Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-25
LONDON COMMENT on WAR NEWS.
'onic Critics Think Boers Are Hemmed
in at Wepener.

LONDON. April -. 1::s5 p.m.-The inde-
fisive actions and slow progress of Cen
frals Hart and Brabaut are relatively un-
| Important when compared with the prog
Tess of General French. 1t is now evident
| hat Lord Roberts wishes not only to de-
feat the Beers. but to pen them in as at
Paardeberg. To this end 10000 British
roops are concentrating in the southeast
frn portion of the Orange Free State and
pre- operating according to carefully de-
Used plans. in which the delaS may be es
fnuch due to strategy as TO necessity. The
Success Of this important movement almost
Entirely depends on General French If
pc can sweep down from the north with the
fapidity of execution which he displayed
ft Kimberley and Paardeberg he will ef-
feet the same swift, sudden transformation
(Which followed the cavalry evolutions two
months ago. According to last accounts
te was pushing on successfully.
Beers May BE Trapped.
Every day the Beers remain at Wepener
Improves General French's chance of sue
[ess- To put girdle around the 25.o00
Beers estimated 70 be in the southeastern
part Of the Orange Free State Lord Rob
|rts has evidently taken large chances.
z
kuh, some declaring it is already Impossible
for the Boers to escape from the net, while
others reserve their opinion until more def
ftte news Of General Frenchs progress IS
deceived. There is a general impression
tbat the main advance upon Pretoria will
pe taken up without any reconcentra tion
kt Bloemfontein. as with more than half
he British army stretched In echeIon across
he nro
Directions would indefinitely delay the ac-
tomplishment Of Lord Roberts main OBJ
bective.
The news received today has little bear
Eg upon the question Of the hour.
A dispatch from Durham, dated TUESDAY.
kpril ~. reports that Gen Lucas Meyer is
fead. but that the general is known to have
Peen well on the previous day.
A BOer version Of the recent British at
lack at Fourteen Streams says that two
Boers were killed and four wounded. Little
damage. II is added. was done TO the camp,
hough ii was vigorously bombarded.
The Ladysmith district is apparently still
Bnly marked by sniping and scouting
A Boer dispatch from Glencoe. Natal,
fated Tuesday. April a. says that four
fcouts surprised 800 British from Lady
Plight and captured two of them.
Anxiety as to MafeI<ing
The arrival OF Mafeking dispatches has
tenewed the Interest and anxiety in regard
10 the fate OF its defenders. Lady Sarah
wilson's account of the slaughter of the
! hree natives who went out from Mafeking
|ast Friday to recover some cattle which
bad been looted by the Beers. and who,
tyhile they were sleeping were surrounded
by the bgrghers and shot without quarter.
apparently harshly misrepresented the ac-
&ion OF the Beers A dispatch received by
/ he Associated Press from Mafekinp saws
! hat the natives in question were unau-
+horized raiders. and that Instead of being
futhlessly slaughtered by the Beers while
were obliged to get reinforcements of Max
ms and Noruenfeldts. The dispatch adds:
There was no question of surrender
rhe leader OF the natives, a tall, spare
man. rallied his men to the last and the
Fight progressed from the rising to the
Sinking OF the sun. Those twenty-five Fin
Boes. armed with obsolete rifles, Tough,
with grim desperation. Machine guns and
Nausers poured shot and steel into theiI
nidst. Until their ammunition was finish.
ID. the natives fought, and then the Beers
killed all but one of them. who. wounded
bid In the reeds and escaped.
Complaint Of General Snyman.
Gen Snyman complained of Col. Baden.