Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1900 — PURSUIT IS ABANDONED. [ARTICLE]

PURSUIT IS ABANDONED.

British Who Were After Boers Return to Bloemfontein. London advices say thut the flood of newspaper dispatches describing the recent operations throws no light whatever upon the present position of affairs or upon the great question as to when the main advance is to begin. The Standard’s announcement that Gen. French’s cavalry are returning to Bloemfontein is dear proof that there is no further hope of catching the retreating Boers and the London papers are beginning to display impatience at the practical failure of the elaborate operations of last week. The London Standard says: “It is disheartening to find that these elaborate maneuvers have had so small a result.” The Daily Chronicle remarks: “We are reluctant to criticise Lord Roberts, but it is impossible to shut our eyes to the fact that during the last ten days we have gained very little from our enormous display of force." Without doubt these operations have been of a very exhausting nature and will entail further delay. The Bloemfontein correspondent of the Timca, writing after the I'aardeberg affair, describes Lord Roberts' army as a "wreck,” because it was without horses aud without transport. The Bloemfontein correspondent of the Post speaks now of the urgent need at present and always of more horses. There is very little news from other quarters. Col. Dalgety’s force at Wepener numbered 1,700. His losses during the siege were thirty killed and 149 wounded. The Daily Mail publishes a statement from Col. Long, who was blamed for the loss j>f guns at Colenso, that in advancing the guns ns he did he merely obeyed orders and that the staff was quite ignorant of the proximity of the Boer positions. The sudden derision of the Boer peace delegates to visit' America is attributed to the fact that the Government of the Netherlands, after sounding all the European capitals, told them they had nothing to hope from Europe.