River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-05-31
NAY SUE FOR PEACE.
President Kruger Submits Question
to His Subjects
Asks Them TO Decide Between Sur.
render and Continuing the Wnr
british Forces Enter the
TransvaaI.

London, May President Kruger,
according to special dispatch from
Newcastle, has issued proclamation
asking the Transyaal burghers to no
tify him whether they desire to con-
tinue the fight or TO sue for peace.
President Kruger's proclamation is
understood to say that they can quit
now with the prospect of retaining
their farms. or continue to the bitter
end. Rumors are current in Lord
Roberts army that the Beers intend
to surrender.
A dispatch from Lourenzo Marques
says: Gen. Lucas Meyer says sur
render would be at once proposed by
the Beers but that everybody fears
the ignominy of being the one to
make the proposal He declares that
he is assured that his men will not
stand President Steyn and Mr.. Reitz
the Transvaal state secretary, are
strongly opposed to peace, but Mr..
Kruger is not so much against it,
While Lord Roberts 10000 infantry,
20, 900 horse and $50 guns are moving
on johannesburg and Pretoria,
through a parched and deserted coun-
try. the situation at the Transvaal
capital. as it was last Friday, is thus
described by an observer who sent his
message by private hand to Lourenzo
Marques yesterday:
''The situation both from military and
a political point of view has become very
critical President Kruger yesterday adj
mitted that for the first time matters are
very grave. The Boer determination is TO
trust everything to a last stand on the
Cats rand mountains. TO the north OF
Potchefstroom where 200 kaffirs are dig
ging trenches. TO that point every avail
able man and gun have been sent. the
whole of the western border of the Trans
vaal from end to end is defenseless ana
Gen Baden-Powell can march in when he
likes Lord Roberts, on the other hand,
will encounter the greatest resistance The
Boer endeavor is to lure the British into APP
pearing to threaten johannesburg with at
tack, an excuse thus being given them forthe
destruction of property. The TransVaal
government will not dare destroy the mines
and property without an excuse. Much
dynamite has been sent Down the line, and
l60,0 900 cases lie ready at Zuurfonteln. near
johannesburg. Gen. Louis Botha and Gen
Lucas Meyer have pleaded for the preser-
walton of property. Both are large landed
proprietors and fear confscation, but they
have not received satisfactory replies from
President Kruger
Enters the TrnnsvaRI
Kroonstad, May 2S.-Gen. Hamilton
has invaded the Transvaal, having
crossed at Wonderfontein drift.
London, May 2s.-The war office has
received the following from Lord Rob-
erts:
"Vereeniging. Sunday, May 81 We
crossed the Vaal this morning and are now
encamped on the north bank. The advance
troops which crossed yesterday, were only
lust in time to save the coal mines on both
this and the other side of the river from
being destroyed. Our casualties were four
Baden-Powcl reports that the railway be-
tween Mafeking and Buluwayo has been
restored and that supplies are being brought
into Mafeking. He says the Canadian ar
tillery Joined Col. Plumer from Beira with
incredible rapidly. Lieut.. Weber was
taken prisoner al Hebron few days ago
He went there on telegraph duty 1t was
not known that our troops had been tenn
porarily withdrawn"
London, May 2S.-When Lord Rob
erts wrote his first dispatch on Trans
vaal territory yesterday, shortly before
two o'clock in the afternoon, he was
81 miles from johannesburg and II
from Pretoria. His immensely supe-
rior forces had passed the Naal river
their last great natural obstacle, at
three points. The Naal forms a curve
of SO miles from Parys on the west
to Zand drift on the east. The concave
of the curve is toward the Free State.
Thus Lord Roberts. advancing along
the railway, was in a position to strike
any part of the crescent by shorter
lines than those by which the Beers
could reinforce the threatened points.
The Beers retreated almost without
show of defense. Gen. French and Gen
Hamilton apparently did not fire
shot OF Lord Roberts immediate
force, II men belonging to the Eighth
mounted infantry were the first to ford
the river. They came upon a Boer pa
troll looting Niljoen's drift, and Skin
mish lasting ten minutes followed.
Two hundred Beers tried feebly to hold
the Nereenigning colliery, but they
were dislodged.