Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-03-01
BRITISH -BOER WAR.
Fears in London That Gen. Cronje
Has Beat Off His Pursuers.
LATEST REPORT REGARDING BUTLER
WInat0n Churchill Thinks Beers Weary Of
the struggle The situation Reviewed.
The War Only Just begun Cronje
Offering stubborn Resistance

The war only Just beKun-UfOnJe
Offering stubborn Resistance
London, Feb. 22.-All the comment
in the morning papers, both editorial
and critical, is threaded with the dis
turbing suggestion that, despite hard
fighting, Gen. Cronje has been able to
beat of his pursuers, has escaped and
is being reinforced by rail from Lady.
smith and by forces on foot and horse
back from northern Cape Colony, as
well AS the late beleaguers Of kimber'
ley.
As the correspondents with Lord
Roberts are silent the kilograms from
y BOer sources receive some counte-
nance. The latter aver that Gen.
Cronje. while the British were en-
,deavoring TO surround him between
Paardeberg and Koodoos road, re-
>ceised reinforcements under Dewitt
and that together the Boer command
ers fought the British to standstill,
The latest regarding Gen. Butler
circulated in The house of commons
fast evening was that an agent OF the
he BEERS company had received a
tablegmm from Cape Town, which
must have passed the censor, to the
effect that Gen. Iarton's fusilicr
brigade had reached the hills COM
manding Iadysmilh. Quite apart
from this. however and from every
other rumor, the early relief of the
beleaguered garrison is thought inev'
liable.
Winston Churchill, in dispatch
from Chievely, dated February 20, says
he still expects fierce fighting before
Ladysmith is relieved and he again
urges the imperative necessity of
"pouring a continual stream of men,
guns and supplies into the Cape. lie
declares that soldiers are wanted in
South Africa and not at Aldershot.
Meanwhile he sees many "encourag-
ing signs that the Beers are weary
ing of the struggle"
The Times has the following from
L0urenzo Marques, dated February
81: According to Boer account,
Gen. Dewitt clnims to have captured
in an attack upon the rear guard OF
Gen. Prench's column 1880 wagons OF
provisions and ammunition, $500 oxen
and IS men,"
A dispatch TO the Times from
Cradock, dated February 10, says: ut
il believed here that all danger Of a
colonial rising is at an end"
Tho Military situation Reviewed,
London, Feb. 22.--Spenser Wilkin-.
son, reviewing the military situation
in the Morning Post says: "Sir Red
vers Butler can hardly be expected
TO follow up the Boer army to or
through the passes, but it is rather
surprising that he should have al
lowed the Beers to make good their
retreat from Natal without a des-
perate effort either to hold them fast
or to convert their retreat into II
rOut. The net result will be the addi
ton In weeks time of from $4,000
to 10000 men TO the Boer army con
fronting Lord Roberts A prolonged
fight from Friday to Monday seems
10 argue something like balance be-
TWEEN Gen. Cron. es and Lord Roberts
forces. The question, therefore, is
which side is able TO get the largest
Immediate achievements, The most
substantial renforcements available |
for Lord Roberts are the divisions
now in Natal, but il will take time to
move them. The purpose of the Brit
ish government Is to crush the l}oer
army and this purpose implies pos
session by its commander-in-chief of
an assured and growing numerical
superiority"
The War Only Really Just Btgun.
London, Feb. 29.-'rhe Cape Town
correspondent of the Daily Mail says;
at is of the very grayest Importance
that the British public should not be
carried away by the recent successes
into a belief that the war is practi-
cally over. Nothing could be more
fatal TO u satisfactory prosecution of
the war, and above all to II satisfac-
tory settlement of the whole country
after the war, than any relaxation Of
military activity, any stoppage of
achievements, and temporizing or
bargaining with the Free State or the
Transvaal through mistaken ideas of
magnaminity toward an assumedly
beaten foe. The highest authorities
and the soundest opinion here say
that thee war has .repllv only lust
begun IN earnest. indeed, they say |
that the real struggle will only begin
when the present military operations
end"
Cronje Offering u stubborn Resistance.
Cape Town, Feb. GA special cor
respondent of the Cape Argus says;
Gen. Cronje is surrounded at Paarde-
berg drift, but is offering a stubborn
resistance. The British are shelling
the Beers vigorously and expect to
capture the whole force,
London, Feb. 23--Gen. Cronie is
seemingly making his last stand. lie
is, dying hard, hemmed in by the
British infantry, and with shells from
60 guns falling into his camp. On the
third day of the figh, the Boer chief
asked for an armistice to bury his
dead. Fight 10 finish or surren-
dor ,tunnpui ionnIlN,v uoe o.d Eitnh