Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-02-16
NOT SURE OF CRoN.iE.
Crafty Leader of Beers Giving Rob-
crts Plenty TO Think About.

London, Feb l6,- once again the cur
tain has dropped on the great drama
Which is beng enacted III South Africa.
Lord Roberts. with one cavalry divis-
ion and two OF iafantry has vanished
into the dust of the sandy veldt while
crcling round toward Kimberley. Lord
Methuen nleanwhile is watching the
Roeis at Magersfontein. From Pretoria
comes the report that large British
Iarnly has Inaved toward Coenso ard
lemeamped a Boschkop. This Mould in
ldicate that Cen Butler again isson the
move. but nos orl4 dispatch from amy
lseeri.es spondent With the British main
forces reached London yesterday and
This morning the war office issued no
news Whatever.
With respect % the operation of Lord
Roberts sunnses We're plentiful. AS Ia
HtilA eXaet snpt 3a which his Ranking
tmovement is being carried out there Is
a generally entertained view that e;sn.
French is operating considerably 10 he
eaSi Gf Jaeobsdah
Dc ktl's drift is some fourieen nilss
Southeast of the Mpdder river camp,
iacross the Riet river. where the sixth
tand seventh diyisiens crosssd Tuesday
land Wednesday,. on Moeider riyer Ron-
l.leyal drift is about fifteen miles east ~
| Masersion,eirL while Kip drift is still
ffartller 10 tbs. wesi-
All London is Still reioeing over tbs
l.faci that the main British army not a
! iinere detachment is aow on Orange
! Free State soil. The depression Of the
/ last few days is gone. The alarm and
dies pondeney that oppressed thu ma
jioiits Of the people have given place te
/ 4 feeling Of hope and even confidence.
/ The very fact that Lold Roberts has
vouchsafed no further nvMs ii his
movements has inspired confidence
SO general and 50 complete is The trust
laeposeei IN him that the usual impatient
public is content nat he should keep
/ his own secrets as long as the exi-
/ ge.'eias OF 4 hard case require
Tits elearn now that Lord Roberts has
Ieoncenuatea a force that may safety b.
.iput 1T 50.oeo in opposition to a Boer
army the force OF which is estimated at
ali the way from 10000 to 2D,p9o with a
number OF formidable guns. 'l'llis fore.
Was and possibly is. inttenchcd in a
w!G.ely Xesndea aud practically inn
.Epregn.lble position. effectively barring
Ithc direct s9ad from. Modder camp TO
i Iliniberey.but depending for siibsist tenee
lchietly on supplies brought by wagon
train from Jacobsdal and Bioernfontsfn.
Lord Roberts first task was to evIct
/ the enemy from his lines. This object
! might be Effected either by throwing, an
/ overwhelming mass Of troops against
1.-The Beers ii. direct attack or by COM
pe!ling them TO move Ia avoid starva-
4 ei9n The second course required care
f,,I iysIf HIM A n
Imovement promised success at small
Icost, and that is the course the veteran
commander has taken. With this in view
as no one mas any difficulty in seeing
now that the thing is done-he ordered
that one time inexplicabls move by
Gen. Hector Macdonald. a feint on tn,
Beers left rear Koodoobule while ht
directed Gen French 10 move swiftly
and strike the Beers on the left.
Cen French carried out mis- instruc:
tions with admirable skill and unquali-
fled success. with the result that Lor,
Roberts, sweeping behind Jacobsdal
has cut off that town from the Boel
army a, Magersfontein. and at the
:. same time has Interrupted Boer com
munieation with Bloemfontein Th.
casualties involved in this movement
/ absolutely regarded. are satisfactorily
: small. but it must not be forgotten tha
four officers and fifty-three men hay,
! been sent 70 the rear Frustrated by hea
/ one may We'll fear for the condition o
: the British horses. In such terrific hea
: Iprogress must necessarily be slow
7 l;ut the experts are wondering. Will
: Lord Roberts is accomplishing thi
much. what is Gen. Cronj" doing, /
: tho Enpr ,nu,mapdant wished tn rav
$ his big guns he must have gone OF
. Tuesday at the latest and slipped on,
i between Gen. French and kimberley
2 Or he may have worked around t
S westward and northward of Kimberle
6 to Fourteen Streams, on th4 Vaal river
opposite Warrentown.