Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-03
Plan to Prevent Boer Raids In
Orange Free State.
Beers HARRASSlnG TACTICS.
Nothing Decisive Appears to IIavo Been Yet
Attained by tho Firing Monday and
rucsday-Pnrt of tho Investing Foroo at
Matching withdrawn-The Attack Upon
Butler Delayod-President Kruger of
The Transvaal Said to BIO Again Asking
Peace Terms other News.
tBy Telegraph to virginian-Pllot.)

Ny &CiC6tdPh W VII iiOl.I
London. May 2 (4:10 IA. m.)-The i'm
mediate objective of Lord Roberts is
to establish a line Of British posts from
one frontier OF the Free State to the
other at right angles with the railway,
thus preventing Boer raids southwark.
1t Is essential, therefore, that the
Beers hould be expelled from the rugged
Thaba'Nchu district and be forced to
retire to Landbrand.
AS tine result of the desultory firing
Monday and Tuesday the Beers were
pushed back few miles. but nothing
decisive appears to have been yet at
tanned.
The Beers continue to follow their
harrassing tactics. One well horsed
commando. operating in the neighbor-
hood OF Sannas Pots, interferes with the
British conveys going from Bloemfon-
tein to Thaba NChu. The enemy nearly
captured convoy Tuesday, but they
were driven off after a brisk fight.
PREPARATIONS AT KIMBERLEY.
Preparations for-an-a dvanee-eon-
tinue at Kimberley. Sir Alfred Miner
has written to the mayor of Kimberley
assuring him that the relief Iof Mafe-
4 king has not ceaesd to occupy his at
tention and that of the military au-
thorities, and that nothing will be left
undone to raise the siege at the earliest
possible moment.
The British garrisons along the rail-
way to Warrenton have been strength
ened, and supplies are going forward,
A mounted force has gone to Barley
West, in consequence of the Beers hav-
ing occupied Windsorston. Thousands
OF Beers threaten the communications
between Beshof and Kimberley.
PREPARING TO RESIST.
Mala. chief of the Taungs, has in
formed the British that the Beers are
preparing to resist their advance at
Phokwani. twenty miles north OF War
renton.
A correspondent at Lourenzo Mar
ques cabled Tuesday that large part
OF the Investing force at Mafeking had
been withdrawn.
General Butler continues quiet The
Beers assert that they are delaying an
attack upon him In the hope that all
the horses of the British will die Of
horse sickness.
According to n correspondent of the
Daily Telegraph. with Lord Roberts
President Kruger Is again asking peace
terms.
The departure OF the Boer delegates
from Holland for the United States
and what they have said of their pur-
poses and hopes. drew British atten-
ton to American views OF the war;
TANGLED STORIES.
London. May 2.-It is difficult to uh-
ravel the tangled stories coming from
the neighborhood of Thabanchu, but
apparently the British forces are en-
gagged in movement having for its
object the hemming in of the Beers
still In that district. While Generals
French and Rumble are holding the
Of boh
woods cavalry has been pushed on
Houtnek, In the hope of intercepting
the Federal conveys between Lady
brand and Winsburg. AS General
Rotha has been reinforced there IS
every prospect of sharp fighting. The
EeM Scene. of operations and-the-sen-
eral movements OF the various columns
are taken to indicate that Lord Roberts
is deploying his army preparatory to
beginning his northern march. 1t now
seems likely that 1t is the Commander
in-Chief's intention to advance stimuli
taneously from Kimberley, Bloemfon-
tein and Ladysmith with the view of
preventing the Beers from concen-
trattng their forces at any given point.
A SLIGHT MYSTERY.
A dispatch from Bloemfontein, dated
yesterday, chronicles the prevailing
opinion among the towns people there
that the war is not likely to last more
than six weeks. once the British ad-
vance begins. but adds that the cores
pondent has been unable to discover
any ground for his opinion beyond the
fact that General Darlington has mr.
rived at the Marandellas base, whence
flying column will be dispatched In
O. direction not made public.
KRUGERS PROCLAMATION.
"A dispatch from Pretoria gives the
text of President Kruger's proclama-
ton expellng British subjects from
the Transvaal. 1t says:
AS numerous burghers insist on the
removal of the British, and as the Gov
eminent is DESTROYS Of complying with
the wishes Of the burghers and others
favorable to the Republic, all British
ere residing in the district and town OF
Pretoria, and the Witwatersrand gold
fields must leave the State within &c
hours from noon April 80. Exception
VIII be made in the case OF those OBJ
tanning special permits"
Lord Roberts forwards a list of the
casualties of General Ham!lton's force
April 80 as follows.
Killed-Major Showers, Lieutenant
Parker and one private; wounded. four
officers and five men; missing, two Of
fcers an ten men.
A HOT BOMBARDMENT.
A dispatch from Mafeking describing
the Boer attack Of April II, says:
Ir~<-