The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-24
GROWTH OF The INVASION
The Beers Said to Be Playing
Havoc in Cape Colony.

Tendon Discouraged over the south
African Observation-Disclosures Reap
pear in the Richmond District.
English COrrespondents' Comment
LONDON. June 24--DesPatches from
Cape Town announce that bands of invad-
ing Boers have reappeared in the Rich
Tnoad district OF Cape Colony and serious
depredations are feared The number Of
the invaders is not stated. but the force
IS believed to he quite a formidable one.
In London the South African situation
IS regarded as little short Of ominous. for
whatever the British forces may have &C
compiished in the gradual reduction of
the bursher armies and supplies during
the month past. the general situation has
been scarcely altered since the end Of May.
The reports received from English cores
pondents may be taken to represent the
condition of affairs at the present time as
accurately as when they left Cape Town
The correspondent Of the Daily Mall
at Cape Town sends a statement that is
calculated to dispirit the most optimistic
Englishman, if it can be regarded as well
founded The letter was written about
three weeks ago, and in it the writer
says:
The Boer invasion of Cape Colony is
developing in a rather serious manner
The Boer bands are getting recruits. and,
what is more. they are getting horses.
They picked up no fewer than 500 at the
remOunt camp near CoIesberg less than
a week ago The invaders are swarming
ali over the Eastern and Midlands dis
tricts. They number anywhere from
1000 TO I0o00. and are having a merry
time. They wreck trains. Kill coIonists,
and play havoc generally
Recording the capture and sacking Of
Jamestown by the invaders this CORE
sp0ndent says the amazing feature of the
incident is that jamestown is compare
lively close to AIiTaI North. where there
were $500 British troops and an abund-
ance Of guns and transport He con-
tinUes:
a glance at the map viii show that a
large portion of the Colony Is virtually
in the hands Of the enemy. From Dor
drecht to WiIlOwm0rc and across to Ken
hardt and on to NamaquaIand the BOer is
the man in possession The slow prog
ress of the campaign from the British
point of view causes deep dissatisfaction.
The authorities allow next TO no news to
be published, and it is only by interview
ing recent arrivals from the front that
one can get any real conception OF what
IS taking place"
The correspondent of the Standard
writing from Pretoria under date Of May
81, speaks in almost as gloomy vein in
regard to the operations Of Cen Sir Bin
don BLOOD IN the northeast TransvaaI-
He says:
General BIoods movement cannot fair
y be regarded as having proved in the
main that the intention was altogether
abOrtive. This IS faint praise bestowed
on the operations. while the correspondent
admits further on that # the primary OBJ
Jet was to enclose Commandment General
BOtha, Il was frustrated al the very out
set
After describing the scheme, which
alone seemed TO offer hope of success, the
correspondent writes
Unfortunately. we Go not appear TO
have troops available for 50 huge move
ment- Quite $1,000 men. half of them
mounted infantry and cavalry. would be
required to cover the vast area described
Where the 24G000 odd men now in South
Africa are distributed is a mystery to all
except those at headquarters But the
enormous extent of country now held BY
Us. the large number OF posts and the very
extensive lines OF communication which
II IS necessary to maintain and the mill
taTy operations from one end of the colIn-
try TO the other doubtless explain the
paUcity of men available for action on a
large scale. Lord Kitchener nigh. have
100000 additional men at his disposal. and
Yet have none TOO many to spare for mo-
bile work"