The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-13
THE DASHING DE WET.
THE BRITISH PUBLIC ADMIR-
 INC HIK
Kttohener's Lntost Despatch That He is All But Captured n Duplicate or One Eighteen Months Ago.

The latest news received from Cen eral Kitchener, the commander of the British forces in south Africa, is prac- tically duplicate of that received year or eighteen months ago It is that the men under him are closing in upon < De Wet and that only short time can elapse when he will be a prisoner or war. But General Kitchener has sald that so often that the British puohc V mas lost all faith in statements or the < character, The British public, in fact' Is beginning to admire De Wet, ana much as it would like to see the war ended there would be many sympathlz- CTS if the most dashing, daring and mo- bile general of recent years were to be taken prisoner or If mortal harm should come to him. Even the newspapers have taken to writing admiringly of De Wet as witness the following from the Con- servative London Telegraph
 ssDs Wet has out-Sheridaned Sheridan in the success of his guerilla tactics lie appears always where he is thought not to be. As recently as Christmas morn ing Lord Kitchener's despatch an- nounced his defeat by the lmperlal Light Horse in the mountainous district around Bethlehem on the eighteenth \ rnat., after several hours fighting, and now, six days later, this incomparaole leader of irregular warfare is able to 8 collect force in neighborlng dlstrict and successfully rush camp comprls- ing 300 or SO of the Imperial Yeomanry with their two guns. History has no parallel to the exploits Of this Boef commandant, who moves as though ne had at his command some means py which to annihilate distances.
 ssNu sooner is it reported in the mid ale of this month that he was prepar- ing to make another effort to dash down into Cape Colony than we learn that on the fifteenth inst. he and his boon companion, the erstwhlle president of the Orange Free State, are harangu- ing considerable number of the enc my at Kafffr Kop to the southeast of Iindley in celebration of the famous Sunday victory over the Zulus, known as .Dingaan's Day Having indulged in this oratorical performance, De Wet left we a small following and was nictured careering towards Lindley while in reality he and 800 Boers were hastening to Landberg, where rom the < cover of a. ravine they opened fire on some Imperial Light Horse three days later. He was then defeated and driv- en off, and on Christmas eve he secured ;. success at Tweefontein, which will live as an unfortunate incident in the I history of the operations. His hrst movement, 1t Is evident, did him so llttle harm that he was able to collect his forces immediately for another surprlse' and he has not been checked in thls ln- stance. Unfortunately, there is only too ~ much reason to fear that the two guns ---one a 15-pounder and the other q pom-pom-with a considerable quantity of stores, have fallen into his hands and that he is thus in position to rent < his motley band and e-horse them. lie is probably in better position to-day, therefore. than for months past, Tor since the spring he has been without any artillery, and on more than one oc- 3Ecas sion his convoy has been decimated. ! The extraordinary thing is that in spite of heavy losses of men, stores, guns and ammunition, to the extent of many thousand rounds, he can still maintain his old cunning tactics.
 stIh the past twelve months, it is X true he has not been as daring as in the earlier days of the war. A year ago. having besiged and captured and evac- uated Dewetsdorp. lie sought to get down to Cape colony with 5000 men, was hustled back by General Charles Knox, wes hunted by numerous col urnns and yet in the third week of De- cember passed through the British force between Thaba'nchu and Lady, brand where his force split up and re- cruited right and left, always evading capture, but by some means knowing the moment they were wanted for a daring exploit such as their leader loves. Thus came about the reverse at Lind ley early in January, when force of Lord Kitchener's new bodyguard was practically annihilated Then followed the peace movement, the arrival ol Morgendaal and Vessels at De Vets camps, their deaths by his order. He burst forth again at the end of this month, with 5000 men, two fifteen pounders, a pom-pOm and a Maxim and from Bloemfontein gave the scent to British columns to Philippolls There he matured his plans, and or February II forded the Orange River and was once more in Cape Colony with an inclination to move westward He was chased by Plumer across the railway to the north of De Aar, where two armored trains converged on him De Wet turned, and to cover the move ment Of his convoy fought splendic reareuard action. He could not, how ever, hold his position but he got away with A loss of most of his stores, anc not until a week later did Plumer come near him, so effectually did he hide al traces of his movements. At last, whef he came to the Orange River, hoplns to get to his mountain fastnesses agair to refit, he found it swollen. He wa not disheartened, though once more re- ported to be 'cornered.' It was vail hone for the flood fell, De Wet crossed and practically at the same time fell ol a body of the Fighting Scouts, with th' result that the British casualties mum bered eighty but simultaneously he los his last gun, He was on his natlV' heath once more minus 5000 or 400 horses. all his artillery, most of his con
 voy, and probably not far short Of 3c ,,or Thus ended his second invasion of the Cape. Had his losses weakened him seriously?
 'powerless to do any harm-Ior th
 ,roment-De Wet retreated northWart
 NtrYir hA wa