO."
A dispatch from Cape Town says:
1.-THE relief of Colonel Dalgety was ac-
complished by General Brabant."
The Times has the following from a
special correspondent. dated Mafeting
Basutoand, April %: rode from JAM
mersburg here, skirting Wepener. ard
met General Brabant's advance guard
four miles south of Wepener. They re-
port three successful fights, Saturday,
Sunday and Tuesday, with SO casualties.
The siege was raised and 5000 of the
enemy retired along the I.adybrand road
within our sight and unpursued. Col
onel Dalgety's casualties are 81 killed
and 132 wounded.
A dispatch to The Times from De Vets
Dorp. late Wednesday. says General
Rumble arrived there that morning.
Aspecial dispatch from Pretoria, dated
Tuesday. says that the Beers have re.
occupied Boshof, the British retiring.
1t is now apparent that the chances Of
Lord Roberts catching the retreating
Beers in net arc very slender. The
Beers have everywhere retired at the
first pressure of the British advance. and
the hope that General Rumble would be
able to induce them TO remain at De
Vets Dorp until they had been forced to
fight or to surrender has been disap.
pointed.
No attempt was made to pursue the
commanders retiring from Wepener
Everything now depends upon the prog
ress of General Frenchs cavalry brig
AIDES. but they are entering very diff
cult, hilly and practically unknown
country
The cavalry have already had a long
march over heavy and sandy roads; and
nothing is known regarding the condi
tion Of the horses. In any case it is now
q race between the federals and the
forces of General French and General
Hamilton
The slOwness of the recent movements
OF the British infantry and previous en-
perlence of the ability of the Beers to
move rapidly with guns and baggage
over their own country, lead to belief
that Lord Roberts envcloping operations
will fail and will have to be repeated
further north.
At the most he will perhaps capture
some Boer guns and baggage and harry
the retreating burghers.
Considerable results have been at
taincd in the relief of Wepener and in the
clearing of the southeastern corner of
the Free State of Beers; but the Roer
army, whatever it's strength, has still to
be dealt with.
Besides the casualties among the men.
the Boer bombardment Of Colonel Dali
gety's position wrought great havoc
among the cattle and horses. The gar
rison could have held out for another
fortnight, but it is in no condition to
render much assistance in pursuing the
Beers.
There Is little news from other quar-
ters. The inhabitants of Mafeking are
now on daily ration of two pints of
soup and two quarts Of "skilly."
There are persistent rumors in circu-
lation at Cape Town of dissension in the
Cape cabinet 1t is said that Premier
Schreiner and Attorney General Solo
mon favor the annexation of the Trans
vaal and the Free State: that Commits
sioner of Public Works Sauer and DR.. +.
Water. minister without portfolio. advo-
cate the independence of the republics,
and that Treasurer Herriman is neutral,
Mr.. Innes. former leader of the opposi-
tion In the assembly, is frequently men,
toned in connection of the formation Of
a coalition ministry