Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-01-03
KITCHENER HOPEFUL
Believes the Cape Colony In.
vasion Checked.
FEELING NOT SHARED In LONDGN
De Vets Raid Thought to he II
Well Planned and Serious AZ
fair-COm IN unicationW With
BlOemfOntein Cut OF.

LONDON, Dec. 24.--I.ord X NtcS"n""'.
dispatches, breathing II confidence hard. y
justified by their contents. are almost
the only available news from the seat OF
hostilities in South Africa, but telegrams
from Cape Town depict the situation in
ANYTHING but roseate views.
Without believing the assertion of the
Transvaal agency in Brussels that 5000
Beers have invaded Cape Colony, il i
quite evident that the invasion was Il Sc.
rious and well planned affair.
The Cape Colony cabinet had an i'm
portant sitting yesterday. 1t appears that
the Beers have destroyed Il railway
bridge 80 feet long about II miles south
of DE Aar and that no Cape mails have
arrived at Bloemfonten for three days.
Further anxiety has been caused in
Cape Town by the discovery thai during
the last two months public bodies in out
of the way places have requisitioncd sup
plies of dynamite The colonial govern
ment is now endeavoring to recover spos
session of these explosives and is remov-
ing all stores of arms and ammunition
from suspected depots.
Other advices from Cape Town repre-
sent the Dutch element in Cape Colony
as greatly eldted over the southwark
progress of the Beers and as boasting
that the whole district of Victoria West
will join the raiders. 1t is suspected in
Cape Town that the force travelling from
Zoutpan's drift is not body of Beers.
but one of coonials fastening to join the
invaders.
The pietcrmaritzburg correspondent of
The Daily Mail says:
1.-The Beers are active between Iohan-
nesburg and Pretoria, exchanging shots
with the British outposts. and it is re-
ported that parties of Beers are lowering
around Johannesburg
The war office has received the follow
ing dispatch from Lord Kitchener, dated
Pretoria, Dee. %:
$50 far as it is possible for me to form
an opinion from the reports of officers on
the spot. l think the Bocr movement into
Cape Colony has been checked. OF the
two forces that entered the colony. the
eastern is still north of the Zoutpansberg
range. while the one that entered west
appears to have been turned in the direc-
ton Of Britstown and Prieska. Our
troops are getting around both bodies.
and a special column is also being or
ganized which will be dispatched imme-
diatcly when | know where its services
are most wanted.
'''The Beers here have not received
much assistance in Cape Colony, so far
as my Information goes. We have armed
some of the colonists, who are assist ng
our forces. Railway and telegraph COM
munication has been much interrupted
by the very bad weather.
''De Wet is in the neighborhood of
Senekal General French. in conjunction
with General Clements. attacked force
under Beyers south of the Mngaliesbcrs
The Beers broke away in II southwester-
ly direction toward Potchcfstroom and
were followed by General Gordon with Il
column of French's force.
Yesterday evening about ) O'Clock
Clements force was engaged south of
Oliphant's mex, but | do not yet know
the result"
y later dispatch from Lord Kitchener
dated Pretoria. Dec. 22. says:
"Thc western column of Beers occu-
pied Britstown and cut the railway south
of De Aar Junction. The enemy is he
ing followed up"