NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE chief piece of war news this week is the capture by General Broadwood's column of the members of the Free State Government (twenty-five in all), with the excep- tion of Mr. Steyn, who escaped in his nightclothes and with- out his boots, and was only not shot by a soldier because the rifle missed fire. The capture, which took place at Reitz in the early morning of July 12th, was very cleverly managed, the Boers not realising their danger till the cry of " Englische kommen " was raised. But though President Steyn unfortu- nately escaped, 21,000 in cash and all the G-uerilla Government's papers were captured, and these last, which were published here on Friday, are of great importance. The first is a letter dated May 10th from State Secretary Reitz to President Steyn, in which the former describes the resolutions come to at a meeting of the Transvaal Government held to consider the condition of the country. These declare the burghers to be surrendering, the ammunition and food to be giving out, and the feeling for the Government to be weakening. Fears are also expressed that not only will the nation be destroyed, but the leaders will be held to have erred, and "all hope of continua- tion of national sentiment will be lost." Hence, a messenger should be sent to Mr. Kruger to point out the terrible condition of the country. The letter ends by "saying that this Govern. meat "—i.e., that of the Transvaal—is convinced "that the time has come to take the final step."
