Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-19
LORD ROBERTS ADVANCING.

The dispatches from South Africa in
dictate thai Lord Roberts has succeed
ed admirably In his plans for the In
watson OF the Orange Free State. The
Beers under General Cronje have been
driven from their positions between
Magersfonteln and Jaeobsdal with
Kimberley relieved. the next move
should be towards the capital OF the
Free state Kip Drift, on the Modder
river Is ninety miles west Of Bloemfon-
teln, and the country between is a
veldt.
The advance cannot be very rapid,
though. Probably Lord Roberts win
have to Keep to the railroad from Coles
burg north, rather than march through
the open country eastward. In that
case he must seize and operate the
road, mend the track and defend It, as
he advance Tho Beers as they fall
back, will Of course destroy the road,
and do al the damage they can TO the
road beds the advance toward Bloem-
fonteln must necessarily be slow To
abandon the railroad track will be i'm
PRACTICABLE. because an army Of the
size now under General Roberts cannot
easily be provisioned by means Of
wagon trains.
From Bloemfonteln the road leads to
Pretoria. the capital Of the Transyaal
The distance Is a little more than three
hundred miles The intervening coun-
try Is said TO be level, sometimes a
desert Forage and provisions are
scant. and viii be rendered more scant
still, by the Beers devastating their
own country as they fan back from the
overwhelming numbers Of invaders.
Undoubtedly the real war in South
Africa has now commenced. II win be
fought along the line the key to which
is now In the hands Of the British COM
mander. II looks as II General Jou-
bert cannot too hastily withdraw from
the region u Ladysmith, so as not to
be caught between two forces and fin
ally enclosed In the mountain passes
through which he descended into Natal.
Those whose sympathies naturally are
with the Beers in their struggle for In
dependchce may at first regret the
turn q events. But on second thought
they VIII perhaps feel thankful that
the end q, The war Is brought nearer by
every telling victory. II should be plain
TO all thar only by a miracle, or by some
gigantic upheayal in European politics,
which would itself amount to a calam-
ity, can the two African Republics be
saved from the power OF the British
empire. Had Lord Roberts been de-
feated, OF met with reverse at Modder
river. this would only have prolonged
struggle which has already cost too
much blood and property In the in
terest OF humanity and civilization. the
desire must be general for a cessation
Of the african war. But It can only end
with the British masters over the sltua-
ton. unless, indeed, something not In
view now takes place,
Behind all the minor questions Of con-
troversy which came up before the out
break Of hostlltles is the great one,
which flag is to be supreme In South
Africa. That is the matter In eoutro-
versy. Undoubtedly when the war Is
decided IN favor Of the colors OF Great
Britain. the Beers viii be in the enjoy
ment OF as many rights and privileges
as they have now under their own flag
There are thousands OF them living all
over British territory. and they do not
seem to have risen In great numbers to
help their friends In the two republics.