Evening star., 1901-12-31
THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

The war between the British and the
Beers dragged slowly along during the
year without any marked evidences OF
prospect OF peace in the near future. The
Beers, under Gen. Louis Botha, adopted
system of guerrilla warfare which was ex-
ceedingly annoying to the British. Lord
Kitchener adopted the plan of concentrat-
ing the peaceful population In camps to
prevent their giving aid to the men in the
field and established q system Of block
houses to circumyent the belligerents. His
plans were in many respects similar to
those adopted by the Spaniards in Cuba.
The mortality In the South African camps
was very high. particularly among the chii-
dren. By q process OF attrition Lord Kitch-
Boer resistance until they finally have to
make terms of peace. On several occasions
rumors of peace negotiations were sent
out from South Africa, but nothing def
mite ever came Of them.
Lord Roberts returned to England from
South Africa early In the year, and was
received with rejoicing: an earIdom was
bestowed upon him, to descend to his
Miner as governor OF the Transvaal and
Maj. H. j. Gould-Adams as lieutenant gov
ernor of the Orange River Colony were an
nounced In London.
The Boer raid on Cape Colony was ad-
vanced to such point that British fears
for the safety Of Cape Town were aroused
and a force Of sailors landed and dug in
tren chmentS.
steyn and De Wet, for the Beers in the
field. issued proclamation accusing the
British OF atrocities and announcing their
determipation to continue the war; Lord
Kitchener had narrow escape from death
or capture, the Beers destroying a section
OF the train on which he was travelling. Sir
Alfred Miner, In an official dispatch In
April, said that the Beers had made notable
gains in the last six months.
The British budget asked nerpofcsfor 10
borrow $500, 600 ,O00 and increased the taxes
on nearly everything except spirits and to-
bacco.
Sharp fighting occurred In the early part
OF the year. The Beers won in q brush
near Vlakfontein, near Pretoria. the Brit
tsh losing ffty-seven killed and 12I wound
ed. They captured the British post at Med
dersfontein. Transvaal. 1t was announced
that the British war Office would at once
send 10000 additional troops to South
Africa
Beers captured train with 11s men at
Scheepers, Cape Colony. and won an all
night fight near Cradock, In the same col
ony, In the latter part of July.
Lord Salisbury. in speech at London,
July 10. warned England that her supreme
crisis had come In the Transvaal war, and
that unless 1t were carried to successful
issue in every respect England would be in
danger Of losing all her outlying territory.
During the latter part of the year the
Boer resistance was less pronounced, but
there were occasional instances where they
showed something of the energy which
marked their operations during the latter
part Of 1900 and the beginning of the pres
ent year..
Abortive attempts to secure Intervention
were made by radical members In several
Of the pariiaments of Europe but nothing
tangible came Of them.
Representatives Of the Boer government
asked FOR an injunction to prevent the sail
ing Of the steamer Anglo-Austrian> from
New Orleans with a cargo of mules for the
British army. but the courts held that they
were not contraband Of war;
Nearly 200 British were captured and
number killed by Beers at Scheeper's Mex,
Natal. Beers captured a company Of Brit
ish mounted infantry and two guns at
Vlakfontein. in the Transvaal