The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-27
Both Belligerents Preparing for
Final Struggle.
LONG SIEGE TO COME.
Kruger Is Still Strengthening
Defenses at Pretoria
While Preparing to Contest
Roberts Advance.

war office has been silent for "a hours
and the press dispatches add little 10
ahe sum of public knowledge respecting
the campaign. There are rumors that
the Beers are intrenching heavily at
KrOonsdad and Biggarsberg and that
Lord Roberts and Sir RedVers Butler
will be strongly opposed and Pretoria
dispatches assert that the Notifications
there have been extended in view of a
prolonged siege. These reports are not
accepted by military experts here as
conclusive evidence that the war will be
prolonged beyond the middle of May
1t is believed that Lord Roberts, when
he is prepared to advance, VIII be able
TO turn the enemy'S position without
attacking it in front and that the in
trenching now in progress viii be OF no
practical utility. General Buffers op-
erations may be more costly, as the
country in which he will operate IS
most unfaVorable for an attack The
reasons for the long halt at BloemfOn-
tein and at LadySmlth are not under
stood, but it is evident that there will
be corporations between the two forces
and it is also probable that the third
column from Mafeking will be avail
able.
The strength of the Beers in the final
campaign in the Transvaal is estimated
by cool observers at $4,000, but these
figures are considered too low by the
military authorities here. They assume
that President Kruger will have 1000
burghers in arms for the fighting in the
last ditch. This official estimate is not
based upon the census or the election
returns, but provides a more impressive
background for the British operations
with an army of 100000 men,
Cecil Rhodes controversies with the
military authorities have armed his
enemies with resources for renewing
their warfare upon him when he arrives
in England His friends regret some of
his indiscretiOns and are disposed to
criticize him for telling much super
huous truth about the management of
the pamn9lgn nv Generals F81l1RT. and
Methuen-
Parliament is mainly occupied with
financial measures and the debates are
stagnant. Mr.. Raifour agreed .yester-
day to the appointment Of a committee
OF inquiry respecting the alleged scan
dals in the army contracts, but the eVi-
dence is not strong and it is not prob
able that the war office will be con-
WINGED Of any serious miSmanagem
of the immense business transacted
since September.
AN OCCASIONAL SKIRMISH.
London, March 27.-Reconnaissance
of slight Importance continue to be the
only features of the war in South Africa.
Lord Roberts wires to the war Office as
"Bloemfontein, Monday, March 26.-
Captain Sloane-Stanley, of the Sixteenth
Lancers, was slightly wounded in an af-
fair of outposts. north of the Modder
river. March %"
This bare statement is all that the
commander-in-chi says.
A dispatch dated Monday the 26th,
and published in the second edition of
the Times amplifies Lord Roberts dis
patch as follows:
"A cavalry reconnaissance was made
yesterday towards BrandfOrt. The Six
teenth Lancers, by skirmishing. drove
the Beers from their position into the
open, when the Ninth Lancers attempt
ed to outfiank the enemy while they
were engaged from the front by a dis
mounted section of the Sixteenth. Our
ra fng q d7-p Aa1 70 he
dispatch from Mazer, BasutOland,
dated 26th. says; THE BasutOland gov
ernment is busy collecting natives to be
employed at BlOemfOntein in repairing
and laying rails. The natives report
that the Free Staters on the border of
Basutoland have refused to go to Kroon-
stadt and are staying on their farms,
as it is now the plOughing season and
they are inclined to keep their land and
submit rather than give it up and
fight.
Boer reports from Natal show no de-
VelOpmentS of Importance have occur
red there up to March 23 A dispatch
from the Boer camp at Glencoe dated
March %, says: mo attack is expected
to be made on the Boer forces in Natal
Generals BOtha and Meyer have been
Joined by their wives. Pretorias. with
a patrol, got between an advance
guard of Lancers and its main body
March p. one Lancer, who refused to
surrendeP, was shot.
General Botha denies the reports
that TransVaal women were wounded
in the Tugela trenches. General Butler
has sent the Beers a list of their
wounded, stating that he buried sixty
men. General BOtha says this is impOs-
sible, as his rolls do not show any such
loss"
a Ladysmith special says: '.BOer
patrols endeavored to trap a party of
the Thirteenth Hussars March % at
Waschbank. A hot chase ensued. Sew
eral Beers We're wounded"
The same dispatch says: "A printed
document has been found giving the
Boer losses at Spion KOp at over $500
but this can scarcely be credited"
Advices today from Cape Town say:
'Rains are general throughout South
Africa and rivers which have been dry
for years are being flooded. Many
camps are transferred into swamps.
This viii still more initiate against an
immediate British advance.
Sickness among the BOer prisoners
on the transports is increasing Three
deaths occurred March 26 The bodies
were buried by the British with the
Transvaal flag on the collins, the lead
ing Dutch Of SimonstoWn attending the
funeral Typhoid alone claims 100 vic
tins among the prisoners and the pop
ulation OF Simonstown wear an epidem-
ic.
"A meeting of the bund was held at
Paarl March 26, and was attended by
several members of the Cape assembly
1t passed resolutions regretting that the
Cape government was not consulted be-
IOfe the war and declaring that any set
tlement which did not respect the inde-
pendence of the republics would be det-
rimental to the highest interests of the
British empire. Mr.. Hargrove. the chief
speaker prophesied another war within
six years unless independence was
granted, and Assemblyman Marais
characterized the war as a continuation
Of the jameson raid"
Gen. White was presented with an ad-