Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-05-12
WILL FIGHT TO THE END
President Steyn Says He Will
Not Desert Kruger.
BOERs SUMMON ALL FIGHTERS.

Interesting Session of the Nolks-
rnad-British Force said to Have
Captured senekaI - Brabant and
Rumble Advance.
London, May 10.-Through railway
traffic to Smaldeel will be established to-
day, according to a dispatch from Bennett
Burleigh to The Daily Telegraph. This
will enable stores to be poured into Lord
Roberts camp at that junction and pass
ed eastward over the branch to General
Ian Hamilton at Winburg.
If the field marshal desires to push
forward at once, he will now be in
position to do so, but careful com
mander such as he is will be very unwill-
ing to leave on his left flank the uncon-
quered Harrismith district and mass of
fighting men with wagons and cattle,
which are in a confused block around
, Clocolan.
The Beers believe there is a British
force at Senekal. This may well be so,
for Lord Roberts did not ride over to
Winburg merely for exercise. If this
link in the chain across the east of the
Free State was occupied on Tuesday, the
British force probably mounted men, will
be in Bethlehem today.
For the moment the most interesting
moves in the war game are probably TAX
ing place in the east. An interesting
piece of news is a statement that Lady
brand and Ficksburg have been evacuat-
ed by the Beers. but that Steyn is trying
to work up the burghers to make stand
at Clocolan, which lies midway between
these two places.
This story comes from Maseru, Basuto-
l-al rxyoII
Winburg being in the possession of the
British No confirmation of this comes
from other sources.
Senekal is 40 miles east of Winburg,
on the road to Bethlehem. In case it is
or has been captured by Colonel Broad
woods cavalry, advancing from Win
burg the commanders near Clocolan are
in a perilous position. for they will soon
have Brabant and Rumble upon their
rear and find the road to the north barred
unless they can manage to escape by
wide detour to the east around by Fou-
riesburg to Bethlehem. Even then their
safety would not be assured.
A glance at the map will show good
grounds for the panic of the Beers in that
region, for even if Senekal is not already
seized its capture is not likely to be long
delayed
Interview with Steyn.
Richard Harding Davis sends the fol
lowing from Zand River dated May Z,
via Lourenco Marques. May 8:
81 met President Steyn today. He
said:
"'We will fight to the end. Not one
of my burghers is unwilling to fight. We
have never considered abandoning the
Transvaal We will fight at the Vaal
river, at Pretoria and afterward in the
mountains.
"'We have nothing to gain from peace,
everything by fighting. Every slight
British success has been followed by a
terrible British defeat. Elandslaagte had
its Colenso, Belmont its Modder River,
Bloemfontein it's Sannas Post.
1.-THE British are now at Winburg
and Virginia. We expect a big battle to-
day"
A dispatch, dated Pretoria. May Z, via
Lourenco Marques, May 8, says:
"The government on Saturday night
summoned all the ablebodied men in Pre-
toria to assemble in Burghers' square
yesterday.
"The assemblage was addressed by
Vice President Schalk Burger, who said
that the time had arrived when the re-
publics needed all their citizens at the
front. Peace was possible only through
the recognition of the absolute independ-
ence of both republics. England's reply
to the peace proposals made it clear that
her intention was to destroy the indie
pendence of the Beers. The enemy were
nearing the borders of the Transvaal, and
critical hour was approaching
"A large number volunteered TO hold
themselves in readiness to proceed to the
front Immediately.
Session of the VollSsraad.
''The volksraad met today. The assem-
blage was most impressive, coming as it
did at an acute hour of national peril.
president Kruger's address was re-
ceived with rapt attention by the cham
Der and the crowd. The eyes of the
world, he said, were fixed on the Beers
struggle The delegates now on thsir
way to America were endeavoring to
geek Intervention to secure peace and
stop bloodshed.
president Kruger thanked the foreign
nations for the Red Cross aid the Trans
vaal had received and for hundreds of
letters of sympathy. He protested against
the British abuse of the Red Cross and
their treatment of the Boer wounded and
prisoners
Notwithstanding the war the finances
of the government, he said, were in ex-
cellent condition.
"After a brief session, during which
several inspiriting speeches We're made,
showing that the sentiment at that time
was for deeds and not words, the volks-
raad adjourned, most of the members inn
mediately taking trains to return to the
ttront."
h For Governor of Illinois.
Peoria, his, May 10.-The Republican
state convention yesterday nominated the