The Transvaal WAR.

Evening Star, Issue 11265, 12 June 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal WAR.

WITH BULLER'S ARMY. THE ENEMY DRIVEN BACK. METHUEN'S ENGAGEMENT. THE BRITISH CASUALTIES. LOYAL AND ENTHUSIASTIC NATIVES. PENALTY FOR REBELLION. Press Aaaookrtlon—By Telegraph—Copyright. THROUGH THE DRAKENSBERG. LONDON, June 11. The British have turned the Drakensberg Range, forcing the Boers to retire in the direction of Sfcanderton. BULLER IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. t . i ANTICIPATES THE FOE. LONDON, June 11. The British on Sundav night occupied the defile at the junction of the Klip River and Gansvlei, anticipating some 3,000 Boers, who, with their heavy guns, were dispersed. The British casualties were six killed and seven wounded. • BULLER AGAIN CRITICISED. LONDON, June 11. General Buller's concession of an armistice is criticised as enabling the force that he had surrounded to escape with their guns. FIGHTING IN ORANGE RIVER COLONY. LONDON, June 11. Lord Methuen was engaged on Friday, ten miles from Heilbron, when Colonel Baird Douglas and fifteen Derbyshire Militiamen were killed. ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT. LONDON, June 11. On Thursday, at Roodeval, Colonel Wilkinson and fifty privates were wounded. LOYAL NATIVES. A LESSON TO THE WHITES. CAPE TOWN, June 11. Sixty chiefs, representing the various Native tribes in Natal and Zululand, held a meeting in Maritzburg, and expressed their loyalty to the Queen and their admiration of Mr Chamberlain's policy. Chief Amangwani contributed £219 to the British Wounded Fund. THE PUNISHMENT OF REBELLION CAPE TOWN, June 11. Premier Schreiner will introduce a Bill into the Capo Parliament to disfranchise all rebels for a period of five years. " PREPARING FOR THE RUSH. • SYDNEY, Juno 12. In view of the approaching end of the war many passengers, chiefly artisans, are booking their passages, vessels leaving the various colonies for South Africa. ACCIDENTAL DEATH. LONDON, June 11. Private Myers, of the New South Wales Bushmen, died from injuries received through falling from a train at Umtali. BADEN-POWELL'S THANKS. SYDNEY, June 12. . Major-general Baden-Powell has wired his gratefulness for the messages of congratulations that he has received from the various colonies, and trusts that the senders will understand that the telegraph is inadequate to despatch individual replies to all who have sent. JOTTINGS ON THE WAR. [Bt Colonbi, Mosais.] Further news from General Bnller shows that the result of Fridav's engagement was that the 2.000 Boers who were holding a carefully-prepared and strong position abandoned it, and retired twenty-six miles to the north-west, which would bring them on the Klip River, about fifteen or twenty miles east of Vrede, and some five miles from the junction of the Klip and Gansvlei Rivers. The Klip River here forms the boundary between Orange River' Colony and the Transvaal. After the retreat from Kroonstad the Iransvaalers and Free Staters fell out, and since then they have not fraternised; but I presume that the Free State Boers at Vrede will certainly unite now with this body of Transvaalers to oppose General Buller's advance. Telegraphing on Sunday, General Buller reported that his supplies and baggage waggons had passed through Botha's Pass after some very arduous work, and that his troops, advancing against some opposition, had, after putting the Boers to flight, tak n up a strong position commanding the junction of the Gansvlei and Klip Rivers. This is a most important move of General Buller. He is now in the Free State, and within almost striking distance of Vrede, and nearly through the Drakensbcrg. He has also a position which, after thrashing the enemy in his immediate front, would enable him to move on Volksrust, and "thus take the Boers at Laing's Nek in tie rear. I think that it is probable the Boers will neve from Laing's Nek and unite with those m the vicinity and the Free Staters to make a determined stand against Buller's troops, as it is of vital importance for them to prevent General Buller from seizing Volksrust. General Rundle, it is clear, has not himself gone to Kroonstad, although the cable states he has sent reinforcements there. Thp troops at Kroonstad are probably under General Forestier Walker, who is in charge of our communications. General Rundle is now apparently at Bethlehem, where 600 Boers have surrendered, and thence 4,000 have fled to the mountains. We have thus General Buller some thirty miles to the east of Vrede, with General Colville at Heilbron, about seventv-fivs miles to the west, and General Rundle about the same direction to the south. In the meantime the Free Staters are making demonstrations in the vicinity of Kroonstad. They have managed to destroy the telegraph at Roodeval, and three columns are atHorining Spruit. The cable says that the railway line has been destroyed between Roodeval. and America. Now, Honning Spruit is nearly midway between these places, and it is probable that the break is there. As I have often said before, these columns or three commandos that are advancing give us no kfca of the Boer force, for the commandos may be large or small. I should say in this case they are small, as even the largest commando has, under present circumstances, dwindled to very small pr - pcrtions. Our defences over the line from Kroonstad to the Vaal have clearly been inefficient, and small bands of Free Staters have slipped in between our posts and cut the' line. This is a serious matter if, as is probable, Lord Roberts is dependent on the railway to feed his troops at Pretoria and Johannesburg, and he will see the necessity of quickly strengthening the guard south of the Vaal. But so far as any real danger arising from these roving bands of Free

Staters is concerned,.there is none, and we shall hear in a day or two that they have retreated. The one, real danger lies in tie fact that any little temporary successon the part of. the Boers in arms is likely, to cause these who have surrendered,: and perhaps more than once taken the bath of fidelity, or, at least, neutrality to the British, to rise again. It is like the hydra's heads—no sooner do you kill one than another rises. And this it is that Will prolong the war. Of course, they cannot hope for final success, but still they can give us plenty of trouble, and will do so until they are tired of fighting. •■ .. •. •• General Hunter has reached Ventersdorp, which is about twenty-eight miles north ot Potchefstroom; whilst from Delagoa Bay Cortes a message that the British force have reached Breinersdorp, which, as the particular force is not mentioned, I.have, as vet, i been unable to locate. - The Boers state that General De Wet is marching on. Johannesburg with 1,300. men, .-which,., unless he is marching with the intention to surrender, is absurd, as he can hardly expect to retake' Johannesburg with 1,300 men!: A serious split is reported in the Cape Assembly, in which'a. majority of the Afrikander Bondites resist annexation of the Republics. As a matter of fact, the Cape Colony Parliament have no more to do with the question, of annexation than has New Zealand,, the Republics being outside their border, and an annexation is an act of the Imperial Government; but it is well that the disloyalists in the Assembly should disclose" themselves. The Premier, .Mr Schreiner, has apparently learned to be wise, and he is now strongly supporting the Imperial policy of annexation, which promises to lead to a crisis and a dissolution of Parliament. Later. The very first cable this morning states that Premier' Schreiner is introducing a Bill in the Cape Parliament to disenfranchise all rebels for five years. This ought to bring matters to a head. If disloyal Afrikanders are able to save the rebels from the consequences of their rebellion, when the Parliament must be dissolved, and an appeal to the country will result in the disloyalists losing their seats. As a sharp contrast to the Cape Afrikanders, sixty chiefs of tribes in Natal and Zululand met in Maritzburg, and expressed their loyalty to the Queen and admiration of Mr Chamberlain's policy; whilst one chief contributed £219 "to the Sick and Wounded Fund. Lord Mctkuen on Friday was engaged about ten miles south of Heilbron, when Colonel Baird Douglas and fifteen Derbyshire Militiamen were killed. The place where this action took place could not be far from the spot where the Free Staters were wrecking the railway. Heilbron is almost due east of Heilbron Road Station, on the line, and Roodeval is a few miles south of Heilbron Road, consequently Lord Methuen's force are on the east flank of the Boers reported to be at Honning's Spruit, and soniewhafc north of them. The day before this engagement, on Thursday, the enemy attacked the British post at Roodeval, and in the action Colonel Wilkinson and fifty privates were wounded. The Boers clearly retreated from there to their position now at Honning's Spruit, where they are between Lord Methuen and General Walker, and will, I hope, be crushed. The British have turned the Drakensberg Range, thus forcing the Boers to. retire in the direction of Standerton. On Sunday night our men occupied the defile at the junction of the Klip and Gansvlei Rivers, slipping into the position just before 3,000 Boers with heavy guns could reach it. From this commanding position the 3,000 Boers were dispersed, whilst the British loss was only six killed and seven wounded. If these retreating Boers can reach Standerton before our troops from Pretoria or Heidelberg seize the town, they will, by taking the cross line from Standerton to the PretoriaDelagoa railroad, be able to reach Lydenburg and swell the forces of General Botha in the mountains. It is said that General Buller is criticised for giving the Boers at Laing's Nek a three days' armistice to consider terms of surrender, as it is said the time thus given them enabled them to retreat with all their guns. It is very easy for the.*c critics to talk after the event. When General Buller made his demand for -surrender it was before the fall of Pretoria, and when he gave them the three days to consider his demand it would have been a bold man to say " Pretoria will be in our hands before the three days arc up," and if Pretoria had not fallen the 'three days' armistice would have done no harm. Probably, however, as Pretoria surrendered within the limit it did enable the Boers" to ] save their guns by making preparations beforehand, so that when the British arms turned their position they were off at once with their guns. A MESSAGE FROM MAFEKING'S HERO. WELLINGTON, June. 12 The Hm. ,7.G. Ward received the following cable from Baden-Powell:—"Grate-ful for your fluttering message. Kindly make known to the public that many warm greetings received from New Zealand amply repay such troubles as we have endured. Trust senders understand we much regret that, telegraphs are inadequate for the despatsh of individual replies." PEACE CELEBRATIONS. At a meeting this morning of the Peace Celebration Committee, presided over by His Worship the Mayor, the proposed programme of the day's events was discussed. The details were not finally arranged, but it is anticipated that the proceedings will be on a grander scale, than anything before attempted in Dunedin. In the morning there will be a procession of school children" after which there will be thanksgiving services held in the various churches; and in the afternoon a procession of volunteers, ■trades displays, etc., to the sports grounds. The programme for the sports will undoubtedly be the most attractive that has ever been presented here, and it is proposed that one of the principal items shall be a realistic representation of an incident in the Boer campaign, with cavalry, artillery, and infantry engaged. Arrangements are also being made for a gigantic display of fireworks in the evening, illuminations, bonfires, etc. Cablegrams to South Africa asking information of sick and wounded members of the New Zealand Contingents must, in addition to being prepaid, be also " reply paid," and " R.P." must appear in the "original messages, which should be addressed "Casualty, Cape Town."