The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-05
RUMORS TO BOOM SOUTH AT
RICAN STOCK.
OPINION OF WAR OFFICE
While Hopeful Does Not Share
Optimism That Prevails
Among Public.

London, March 2-The wal in South
Africa has again reached a stage
which the British newspaper critics
are pleased to call the v Of the ter
mination. The rumor Of the surren-
der of General Botha and the collapse
of all Boer resistance are fourished to
the great benefit Of South African
stocks.
That those who were most RESPONSE
BILE for carr lying Oh the war do not
share this optimism is perfectly appar-
ent from Mr., Brodrick's official utter
ance and the conversation of his col
leagues, including Lord Roberts.
Their carefully prepared campaign Of
thorough organization which has been
quietly maturing during the past six
months is beginning to have it's first
results and they are perfectly satisfied.
The concentration Of troops referred
to so systematically by the correspon-
dents at the front is only one Of the
many steps for which General Kitch-
ener has SO long been preparing. That
it will lead to the complete d%islnte-
grafton Of the more important Boer
units and possibly to the personal sur
render Of Generals Botha and DeWet,
the British war Office earnestly hopes.
But it does not 60 so far as to expect
it. General Kitchener is almost as
reticent towards his confidants in Pail
Mall as the general public. When he
has taken General Botha into his
camp the war office expects to hear Of
it, but not before.
AS a war Office official said to a
representative Of the Associated Press,
grimly: "Armistices are not ir
Kitchener's line"
The meeting Of Lord Kitchener and
sir Alfred Miner at Pretoria, proba-
bly, occurring Sunday, is generally
taken as likely to result in the estab-
lishment Of a more permanent form of
civil government in which the severi-
ties of martial law will be somewhat
tempered in several sections c" the
country. But neither in London nor
in South Africa are the British Off
Gals shutting 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
DeWet has departed from him. In
dispatches and editorials he is now be-
Titled as a disappointed raider, desert
ed by his own men and venting his
fruitless anger by skjamboking his
reluctant handful of followers. Cal
mer observers, especially officials who
have returned from the front, are in
clined to fear that the elusive Boe1
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
formidable in numbers, may still be
particularly formidable in execution.
The false announcement Of General
Botha's surrender Thursday, will be a
mater for discussion in the house OF
commons, and practically the fact
which accompanied the ~asseveration
that it was official. This statement
has given rise to many editorials com
menting upon the deception and unre.
liability of sections of the British
press, comparing the latest example
with the notorious Pekin massacre
reports.