Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-10
News of More Hostile Move
ments in the South
African Armies.
THE BRITISH MAIN ADVANCE.
Kitchener and Butler Are
Again Heard From in
Operations.

London. March 10.-The only i'm.
portant change in the general situa-
tiOn in South Africa indicated in the
news received up to today is that
Butler has again moved. The news
comes in a dispatch from the Boer
camp at Biggarsberg dated Thursday
March 8: Twelve thousand British
threatened the Boer positions from
the direction of Holpmakaar, while a
party of scouts was encountered at
Waschbank March 81
Boer Headquarters, Biggarsberg,
March 9.-Shots were exchanged this
morning near Holpmakaar with a
small body of British, who retired
hastily. Scouts report the British
main advance as coming from Lady
smith towards Sundays river.
Pretoria, Friday, March 9.-The
president has returned from Bloem-
f0ntein. Joubert is expected shortly.
Fighting commenced in the direction
Of Holpmakaar this morning.
Carnanvon, Cape Colony, March 10.
Kitchener arrived in.Victoria from
the west to organize the various col
umns for the purpose of suPpressing
the rebellion spreading in this dis
trict. Fighting occurred in several
directions.
French Heard From
London, March 1O.-The following
dispatch is bullctincd here:
Poplar Grove. Orange Free State,
March 9.-f;cncral French, who is ten
miles ahead, reports that his front *
clear of the Beers. All other reports
tend TO confirm the state OF disorgani-
zatiOn OF the Boer forces, TrnnsvaaI
as well as Free state. The general
impression is that the further prog
rcss OF the British to BlOemfOntein
Will not he opposed. y great amount
of ammunition was destroyed today.
This included several boxes Of eXplo-
sIvc bullets on the outside of which
the Beers had marked. Manufactured
for the British government"
The war office has issued the fol-
lowing dispatch from Lord Roberts:
Clements has occupied Norval's Ponr
and the adjacent drift. As soon as the
engineers. pontoOn and troops arrive
he will cross the river. when the nee
esSary repairs TO the railway bridge
will bc commenced. Gatacre occupied
Rurghersdorp March .. and was greet
ed with grcas enthusiasm on the part
of the loyal inhabitants. His scouts
report that large numbers of the rob
els in the ncighborhood are anxious to
surrender"
Boers Would Negotiate for Peace.
London March 1O.-The Daily Mail
publishes the following dispatch from
Pretoria. dated March \. via LourenzO
Marques. which had been censored by
the Buer government: Conversations
l have had with the highest state Of
fiCialS show that the Beers want some
arrangement. They say that if Eng
land iS waginG war of conquest they
land is waginG a war of conquest they
believe that plain statement of the
Boer intentions will reveal a basis of
negotiation. now that EnGland'S
prestige is repaired. President Kruger
and President Steyn conferred Monday
at BlOemfOntein on the Incorporation
Of the above representations in ca
blegram to Lord Salisbury. The pres
ervation of the independence of the two
republics is sine qua nom
Salisbury Rejects the Proposal.
The cablcgram mentioned in the fore
going reached London probably Thurs
day.-and il is stated. offered nothing
more than was offered prior To the BOer
ultimatum. IL is understood that kru-
gers advances met with an emphati
rejection at the hands of Lord Sails
bury. who is believed to have said that
no such attempt TO retain the indepent-
ence OF the Transvaal can. be cnnSid.