The Irish standard., 1896-04-04
JOHN. COULDN'T CATCH HlM.
J Mr. Built Tried to Coax kreuger Over
to Eng.
land.
1RouBLE STILL IN SOUTH AFRICA
Twenty Thousand British Troops Would
Invade the Trans.
-, vaal.

London, March 28.-Mr. Joseph Cham
berlain, secretary Of state for the colonies.
recently demanded of President Kruger of
the Transvaal that he Immediately ac-
cept or reject the invitation of Mr.. CHAM
berlain to visit London for the purpose
OF settling the question that has arisen
between Great Britain and the South
African republic. In response to this de-
mand President Kruger has telegraphed
that the decision does not rest with him,
but with the Volksl'aad, the parliament OF
the republic, and the latter will only as
sent to his going to London on condition
that the Anglo oer convention Of 1884 be
so amended that the full independence of
the Transvaal will be recognized and
guaranteed by Great Britain and other
powers Mr. Chamberlain declined last
night to tell the House Of Commons how
the negotiations stood at present, but
within the ministerial circle the gravity
Of the position is known. It high Official
has told the representative Of the United
Press that MI. Chamberlain had from
the outset of the negotiations distrusted
President Kruger, and had not failed to
draw accurate conclusions from his de-
layed acceptance Of the invitation to visit
England. EAr. Chamberlain still hopes,
however, to obtain a pacific settlement
Of the question without President Kruger
coming here and without acceding to a
revision of the convention The minis
ters seem to be more sanguine than the
facts warrant, probably not desiring to
alarm the country until the last resources
Of diplomacy are exhausted. The Volks-
raad does not meet until April 4. Presi-
dent Kruger will then have dallied over
Mr. Chamberlain's invitation, which was
sent early in February, for three months,
during which time he has formed all al
lance with the Congo Free State prepared
an Afrikander insurrection in Cape Col
ony and reorganized the forces of the
Trans vaal, especially the artillery.
That the issue of the negotiations would
be war has been contemplated by the Brit
lsh government for some time This fact
was pointed out in this correspondence
on February Is last, at which time it
was stated that the war Office, acting I'm
der instructions from the government,
had prepared to send an army corps of
10000 men to South Africa. Of this force
it was intended that a large contingent
should be drawn from the Indian cavalry,
artillery and infantry. There is reason
to state that this project has not been
altered, but time has been on the side of
the Beers. The tact and energy of Presi-
f1I1 in.
vasion of the Transvaal by 10000 British
troops almost impossible. 1t is not the
Transvaal alone that the British forces
will have to face, but the United Dutch
peoples of the whole of South Africa That
strictly non-sensational paper, the Man
chester Guardian, published yesterday,
authoritative letters from Cape Colony,
in which it was said that war against
the 1ransvaal would mean a civil war,
the British against the Dutch, facing each
other from Pretoria to Capetown. The
conquest OF the Dutch would require as
many troops as were sent to the Crimea.
>, 1t is not known accurately at the war
Office what the strength of the Boer
force alone is, now ready to take the
field. The representative of the United
Press learns from an official source that
within three months $500 Germans are
estimated to have entered the Transvaal
as immigrants, and these are known to
be obtaining Transvaal money. The
force of Zulus trained and commanded
by Boer and German officers, is estimated
to number $4,000. Though their tribal
fidelity to the Beers is doubtful they can
be trusted to fight against the British.
Viewing the whole situation, including
the troubles in Egypt and elsewhere, the
English people are not likely to approve
ho oie foc nf +I,o
Transvaal, yet they must face that or the
alternative of a declaration Of independ-
ence from the Transvaal, the Orange
Free State and probably Cape Colony,
which would form the United States of
South Africa.
i; The rising of the natives in Matebele-
land is expected to be only momentary
difficulty. All of the Matabeles, incud-
ing the women, number only $4,000. The
men who We're supposed to have been
disarmed after the defeat of their king,
Iobengula. by the forces OF the British
South Africa Company, but it is suspect
ed that they hid their weapons instead
of turning them over to the company's
officers Though the country is denuded
of regular troops and the forces of the
Chartered Company are disorganiZed,
owing to the recent raid into the Trans
vaal, which resulted in most of the COM
pany's officers being placed on trial in
London, a. good volunteer force, armed
with Lee-Mitford rifles. also force Of
1000 volunteer cavalry, are near the re-
Il. gion where the rising occurred. Bulu-
wayo, the principal town of Matabele
land, is protected by a number of Maxim
guns and few guns of heavier calibre
There is plenty OF ammunition in the
town. Though massacre of settlers
and miners is probable, the rising will
undoubtedly be quelled without an en-
gagement sufficiently serious to be called
battle.
".
McCIure's Magazine for April.
McClure's Magazine never fails to make
good its special claim of timelineSS The