The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-17
THE WAR NEWS SUPPRESSED
LITTLE INFORMATION TO Be Hs0 AS
TO EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRIGs.
Roberts Preparing T. Entrap the I,oers.
British still nveste at wepener.
The Fighting There Favorable to the
Beers Fighting at Other Points.
British Retiring Upon Ladysmith.

| London, Apri 13.N:05 a. MIN a
roundabout way London hears that
Lord Roberts, when wiring to the
prince of Wales at Copenhagen, con-
CALCULATIONS upon his escape from as
full sentences p~ortending an early ad-
vance with wide-reaching combina-
Itions.
Quiet assurances are now passed
around military men hat Lord Rob
Ierts is employing his great army effec-
lively and that the adventurous Boer
~lcommandoes are likely to be enmesh-
led. Scraps of news-a detail here and
lanother there, have reached England
tonight Over comparatively idle cables,
lbut they do not illuminate the situa-
ltion.
The ~colonials at Wepener still hold
loff the Beers. Lord Methuen has
worked eastward until he is within
Ieighty miles of KroonStad. Boer
scouts have gone Jul Ladysmith
land have appeared at Dew Dorp and
Iother places on General Buffers TANKS
land rear. The officers of Buffers ir-
regular horse estimate the Beers in
Natal as $4,000, but these figures are
probably excessive, 10000 being regard
ed here as the outside number.
After General Harris brigade leaves
him, Gen. Butler will still have close
upon 80, 900 men. 1t is generally as
Isumed that this brigade is going to
Join Lord Roberts, but it's destination
lis really unknown.
The Beers have issued a note to Por-
ltugal regarding the use by the British
lof the Beira route for the t~ranSporta-
ltion of troops to RhodeSia and this may
Iif the Beers act against Portugal, lead
lGreat Britain to and troops at LOU
reno Marques. This possibility has
been seriously discussed and is referr-
ed to at length in the morning papers
to-day.
The work of the Boer peace commits
sioners has begun. Mr.. Fischer has
asked Italy to intervene, and the Ital-
ian minister of foreign affairs, the
Marquis di ViSconti-VenoSta, has re-
piled that while he would receive the
ENJOYS the best he could do would be
Ito transmit their proposals to London,
thus following the course of the Unit
ed States.
1t is calculated that Lord Roberts
has PA, 600 effective men with "a, 900
afioat or under orders. The war office
has instructed officers not to take any
more expanding bullets to Africa for
|revolvers.
Hildyard Steyn, brother of President
Steyn, during the course of an inter-
view at B~loemfontein, said: 1.-The or
Iiginal war plan of the Beers was to
overrun all Cape Colony, but on be-
oming involved in the seiges of KIM
berley and L~adysmith the burghers
found the design spoiled. To his 1
attribute the Boer failure to conquer
the British. 1 expect the war to last
until Christmas"
Pretoria, April ia heavy
ade was heard this morning in the di-
Erection of Bultfontein, situated mid
way between Winburg and Boshow, in
the Orange Free State, and north of
lBrandfort.
Pretoria, Wednesday, April lad
vices from Wepener, where a British
force is surrounded, say the battle
continues favorable to the federals.
ABOUT 1,500 British troops are said to
Ibe there.
Pretoria, April 12.-AdviceS from
the Boer headquarters in Natal say
that after a heavy bombardment the
british are retiring in the direction of
IL~adysmith and the federals are going
to their old positions.
Bloemfontein, APRIL 11.-According
to information received here the Boer
activity eastward of the railroad and
lin proximity to the border is largely
due to the fact that Presidents Kruger
land Steyn have found they are unable
to keep their forces together in mac
ltivity, the burghers declaring they are
unwilling to remain with their COM
lmandS unless actively employed, as
they are convinced the British game is
Ia waiting one. 1t is believed the Boer
movement was originally designed to
loblige Lord Roberts to weaken his
force at Bloemfontein in order to pro-
Itect the railroad, when the Beers
would have attempted to recapture the
lcapital; but the burghers are evident
lly ignorant Of the enormous forces
Lord Roberts hassat his disposal.
AdviceS from Kaar siding say the
Beers are busily entrenching their
position east of Brandfort, running
parallel with the railroad, While still
strongly holding the Waterfall drift
lwaterworks.
Pretoria, April 1.-THE Free State
Gazette publishes orders to the effect
that no person who has been COM
mandeered for active service has the
fright to send a substitute without the
lconsent of the Landrost.
In reference to leaves of absence the
Gazette says that 10 per cent. of each
command will be relieved by ballot for
periods of twelve days. This is in
tended to meet the wishes of the burg
hers desiring to plant their crops
Cape Town., April 12.-The British
steamer Monterey, Captain Parry,
(which sailed from Halifax, March 18th
with Lord S~trathconia and Mount
Royals contingent of Canadian troops
on board, has arrived here.
London, April ia dispatch to The
Daily Mail from LCurenzo MARQUES
dated Thursday, says: 1T is reported
from Pretoria that a Boer commando
is moving through Basutoland. This is
said to be a clever rus to draw the
British away from Wepener. About
2 900 foreigners constitute the new for
leign legion at Pretoria"
Aliwal North, April 12.-News from
Boer sources at Wepener officially
communicated. says that four Boer
guns have been disabled and four
Commands killed or wounded.
On Tuesday night the British made
la sortie, capturing a Boer gun an
taking some prisoners.
London, April 13.-The Bloemfontein
correspondent of the Times telegraph
ing, says: 1.-The latest news is that
Dalgety's force occupies a po-
sition outside Wepener, while the
commando occupies the town