Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-14

Boer Guns and Lot of Ammunition
 -Balfour Says There Is Nothing New
 in Regard to Peace Negotiations.
 London, April 14.-News of severe fighting in the Transvaal, at the end of last week, has been sent by Lord Kitchener, who reports that about two hundred Boers were killed, wounded or captured. There were about hun dred British casualties.
 The British captured three guns and d considerable quantity of sup plies. Commandant POtgieter was among the Boers killed.
 Lord Kitchener, ill q dispatch dated at Pretoria, Sunday, April 13, recounts how Colonel Colenbrander, after To- eating Comandant Beyers' laager at Pzel Kop, moved his forces by differ ent routes. from Petersburg, Trans vaal colony, blocking the principal lines of retreat. The fighting com menced April when the Inniskill1ng Fusiliers attacked Molopsport, cover ing the Boer position, and by dusk had seized a hiil eastward of the Poort. after considerable opposition resulting in Colonel Murray being wounded and Lieutenant Lincoln be ing killed. An officer and five men were wounded. Since then the op- erations continued daily. Colen- brander's latest report, April F, gave the Boer losses in killed, wounded and prisoners at 106 men. The colonel hoped to be able to report further cap lures.
 The most severe fighting occurred April II in Western Transvaal, where General Ian Hamilton has replaced General Methuen in command of the British troops. The Boers attacked Colonel Sekewich's force. near Roof F wal, and fighting at close quarters en- sued The Boers were repulsed, leaving on the field A men killed. in- cluding Comandant Potgieter, and 34 wounded. The British captured 20 unwounded prisoners.
 According to last accounts, General Ian Hamilton was pursuing the re- mainder of the Boer command. The British losses in this fight were six men killed and 3 wounded.
 At the beginning of the pursuit Col onel Kekewich captured two guns, q pom-pom. a quantity of ammunition and number of wagons.
 force of Boers recently over whelmed a strong British patrol sent out from Bulfontein, Orange River colony. to clear distant farms. An of ficer and two men were killed, IA men were wounded, and the remaining members of the patrol were surround : ed and captured. Lord Kitchener mentions holding an inquiry into this reverse.
 Guayaquil. Ecuador, April 14- Adolphus DeWet, a nephew of the fam ous Boer general of that name, who was wounded and captured at the bat tie of Jacobsdal, and who afterwards escaped from Bermuda by swimming 10 q schooner bound for New York, a" ! rived here recently, spent a few days in this city and proceeded to Lima, Peru, where he will engage in a mining enterprise.
 London, April 14.-Replying to the liberal leaders in the house of com, mons to-day, A. J. Balfour the gov ernment leader. said that it was inn possible to say much, further than that a message had been received on Sat urday from the Boer leaders through Lord Kitchener and a reply had been returned. A further reply is ex pected.
 London, April 1.-The British gov ernment will make allowance to the Boers to enable them to reoccupy thelr farms and the part of the indebtedness, j certainly the state debts which were ill If.fr 1aa Of this part is que to Great Britain directly, but the greater part, about :. $12, 300 GOO, is a Rothschilds loan, q fact which may account for the earnest support which Lord Rosebery, whose children are Rotchschild's heirs, gives to the British government in it's South African policy. This loan held since the war began and the Rothschilds are naturally anxious to see peace restored and payment of interest.
 The British government would be indemnified, however, in assuming ! Transvaal obligations by the fact that it takes over from the Transvaal gov ernment the ownership of the lands at Barbert0n- on which the gold mines are situated and the proprietOrship also of over 5000 farms, or about One-third of the farms in the Transyaal which were owned by the government of the \ republic. It would be quite possible for the British government to exact from the mines a sufficient sum to maintain sinking fund for the in- debtedness caused by the war. as these : mines produce about $60O00,O00 an- nually.
 The yield of the Baton mines added to the gold of the Transvaa1 would bring the figures to over $SO,O0O, 900 an- nually. These. figures are being studied with much interest by British taxpay- CTS who are carrying the burden of the war. King Edward is willing to grant { amnesty to the Cape Colony rebels who ] have been fighting on the side of the Boers. and as the BJers have made i this an absolute condition of peace. it is considered most important step to- ward the close of the war. The release { of Lord Methuen was a master stroke on the part of Delarey. From that moment the British heart began to soften toward the brave Dutch farm CTS. and the relevations since of cruel and atrocious conduct toward the Boers has made the British people thoroughly