The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-02-21
lord ROBERTS ADVANCE

Hh'ary Exp,rt Gives His Opin.
ion OF tho situation in South
frica.
The Associated Press has obtained
review OF the situation in South
Africa from Mr.. Spencer Wilkinson,
military expert ia London, who writes
rs follows
Lord Roberts has begun his cam.
PslgD by striking at tie prlncipal
Beer force in the western tncater Of
war-that OF Commapdant Cronis,
| covering the siege OF * m oerley.
| , In Is lltLlo over three weeks Lord
h)oerts had completed the organIZa.
tlon OF his force. H. then quietly
Lhasseu some $4,000 men, four infantry
uiVlslonS ald Il cavalry division, near
Vne selected point, reaching Modder :
river s,atlofiHon Friday, February OH
ne must have put his troops in motion p
Smith The least possible delay, for on I
hohuay Tue action began. 1t was An y
attempt to turn the Beer position by "A a
march round it's left or eastern H.nk. n
"a Monday Gen.rat Freuchs cavsl n
ry selzsd the passage of the Ret II
river, southeast Of Jacob.dal, and were +,
q. a. once followed up by two infantry
DIVISIONS. On Tuesday the cavalry 4
moved north and seiz d the crossing y,
VI Cle Modder river, the infantry fol. bC
o"lng AT their heels. o. Thursday ar
men one division Of infantry was on st
ne MOuder river and the other close
'ehlha 1T, between the two rivers, the cl,
'aVairy moved forward toward kim. mr.
,erIey, dispersed the besiegers from Ii,
ne southeastern front and opened con. nv
ectlOn with the town.
The same day the troops from the al
ia camp at Moddcr river station tin
peneu communication with Jacobsdsl, exI
men hau already been taken. Thus
oru hooerts mad semi circle around At
le Boer position OF Magersfonlein, fun
oh ~ lmoerley on the north to Mod. 81
ir -; river station on the south, and pos sa
oiy the line was prolonged from
oduer river station To the northwest SEQ
$50, vun" 1eneral french might hope by $75
- circle Spd to enable Lord kobert, fnn
enveiop and capture Cropjes whole SIO,
rec. w
y This was the result hoped for. The GRO
ah was brilliantly conceived and S75
sorously executed. But CroDje has NOR
on aoie 10 evade the blow. When rest
nH ,cacheu himoerley IT was OF S
ma That Cronje with the bulk of his I'm
70 nau moved on toward B!oemfon- $2,S
~ apparently by the BOshof road, Il. G
oy u shorter route along the north !. p
TX oi The MOdder. The laagers and lone
res abandoned and the convoy cap So O(
eu prove that Cronje left in haste, clerI
one OF General Kelly Kenny's Bu
saoes Was last reported as pursuing at CI
tae boer rear guaru. at ST
a. h''cneher Is superlntending Port
h "nloh may oe eHectlVe. keep
anu Nt NtnIh divisions no tow n
ltioh mas been made In the tclc- laZar
ms, ana Tho Inference is that part carr,
VnS ueelgh ls as yet undisclo5ed. So 20
'ioiy 'helr lunctlon Is to complete 600.
circle on the west. Perhaps, too, Ia,
res IS making to the eastward, tors,
~ oi tne Modder river, 10 inter 500.
SrohJ', though as the mounted Sta
10 cover Chirty miles day, no in lege,
= eau catch Ihcm. part OF the 600 al
+ torce may have retreated to the Sou
h"est' ana VIII no doubt be pur- 1923 %
~ board
There eau be no doubt that Kim. Sta
ey ls relieved and that the rail. 50
VIII soon be re-opened. This is salari
9ee, out Ihe more valuable result, Sta
OF part of the Boer ries,
y, mas not been secured. caanot and
VIZ, IN Ine circumstances, that this $780, O.
IIriouIaole 10 weakness in tho Walla
lsh gen 2ralship, which seems to Des
been excellont. OOO
mere are disquieting features In Indi
news. The capture by Beers, said Clai
we come from Goldberg, Of a large coo; j
sh convoy may diminish the mo. sion, 4
OF the B"itish force &nd is proof s., $50
10 judgment and energy of the sions.
leaders. The vigorous attack on 81, 200
iorltlsn post at R,nsburg shows sioner,
the Beers moan to reply to L,rd 81, 600
rts advance by striking az his State
1unications. debt.
ntll the issue of the operations
ID Kimberley is fully known, it is =.
80 to speculate upon the next 1t
OF Lord Roberts. The fact that cials
erley has beon rol;avnd asS .h Cuba r
has to make a hastv natna. '"V tains U
:, good side Of the account, but the mhose
hat Cronje has not, at any rate know, khown
,e seen, been we'll boaton ses "a an the Un
ls a disappo ntment The opin- Gu cont
widespread that the Invasion of LIE
rec State will bring the Boer New Y
or at least the Free State COP. come "
~ OUT Vi Natal UpOn this point He mus
less sanguine than most of the piano,
'h observers, even those whose dances
lent most deserves confidence, his left
g news OF Lord Roberts advance
ncourage White and his men to ~
g their defense" last to
pines, q