DE WET'S ABORTIVE INVASION

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 53, 4 March 1901, Page 4

DE WET'S ABORTIVE INVASION

De Wet's daring attempt to invade and re-kindle the fires of rebellion in Cape Colony has failed. On February 11th he crossed the Orange River at Zand Drift. Assuming tie aggressive a portion of his force attacked Philipstown, 30 miles to the south, and for a few hours remained in occupation. This was really the commando's one aggressive operation. For almost three weeks De Wet and his followinghave trekked unceasingly, going as far as 200 miles west of the point at which they crossed the Orange, but never moving far south of the river. During those weeks the sound of British guns has been ever in the ears of the fleeing Boers. So persistent was the pursuit that De Wet, the man of action, ia said to have wept. It is surprising that under the circumstances the whole of the force, if not the commandant himself, did not fall into the hands of our Generals. Gladly would De Wet have re-crossed the river and got once more upon ground with which he was familiar; but the swollen staite of the usually tranquil stream made a passage, even at the di-ifts, hazardous. We cannot withhold our admiration from the man whose indomitable energy and sterling courage? has extricated a remnant of his following from an apparently hopeless position, despite the fact that'De Wet has marred during recent weeks a clean record by acts of barbarity and wanton cruelty. The condition of his force to-day, without guns or proper transport, and exhausted from an arduous and continuously harassed march, is pitiable. That Lord Kitchener will succeed in capturing the man who is the most vital factor in the resistance now, and in fact has been for months, must be the hope of every ■well-wisher of the Boer cause. The

! difficulties, as we have only too much | reason to know, are all but insuperI able, but De Wet has unquestionably never been reduced to such sore straits as to-day, and if the pursuit is actively i maintained, the wonderful recupera- | tive power of his force is not likely to I asraia avail him.