Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-04-19
AN. EARLY ADVANCE
PROMISED By ROBERTS IN MES,
SAGE TO PRINCE OF WALES.


/ GUS Boer Commanders Likely to-
| Come to Grief-Fcace Commissions
! ers Ask Italy to Intervene.
London, April l4.-In a roundabout
way London hears that Lord Roberts,
when wiring to ..a prince of Wales at
Copenhagen, congratula ions upon his
escape from assassination, added hope
full sentences portending an early ad-
vance With Il wide change in opera
lions. Quiet assurances are expressed
among military lien that Lord Roberts
is employing H.: great army effective
ly. and that the adventurous Boer com"
mandoes are Likely to be emersed.
Scraps of news retailed here and
there - have reached England over
comparatively Idle cables, but they do
not illuminate the situation. The
colonials at Wepener still hold off the
eastward until he is within eighty
miles of Kroonstad. Boer scouts have
gone around Ladysmith and have APP
peared at Dewdrop and other places
on Gen. Buffers flank and rear. Of
ficers of Buffers irregular horse esti-
mate the Beers in Natal at $4,000, but
these figures are probably excessive,
10000 being regarded here as the out
side number. After Gen. Harris brig
ade leaves him, Gen. Butler will still
have close upon $4,000 men. 1t is
generally understood that this brig
ade is going to join Lord Roberts, but
it's real destination is unknown. The
Boer note to Portugal regarding the
use of the Beira route for the trans
portation of troops to Rhodesia. may,
if the Beers act against Portugal, lead
Great Britain to land troops at Lou
reno Marques. This possibility has
been seriously discussed and is re-
ferred to at length in the morning pa
pers to-day. The work of the Roer
Peace commissioners has begun. Mr..
Fischer has
I Asked Italy to Intervene
and the Italian minister Of foreign af'
fairs has replied that while he would
receive the envUES, the best he could
do would be TO transmit their proIos-
ais to Londn:1, thus following the
course of the United States. Sir Al
fred Miner. when replying to depu-
tation of loyalists at Cape Town yes
terday, said: Never again must be
the motto of all thinking and humane
men. but not from lust OF conquest or
a desire to trample on the gallant. 1t
misguided. There must be no compro-
mise of half-work in settlement or no
opportunity for misunderstanding, in
trigue. the revival Of impossible am
billions or the accumula ton of enor-
nous ornaments. The British will no
longer tolerate dissimilar and antago>
nistic political systems in a country
where nature and history have de-
clared to be one"
| In these absolute utterances Of Sir
Alfred Miner he speaks for the I'M.
perial government. 1t is calculated
that Lord Roberts now has pa, 600 eff
fective troops, with 10000 more af1oat
or under orders. The war office has
| instructed officers not to take any more
expanding bullets to South Africa for
revolver Dractic.
Hillyer Steyn, brother of President
Steyn, in an interview at Bloemfon-
tein. said: 1.-THE original plan of the
Beers was to overrun all Cape Colony,
but upon becoming involved in the.
sieges of Kimberley and Ladysmith
the burghers found the design spoiled.
To this 1 attribute the l3oer failure to-
to last until Christmas
The sixth month of the war is be-
ginning With eastertide and the morn
ing paper editorials eXpiate upon the
need of stubbornness.
Situation at Wepener.
London, April 1.-THE Bloemfontein
correspondent of the Times, telegraph
ing Thursday. says: '"The latest news
is that Col. Dalgetty's force occupies
a position outside Wepener, while the
Rockville commando occupies the
town itself. The pressure there should
be partially relieved within the next
twenty four hours. Lieut.. Nix. the
Dutch military attache who was
wounded at Kroonspruit, died to-day
under an operation"
Boer Gupns Disabled.
Aliwalnorth, April 14.-News from a
Boer source at Wepener, officially
communicated, says that four Boer
guns have been disabled and four COM
mandants killed or wounded. On
Tuesday night the British made
sortie, capturing a Boer gun and TAX
ing some prisoners.
Roberts Saves His Men and Horses.
London, April 14-The Bloemfontcin
correspondent Of the Daily Telegraph,
telegraphing wednesday. says: Lord
Roberts wisely declines to exhaust his
men and horses in hunting the elusive
Beers until his preparations are COM
plete. He will leave to the enemy the
barren confort of the occupation OF a
few farms for short time.