SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1900.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 157, 2 June 1900, Page 2

SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1900.

About two months ago ouj I'iny in South Africa appeared to 'i>Ye a big undertaking before it ') clear the enemy out of the Fre« i •Hate. The railway line south of 31oemfontein was threatened by ■-he Boers, and strong bands of the enemy were posted all over the Free Slate to the north and east. Many of ns were getting impatient at Lord Roberts' long delay, not realising thai that general, besides allowing his army \ a much needed rest and obtaining 1 remounts, was establishing a new base of operations and thus j rendering himself almost independent o* the railway, lines, "choifcly after, it was announced that ho was clearing his flynka, j preparatory to a general advance, and when, jnsl a month ago, he ! bs'gan his forward march from | Mae Free (State capital, the most of ! us thought that f ?fc least u month of hard fighting would ha\e to bn gone through before he reached Kroonstad, where the Boers were expected to make a stand. Whatever military men thought, theie is no doubt that the average citizen never dreamed of the Vaal being crossed within a month, and anyone who had suggested that Lord Roberts would enter Pretoria in that time, woul 1 have been laughed at. Yet here wo have the BiHibli in possassion of the Boer capital and the war practically over- The bewildering rapidity o£ Lord Koberts' advance has astonished his friends almost as much as it has demoralised the enemy. History records few more remarkable feats than this march of nearly two hundred and fifty miles through a hostile country in face of strong opposition. It must be remembered that though we read of the Boers being driven "like geese," it has taken something more than noise to ..frighten them. The Boer army may be a demoralised rabble now ; we hope it is. But hitherto it has adopted its usual plan of posting strong parties in order to check the British advance, while the main body retired on a new base. It is no part of Lord Roberts' plan, however, to allow the enemy to stand long in his way, and where i a path was not to be forced a new one was found. There is a touch of humour in the idea of the Commander-in-Chief inducing the enemy to wait for him at one kfrift while jhe crossed the jiver at another. Under other circumstances the fall -of Joliannesbu;g would be . a great and notable event ; in Lord Eobeits' advance .t becomes a me^e incident, fo, the march itself is the event. We anticipate no delay now, and it there is a pause aj^ all in the British progress, it 'wiTl be in tiuhills behind Pretoria. A 'blow hhoa o b en struck at tlw ver.y heyit o. the enemy's country, and, considering the position occupied by the British, we cannot believe that the Boers have any hope of maintaining an organised resistance much longer. It only remains for us to hope that the senseless obstinancy of President Krnger will not prolong the suffering of the unhappy burghers.