The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-28
GRIM-VIsAGED LORD KITCHENER
DAILY TICETENS HIS GRIP IN
SOUTH AFRICA
BoTHA IS SAID TO HAVE QUIT
LONDON CHRONICLE PRINTS A RE-
PORT DETAILING THE COM
MANDANT'S SURRENDER
MORE CONFIDENT IN LONDON
War Office Relieves That the Pro-
tracted Struggle With the
South African Dutch Is
Nearing Its End

LONDON, Feb. 28.-The Daily Chron-
lclc, which has received a report which
1t relieves Trustworthy, put which it has
no means Of verifying, that Gen Botha
has surrendered to Lord Kitchener, says:
According TO an earlier report Gen.
Botha was to have been received in Lord
Kitchencr's camp about the end of this
week, but if the foregoing dispatch is
true, events have ripened With unex-
pccted rapidity''
Bennett Burleigh wires to the Daily
Telegraph from De Aar, under Tues
days date as follows: 1.-The Orange
river runs high. Our columns are tight
enfng their g.ip upon Steyn, Dewet and
Hertzcg, near Petrusville, and our pa
trolls have been engaged 1 anticipate
that general action is about to be
fought and the contest is liable to prove
serious -, ---
The dispatches from Pretoria tonight
locate Gen. Botha with a small force
north Of Middleburg. They point out
that he is probably making for the head
quarters Of Commandant VilJoen and
the seat of the Boer government beyond
Roosendal. Viljoen has been at Roosen-
dal for the past few days, but there Is
no other information than that relied on
by the Daily Chronicle that Gen. Botha
has surrendered.
CAPTURED BY FRENCH
Gen. Kitchener, telegraphing from
M1ddleberg Gin the Transvaal, on the
railroad between. Pretoria and Port
uguese East Africa, under date of Feb.
THE following additional captures are
reported by French up to Feb. %: Three
hundred Beers surrendered, a 19-pounder
Krupp, one Howitzer, a Maxim, 10000
rounds OF small arms ammunition 1853
rifles, 3SS horses, S34 trek oxen 1900
cattle, $500 sheep and 287 wagons and
carts; The Beers casualties were four
killed and five wounded
Gen. Frenchs most recent success
combined with the other advantages
gained by the British forces in South Af-
rica, has created, representative of the
Associated Press learns, a most hopeful
feeling in the war Office here. Lord Rag
Ian, under secretary of war, described it
as being the thin end of the wedge, -
and this also is the opinion of the mill
tary critics, who reiterate that while the
war cannot be expected to end with a
sudden stroke this constant capturing
Of men, guns and supplies and horses
means that the operations will soon be
reduced to a Daeoit stage. Gen French
is quite the hero of the hour at Pail Mall.
though, of course, Gen. Kitchener's con-
trolling hand is recognized under any
circumstances. 1t is felt by Mr. Brod-
rick and Lord Roberts that so long as
the British forces are doing something
to diminish the Beers supply of men,
mounts and ammunition they are achiev-
ing the only possible objective at present
in sight. 1t is not believed to be at all
likely Gen. Kitchener will grant any
armistice as a preliminary to peace or.
if he does, he VIII not let the war office
know of it until he learns the result. In
fact, small reliance is placed upon such
an offer, for if Gen. Botha gave in the
war office is inclined to consider that his
action would only affect the force under
his immediate individual command, and
that the same policy which is now be-
ing pursued would have to be continued
against the other Boer forces operating
in vicinities far removed from the Boer
commander-in-chief