Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-02-22
Beers ABANDONING
BRITISH TERRITORY
Are Apparently Withdrawing From
Natal to Defend Their
Own Country.
auMoRs THAT A FIGHT is ON
Gen. Kitchener Said to Have Cronic
Corncrcd---Wnr Office Believed
=; to BE Holding Back
News.

London. Feb 22.-The Beers are
leaving all the positions held by them
ON British territory and are concen-
trating for he defense of their own.
Sir Rcdvcrs Butler thinks they are
about to raise the siege of La&ssmith,
and this is HE large news of the day.
General Clements reports eeAHts.shc
force facing him has been srtn1ly
diminished. Ten thousand .ime,n are
estimated TO have gone from the
Colesberg district alone. The Beers
arc also retracing their steps from
Iululand. Thus they are relaxing
their hold ON ali sides in order to as
semblc to oppose Lord Roberts. He is
pressin. ON steadily toward Bloemfon-
tein. This is shown by his inconsc-
quential telegram from Paardeburg.
fifty OF SIXTY miles away. Doubtless
he is miles behind the column that is
pursuing the Beers. and the next inn
portant news may be the occupation
of Bloemfontein.
Nothing has been heard from the
chase OF Cronjc for Two days. Al
though the last words OF the war OF
flee last night We're that there was no
news for publication. there is IL strong
disposition to believe that favorable
information has been received but is
being withheld until the operations
eliminate i'm something more conclils-
i've. There is an equally strong dispo-
sition to think that General Cron.ie
has got AWAY.
Owing TO the lack Of transportations
the British are not likely to invade
Boer territory except where Lord Rob
erts is operating. General Butler will
have to stop at the Drallensbnrg
mountains. Probably a part of his
10000 men will ultimately join the
lcgionS of Lord Roberts.
If. as General Butler AYERS, the Beers
are retrcating from him. then the
news on every side is favorable tn the
British.
Nevertheless, troops continue to go
up. The war office thinks that the
call To veterans to rcjoin the colors.
together with the bounty. will bring
$1,000 men to the home defense. The
urgency with which home defense is
pressed eNcites some wonder.
With the casualties just reported,
the British losses i'm killed. wounded
and captured NOW aggregate l1.1o2.
London, Feb. 90. News has been re-
ceived here that General Hart has oc-
cupicd Colenso after q slight t.. enslse-
ment. Y. So =
Butler is apparently contenting him
self with Smelling the Beers from his
newly gained position al Monte Chris
To, which. according to good opinion.
is likely To form his base for another
attempt to relieve Iadysmitll.
London. Feb. 30 Whatever news
may have been received from the front
it is being carefully guarded. In spite
of he queens announcement 10 the
Fourth battalion OF Lincolnshire mi
litia this morning. prior to her lepal-
ture from Osborne house To Windsor.
that good news had been received
from the seat OF ,war. the war office
solemnly averrcJ they had received no
news up to 1880 thiss nfternoon.
I'nol1icially it is ffllhored that Kitrh-
sner. has drought Cydnje to IL stand
s.l'l and 'lfHs engaged him. and it is
added the war office is only awaiting
The results of the battle. This, how
ever. though plausible. may be prrma-
ture. In any event the confident hope
that Cron'e has been cut oil from
Rocmfontein continues to prevail i'm
London. especially i'm view of a ic-
tailed dispatch saying the Free Stat
crs. when they SAW the extent of. the
British forces. We're i'm favor of sur
rendering.
The first train to Kimberley Left
Cape Town last night, and the neigh
borhood OF the famous Siege seems
, thoroughly cleared of Beers.
Butler apparently is contcnting him
self with Smelling the Beers from his
newly gained position at Monte
Christie, which. according to good
opinion. is likely to form his base for
another attempt TO relieve l.adysmith.
The Beers May Nbanhon Siege.
The Westminster GaHcttc's military
critic says he believes the Beers have
started northward i'm Natal ana viii
i Sfor,s 's ssEs q 'ss s %n~t 'r be
garded as rathei' optimistic. at any
rate until Butler has developed the
Beers second line of defense. when
on every attempt. to reach Ladysmith
has proved impregnaljlc.
\ dispatch from Pietermaritzblrg
dated Monday, February 10. says all
is quiet i'm Zululand, and the Bocl
main bodies are reported TO be retir-
ing upon Dundee and Ilelpmaaler
| leaving small forces and two pieces ot
artillery at each magistracy
According to a special dispatch from
| 1arkcstad a refugee who has arrived
there says the IHe4* arc 5000 strong
AT Stormburg. but that at Burghers-
dorf there is only small town guard
rs IL means of home defense the
queen. through her private secretary
Sir Arthur John Biggs. has sent let
ter to the communicating chief Field
Marshal Lord Wolseey, i'm which her
majesty suggests organizing Il corps
from her old soldiers TO be known MS
| the Royal reserves. to take the place
of soldiers who have gone TO the front
Dispatch From Roberts.
London. Feb. 21 The war office has
/ issued a dispatch from Roberts, the
main Importance of which is the fact
that il is dated Paardebcrg, Monday
cYcnifgx paardcberg is thirty miles
east of .Iacobsdal The dispatch an
nounccs that the railroad To kimber-
+ ley is open andahat Mcthnen Nal11 Inp-
coed there with reiiivfer.faents forH,
is''s a%s e. A, |4s sx s,'pss yin Y
f The queen, prior to leaving Osborne