The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-03
PEACE NOT YET IN SIGHT
BRITISH PUBLIC MORE OPTIMISTIC
THAN WAR OFFICIALS.
Nothing to Indicate that Botha In
tends 80 Lay Down His Arms
DE Wet No Longer a Hero.

LONDON, March L-lneIe mas Deen no
marked change In South African conditions
in the past week. De Wet is still at large.
though driven out of Cape Colony, and
Botha has not surrendered. as hoped. The
latest message from General Kitchener.
under date of Pretoria. March !, says:
de Wet has been forced north over the
Orange river, and is now clear of Cape
Colony Two hundred prisoners have been
taken, others, who we're stragglers. being
captured. Eighty men of Kitchener's fight
ing scouts were attacked by superior num-
bers, and after prolonged fight and sus-
tanning twenty casualties, surrendered
Notwithstanding official dispatches. Brit
ish newspaper critics are pleased TO think
the war is on the eve of termination. The
rumors of the surrender of General Botha
and the collapse of all Boer resistance
flourish, to the great benefit of South Az
rican stocks. That those who are most
responsible for carrying on the war do not
share this optimism is perfectly evident
from Mr.. Brodericks official utterances and
the conversation of his colleagues. includ-
ing Lord Roberts. Their carefully prepared
campaign OF thorough organization, which
has been quietly maturing during the past
six months, is beginning TO have its first
results, and they are perfectly satisfied.
The new concentration Of troops referred
to so enigmaticaliy by the correspondents
at the front is only one Of the many steps
for which General Kitchener has so long
been preparing. That it will lead to the
complete disintegration of the more i'm
Portant Boer units and possibly to the per-
sonai surrender OF Generals Botha and De
Wet the British War Office earnestly hopes,
but 1t does net go so far as TO expect II.
General Kitchener is almost as reticent
toward his chiefs in Pail Mall as to the
general public. When he has taken General
Botha into his camp the War Office expects
to hear Of 1t, but not before. As an Of
ficial said grimly. "Armistices are not in
kitchener's line"
The meeting OF General Kitchener and
Sir Alfred Miner at Pretoria, probably on
Sunday, is generally taken as likely to re-
suit in the establishment of a more perma-
nent form of civil government, in which
the seventies of martial law will be some
what tempered in several sections OF the
country. But neither in London nor I'm
South Africa are the British officials shut
ting their eyes to the fact that they have
a long job ahead of them, which can only
be lightened and by no means solved
through the victories over the Boer units.
The glory which the British press some
time ago showered on General De Wet has
departed from him. In dispatches and edi-
torials he is now belttled as a disappointed
raider deserted by his own men and vent
ing his fruitless anger by sjambocking his
reluctant handful of followers. Calmer OBJ
servers, especially officers who have re-
turned from the front, are inclined 10 fear
the elusive Boer leader Is merely under
a temporary cloud, from which he may be
expected at any moment to emerge, accom-
panied by a force which, though not for
midable in numbers will be particularly
formidable in execution.
The false announcement Of General
Botha's surrender on Thursday will be a
matter for discussion in the House of Com
mons, especially the fact which accom-
panied the asseveration, that it was Of
ficial This latest fake has given rise
to many editorials commenting OF the de-
terioration and unreliabiiity of sections Of
the British press, comparing the latest ex-
ample with the notorious Peking massacre
reports. The War Office has made con-
tract with an American merchant TO supply
three thousand Telling axes for the British
troops in South Africa.