THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12423, 12 February 1901, Page 4

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

For the moment, the most important military operations proceeding are those in the southern portion oMhe Orange Erver Colony. Bub the last few days have brought news of fighting practically from, all parts of the two new colonies, and from the northern 'districts of Gape Colony. The country between Matching- and Pretoria. appears to be quiet once more, although considerable commandos of Boers arc undoubtedly in arms in' the vicinity Krugersdc.rp and Johannesburg. HappLy, Natal has experienced no serious trouble for several months, although it is still necessary to guard the lilies, of communication in that colony with the greatest care. In the Eastern Transvaal, Botha’s command hass been fairly active, for the Delaigoa Bay line was cub a few days ago, and : Blake’s Irish w© are told, is on the Portuguese frontier, threatening to advance on Delagoa Bay. It need hardly he said that there is absolutely no justification for -such an eruption into neutral territory, and if the Boer mercenaries carry out their threat they will find themselves treated as criminals and outlaws, and not as belligerents. An indication of tbe position in the Eastern Transvaal is afforded 1 by the report that when General French occupied Ermelo, a body of 6000 Boers retired towards Amsterdam. Probably this would constitute about half the enemy’s force in this district, the remaining 6000 being split up into small commandos on both sides of the Delagoa Bay railway. W© have no information as to their supplies of ammunition, or tneir strength in artillery, but it is certain that by keeping in touch with Botha’s headquarters, wherever they may he, the commandos are table to renew their food and ammunition supplies at regular intervals. Special interest attaches to the operations in the Orange River Colony because De Wet is in charge of the Boer forces there. Afier doubling back and slipping past General Knox once more, he seems to have advanced due south towards Smithfield, possibly drawing together . his scattered commandos and receiving fresh recruits from the broken commandos of other leaders. There is considerable doubt, however, as to the success of his latest move. He was reported yesterday to be retiring towards the Basutoland border, and probably Lord Kitchener has by this time stationed a sufficient force in the Bethulie and Rouxville districts to prevent him from advancing further south. A Boer commando, which seems to have been supporting De Wet, has been repulsed near Reddersburg, and a third division of the great commander’s force is apparently on the vest side of the railway line in the neighbourhood of Plrilippolis. The news from the front, of course, is far too vague to admit Cf a detailed' description of the movements in progress, and as only a few isolated facts are mentioned:, we cannot hope to make an accurate summary of the general position. We have no means of judging, for instance, the importance of the operations near Kimberley. Petrusburg, on tire Jacobsdaal-Bloemfont-ein road, has been evacuated, bub it was probably -garrisoned by a very small force of British. Tbe news received just as we are going to Press, seems to show that both D© Wet and Botha are still strong enough, to give the British considerable- trouble: We do not attach much importance to the threat to make a fresh descent upon Cap© Colony, bub the situation is again -sufficiently serious to justify the renewed efforts that are being put forth by the Imperial and) colonial authorities.