Hutchinson gazette., 1900-04-19
HIS PLAN TO CRUSH
Lord Roberts Waiting for Chance
to Deliver Death-Blow.
WILLIAMSON REVIEWS The SITUATION
He Expects Roberts 20 Follow th'
Tactics Of Napoleon and Grant aud
Destroy the Enemy's Army Rob.
eTts Waiting for Horses.

London, April 17.-spencer Wllkln.
son, reviewing the situation in South
Africa for the Associated Press, says.
I'VE will have to wait % few days
J before General Roberts opens his new
campaign, his principles being never
TO start until all is ready,
"There Is no doubt now that he has
been waiting for horses, About 5000
horses reached Cape Town this week
and 5000 are due at Cape Town next
week, We, nj this end, however,
do not know how the army now
stands in the matter of remounts,
"The general position now may best
be gathered from short retrospect.
lord Roberts reached Bloemfonteln on
March ~, the army being tired out
with heavy marches, and the horses
for the most part ruined He opened
the railway south and settled dowRto
rest and refit his horses.
"The Beers within about a fortnight
had recovered their detachments from
further south and had regalned tn Hr
spirits, On the Goth Lord Roberts
had to push them back from Karee
Siding and about the same time the
Beers set out u big raid south, begin
ming with the surprise AT Sannas
Post, where they took n British con-
voy on March 81, On April 4, the
Beers effected second surprise and
captured Reddensburg, Soon after
this they were attacking part OF Gen,
erNl Brnbnnts division near Wepcner
General Roberts Is not ready for Il
move and he would not be drawn into
any action, He took steps, however,
TO guard his railway, That these were
effective steps seems proved by the
fact that the Beers have not attacked
his line, Ills force since then has re-
ceivcd part Of the new equipment, and
has been constantly increased.
"While these preparations Nave been
under way, the Bocr reid hus come to
a standstill General Brabant's men
under Colonel Dalgetv at Wepener
have apparently punished their assall-
ants, and, although the report Of the
Boer retreat from Wcpener may be
premature, II Is at least possible TO
forecast that the Bocr raiders have
gone into " Gull de snc between the
guarded railway and the Basuto bord-
er, which the Basutos will defend
against INVASION
"I expect when General Roberts
next moves he win strike at the main
eBoer armynot necessarily by attack.
ing its position, bWt rather by such
maneuyers as will compel II to fight at
n disadvantage Of position as well ns
Of numbers War of this sort is de-
cided, not by the occupation of terri.
tory, but by the destruction OF the
cnemy's army. This WINS the 6unda-
mental idea Of General Grant as i
had been that Of Napoleon. and II is
the keynote of the present war, he
cause the Beers, like Napoleon's and
Grants foes,Nre fighting forindepend-
ence, Nothing but crushing out OF
their force viii end the war
II appears from every indication
that the Bocrs are preparing, In the
event Of Pretoria being cnpturcd, to
make n last stand along line reach.
ing from Leydenbcrr along the noun
tains into Swai2iland A traveller re-
Gently arrived at Blocmronten says
the Beers are cnerGetically working
to persuade the Swa2is that the Brit
ish cause is lost and are seeking to in
gratiate themselves, hoping to secure
a footing in Swaziland peacefully, or
to seize hold of the country If neces-
sary.