JOTTINGS ON THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 11318, 13 August 1900, Page 2

JOTTINGS ON THE WAR

[Bl OOLONKIi MoBHIS.]

We have some details of the plot in Pretoria for the destruction of the British officers and the capture of Lord Roberts. The idea appears to have been to set fire to the western extremity of Pretoria, and whilst the troops were eugaged in extinguishing' the flames to enter the offioers' residences, murder them in oold blood, and then convey Lord Roberts to the nearest Boer commando —aplot absolutely beautiful in its simplicity, and, to my mind, as childish 1 . However, it appearg that this crude plot was about to be attempted, and'that many of the townspeople connived at it. It is quite possible that some officers might have been murdered, but there the success of the plotters would have ended. The new Pretorian Police were fully alert, and six of the leaders were arrested after dark; so that the tables were turned on them. One great good has resulted, however, from this diabolical atr tempt, and that is that the English public* are thoroughly aroused. The .public and> Press loudly demand more vigorous treat, inent of the Boers and the exemplary pun-" ishment of the conspirators. This lenient treatment of an enemy which from experience we know to be absolutely devoid of any truth and honor is simply playing into their hands, and will render the war interminable. What is the good of taking oaths of neutrality when we know certainly that they will not keep them longer than seems desirable to themselves, and, when they break the oath, chuckle with delight at the trick they are playing upon the British? Where would De Wet's commando be now if the men that had taken the oath were, not with him? Why, it would be nonexistent. Eveiy man, or nearly every ma«y. in his commando has, at one time or'an-'"' other, sworn neutrality to Britain, and ia now fighting against her! Lord Roberts is a grand soldier, but is quite unfit to deal with wily and untrustworthy Boers. His heart is too kind, but it is to be hoped that public opinion in Great Britain and in these colonies will put a little more backbone hi his administraton of the conquered Boers. General Buller has crossed the Vaal, and arrived at Goldihoek, on the Ermclo road. The Vaal crosses the road midway between Ermelo and Amersfort. The enemy, under. Commandant Botha, is retreating. This, of course, it must be remembered, is not General Louis Botha, Commander-in-Chief of the Boer forces, but his brother, ChristiflTi - Botha. General Buller is clearly driving the Boers northwards, with the object, of catching them between two fires as they near the Delagoa Bay Railway, or else to drive them to join the rest of the enemy north of the railway line. With regard to the movement of De Wet, the cables are all at sea. It is just impossible that they can be right regarding his position. The first cable, reporting what was called his escape, stated that he was at Venterskroon, and to have reached that place he must have crossed the Vaal by Schoeman's Drift. At Venterskroon he came into contact with Lord Mothueen's troops. The next cable we get is that the bulk of De Wet's troops are at Buffleshoe, to the north-west of Potchofstroom. To get to this place from Venterskroon Do Wet must have pushed to the north-west some thirty-five miles. This morning we are < told that " Lord Methuen, pushing, rapidly ahead, arrested General De Wet's march: General Kitchener is pressing De Wet's t rear." This is followed by: "Lord Kitchener engaged General De Wet's reurguard ou Thursday afternoon near Lindique. Simultaneously, Lord Methuen's guns were heard six miles to the north-west." Now, Lin- ' dique is a village on the Vaal River, at Lindique's Drift, some twenty to twentyfive miles east of Venterskroon, and in exactly the opposite direotion to Bufflesdorp. I do not know how the Boers at Buffleshoek, then (if, indeed, there are any), have any connection with Do Wet's commando. ft is possible that the}* may be the Boers who attacked Krugersdorp some time ago. and then threatened Potchefstroom, and who fought an engagement with General SmithDorrien's troops. De Wet, when he got to Venterskrqpn, found himself in difnciii-" ties, and he has worked up the river, with Lord Methuen in his front all the way. The last heard of him ho was between two fires, and, I hope, will not bo able to get out. Lord Kitchener will push him from behind, and Lord Methuen meet him in front.

Later. General Rundle has arrested Commandant Marais and 130 armed burghers at Harrisniith; whilst 130 additional surrenders have been made to General Hunter, who has also destroyed a million cartridges at Naauwpoort, a town a Bhort distance from Fouriesburg. Another small commando en route for the salubrious breezes of Coylon. General Botha has informed Lord Robert* .that since importations by way of Delagoa Bay have been stopped he is sorry to gay. the 1,000 British prisoners at Nooitgedacht can no longer faro sumptuously, but will have to be treated like burghers! All I can say is that if burghers are treated wot*e v than from all accounts the British 'prisoners'' were treated at Nooitgedacht, then, the' burghers must be in a very bad way, indeed. If General Bptha will treat our poor fellows no worse than his own burghers, then we shall have nothing to complain of, but I have my doubts on this subject. -

Lord Roberts cables that the plot against him was clumsily conceived, and all concerned have been arrested. As I have said above! i* appeared to me a childishly-ar-ranged plot, but I doubt whether all concerned have been arrested. Lord Roberts adds that 500 Boers, with two '"•»' the Pyramids, a few miles from Pretoria. I suppose this small party were sent with the object of assisting the conspirators,, foi' they could hardly 5 have come so clow 'to Pretoria with the object of attacking. - •■■•.

_j ; - BOER CORRUPTION. . The evidence a« to the corruption o! fche Boir Government given la the Belgium Court In the suit oonoerned with the famous Belatl concession la remarkable; Baron Eugene Oppenheim, the original c6noessionaire, statel! in the witness box (we quote the account given in the 'Morning Post): «• I spent personally 600,000fr In tips. I 1 demanded a receipt for the sum of £4,000 een't to Eloff. Here is that reoeipb. I \«ould rather not speak of the sums sent to Mr Kruger. Several members of the Yolksifaad received various presents. They voted rfgalnab me, however." 'Altogether apparently £40,000 had to be spent in "palm oil. before the concession could be got through. Possibly President Kruger and his entourage may be ablo to show that these allegations are falie. If not, the less we hear of comparisons between Kruger and Mazzlni and the Italian patriots the better.