Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-04-19
hAFtK|NG'S VERY SLIM HOPE
Is Gen. Carrington's Southern
Movement.
ROBERTS WILL SEND NO HELP.
Thinks Mafeking Is Not Worth the
Effort to Save It-Massing for -
March-Hoers Adopt Now TactIcs-
Dutch Strategy.

London, April 1G.-Mafeking, hard
pressed on every side by the Beers,
| and almost at the point of starvation,
has now left but one hope of relief.
This is through Gen. Carrington's
somewhat mysterious movement from
the north. Private kilograms from
Bloemfontein received in London state
that Lord Roberts has determined to
send no further troops from the south
to the succor of Baden-Powell's heroic
garrison. Lord Methuen's force will
probably be either recalled to Bloem-
fontein to take part in Lord Roberts
general movement toward Pretoria or
will be directed to keep the Beers in
check near Kroonstad until the general
move begins. Lord Roberts, it Is ar
gued by war experts in London. has
come to the conclusion that Mafeking
is not worth the effort necessary to
save it. He would have to send 5000
men at least to accomplish the task,
and even then might fail. Gen. Car
hardy bushmen. A month ago this
force was in Beira. From Baira to
Umtali Is about two days journey by
rail. From Umtali to Fort Tuli it is
$50 miles march over an accessible
country. From Fort Tuli to Mafeking
the distance is barely $50 miles. with
a railroad most of the way. Practical
ly nothing has been heard of for nearly
a month, but the supposition is that 1t
is moving toward Mafeking and will
swoop down upon the investing Beers
any day. Still. nothing is certain about
it, and many things would surprise
London more than the fall of Mafeking,
this notwithstanding the undoubted
confidence in Baden-Powell.
The only weak point in the British
campaign is Mafeking. Veterans here
are anxious about the fate Of the garri-
son and are unable to perceive how
Gen. Darlington can relieve it without
a march of 500 miles, which will take
up many weeks. The closest observers
are not convinced that this attempt
will be made, but are disposed to be-
lieve that his force will be employed
exclusively on the northern frontier.
No further results of the change OF
Boer tactics in the Free State are re-
ported. Gen. Roberts holds the rail-
way line in great strength from Nor
walls Pont to the Modder river, and is
not diverted eastward or westward by
the Dutch strategy He is saving his
horses for march northward, and al
lows the raiders to hang upon his east
ern flank from Wepener and Smith
field to Thabanchu and Winburg.
The report wired to Bloemfontein
that London is feeling uneasy about its
safety seems to have stirred up the
Free State capital considerably. Re-
Carding the situation there Julian
Ralph sends to the Daily Mail this sig
nificant message:
"A dispatch to todays Friend says
the absence Of news from Bloemfon-
tein. Bless all your dear hearts. We
are as safe as you. In a word, we are
all right Bloemfontein, always the
capital, but always a village, now has a
normal population of about 1000
swollen by the influx of troops. In
consequence the pavements are crowd
ed. The streets roar with the army
wagons.
The Bloemfontein correspondent OF
tnlf ypsy hi on
Thursday. says: The enemy has evil
IDENTIFY determined to adopt entirely
new tactics. Two columns are known
to be moving to the south of Bloemfon-
tein. They are relying on Cape carts
fer transport and are carrying scarcely
any forage and only sufficient food to
meet the immediate requirements OF
the convoy, with OK transports follow
ing at a secure distance. The Boer
columns are thus enabled to move al
most as quickly as cavalry. 1t is re
ported that there are 5000 Beers to the
south of Dewetsdorp. The force ex-
tends from that point to Odendahl. The
burghers who had returned to their
farms are undoubtedly rejoining the
enemy. Lord Roberts has appointed
the Duke of Marlborough to be asss-
tant military secretary at headquar-
ters"
The fighting at Wepener appears to
have resulted in the complete discom-
future of the Beers Unofficial tee
grams even go so far as to say that
the raiders have retreated northward,
one gun and several prisoners falling
into the hands of the garrison after
a successful sortie on Tuesday night.