The Beatrice Daily Express

SEVENTEENTH YEAR
PLANS FOR PACIFICATION.

Lands Taken From Boers to be Given to Soldiers to Induce Volunteers and Time-Expired Men to Settle.
London, March 20.—The war office has had no news confirming the report of the relief of Mafeking, but George Wyndham, parliamentary under secretary for war, replying to a private inquiry in the lobby of the house of commons about midnight, smilingly said: "I think it all right."

Part of the plan for the pacification of South Africa is now apparent in the announcement that all British authorities there will make every effort to induce reservists, time-expired men, volunteers and colonials from abroad to settle there as soon as the war is over by giving them 240 acres of land each, providing they occupy it for 10 years.

The Free Staters seemingly have not quite collapsed. They are in considerable force around Smithfield, although much dispirited. A British spy from Rouxville reports that Commandant Olivier and a commando are going to Kroonstad. The agents he left behind are using desperate means of raising recruits, commandeering British Boers under penalty of death. Kroonstad, where the Boers are concentrating, is 137 miles from Bloemfontein. It is surrounded by a country of hills and jungles.

Converging on Pretoria.

The converging of the troops toward Mafeking indicates a much more serious purpose than merely its relief. Judging from Lord Methuen's presence at Warrenton and the capture of the nearby passage of the Vaal at Fourteen Streams, keen observers believe Lord Roberts meditates an advance in force on Pretoria by way of Rustenburg. This might start either from Fourteen Streams or Klerksdorp and would probably coincide with an advance via Bloemfontein and Natal.

Thus Lord Methuen may be given the chance to redeem his reputation, as has been done with General Gatacre.

Commandant Olivier has accomplished another step in his retreat from northern Cape Colony, evacuating Rouxville and going toward Kroonstad, where President Steyn is.

General Gatacre is now resting at Springfontein, preliminary to joining Lord Roberts.

Buller's hill work before Ladysmith has given him an experience which is about to be used in forcing the Biggarsberg range. It is believed that 25,000 of his 40,000 men are about to engage General Botha's force, and the next news of fighting will probably come from Natal.

The leaders of the Afrikander bond are circulating a petition in Cape Colony, asking the imperial government not to take away the independence of the Boers.

Thirty-five thousand additional troops for South Africa are now at sea.

Schiel Put on a Transport.

Cape Town, March 20.—Owing to the quarrelsomeness of Colonel Schiel, the German officer in charge of the Boer artillery, who was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Elandslaagte, he has been removed from the prisoners' camp to a transport.