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Show UuI-NGr TO THE FRONT. Lord Roberts and General Kitchener Leave Cap Town. London, Feb. 7. -interesting news comes in the announcement that Field Marshal Lord iioherte, commander-in-chief of the British forces in South Africa, Af-rica, and his chief of staff. Major -General Lord Kitchener, have left for the front. As this information was held up for several hours by the censor it seems j to indicate that an important move is on foot. A dispatch from Sterkstroem dated tms morning, announces that the Boers are attacking General Gatacre from two directions. Firing was then proceeding pro-ceeding by the outposts. - A delayed Sterkstroem dispatch dated Monday, Feb. 5. says a body of troops left the camp Feb. a and that important developments were expected. It is quite probable this explains Lord Roberts-departure, Roberts-departure, and that the commander-in-chief wishes either to be present at or supervise the long intended movement by General Gatacre to join forces with General Kelly-Kenney and thence strongly reinforce General French, completing com-pleting the latters work at Colesberg and establishing without fear of serious opposition the advanced position for the main movement. This, of course, is greatly supposition and it can be confidently said that the departure of Lord Roberts- and Lord Kitchener for the front does not- indicate indi-cate that the main advance has begun The commanders will probably be back m Cape Town within a short time. It is pointed out that the term going i to the front must not be internretert I into the idea that a great movement upon Pretoria by way of Bloemfontein has seriously commenced. It will be a month, or perhaps much longer before this can be brought about.' In the meanwhile the preliminary steps are likely to liven the campaign with sharp fighting, and news from Sterkstroem, Thebus and Colesberg is eagerly awaited. When the dispatch announcing the fighting on the Upper Tugela was published pub-lished there "was the u'.uial scene of excitement ex-citement on the streets. The big placards pla-cards attracted newspaper buyers and the news was discussed eagerly in all quarters.- There was notable excitement in the ! house of commons where, in addition to ' the announcement that General Buller j had crossed the Tugela Mondav and i was advancing on Ladysmith, a news j agency telegram was posted saying : that 300 additional ambulance stretch- i ers had been sent to the front from i Durban. . . . ' '. |