THE PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 128, 31 May 1900, Page 4

THE PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

According to his despatch of Tuesday evening to the War Office Lord Roberts should have entered Johannesburg yesterday at noon. "I &hall summon the commandants in the morning (Wednesday), and if, as I expect, we are to be unopposed, I will enter the town with all my troops at noon." That message would not have been sent did not Lord Roberts know that his summons for surrender of the town would be obeyed. It is fair, then, to assume that with the Union Jack floating over Johannesburg, the -vanguard of Roberts's army is now well on the way to Pretoria, which lies nearly due north 35 miles. Besides the railway, which -will be rendered tern.} porarily useless by the retreating commandoes, there runs nearly parallel with it a main road connecting tho two cities, and this passes over fairly easy country. Along this road it may be assumed the divisions of lan Hamilton and French are now w^ell on their way towards the capital, and' whether it is or is not to be defended is a question the answer to which may be pulsed along the cable at any hour. Everything will depend upon the determination of the aged President, whose iron nerve must be hardly tried by the demoralisation of his burghers. If he determines to defend Pretoria, he will but delay capture, while before investment he can escape east by the Delagoa Bay railway, and continue to fight as he is driven eastward towards the sea until he finds safety in Portuguese territory. The Peace Party, now probably in the ascendant at Pretoria, will be against compelling the capital to submit to the horrors of a siege that can only have one ending, and we think their counsels will prevail. If, however, Kruger and his Doppers are determined to fight unto the bitter end they will probably take their stand at Leydsdorp, near Pietersberg, the terminus of tho line running north from Pretoria, and distant about 145 miles, or at Lydenburg, which lies about 130 miles north-east of Pretoria, and some 28 miles north of the nearest point on the railway from Pretoria to Delagoa. At both these towns great quantities of munitions and supplies have been accumulated for use in the last resort. Leydsdorp offers the best natural advantages for defence, but when defeat comes escape only into the mountains in the rear, while from Lydenburg, so long as the railway to the east can be held, there is ever a passage to the sea, and thence to Europe. Just now Oom Paul must be sorely tried to determine whether he shall face towards peace and plenty in Holland, or a last stand, a hard fight, and ultimate capture in the Murchison Ranges at the back of Leydsdorp. Buller, it seems, means to fight it out on his present line, for to-day ■we are told that Cl«ry, holding a strong and commanding position, is with naval guns bombardirig the Boer lines, while the reply of the enemy is ineffectual. It will be more so when the men who are serving the g^ins have learned that Johannesburg has fallen.