The San Francisco call., 1896-01-12
KRUGER ARoUsEs IRE.
May Receive Reminder That
England Yet Exercises
SITerainty.
AN AMERICAN IN THE TOLLS.
John Hays Hammond, the Mining
Engineer, Among Those Arrested
for Treason.

LONDON, Eng, Jan. n-Though Off
ciaI and dipIom attic circles are said to be-
lie We that Great Britain is facing great
crisis, the pub ic refuses to believe that
there is even a possibility OF war. 1t is
thought the naval preparations making
are well enough in their way, to impress
upon foreign pow ers that Great Britain is
ready to accept the gage of battle should
II D e thrown down, but the popular opin-
ion is that Engl and will not herself pro-
woke war
The belief grows, however, that the
Transvaal Government Will need q re-
minder that Great Britain still exercises
suzerain powers over the country, and
does not propose TO forego any other rights
conferred upon her by the AngIo-Boer
convention OF 1884.
Much dissatisfaction is expressed at the
attitude of President Kruger. Though it is
generally conceded that he is practically a
dictator in the Transvaal it is believed the
anger OF the burghers against the British
is burning so hercely that he dares not re-
lease DR.. Jameson and the other prisoners
at present, and that in making their re-
lease contingent upon The restoration of
order II Johannesburg he is temporizing
in order that tie Indignation among the
Beers may cool down.
The report of the existence OF docu-
ments showing the existence of a wide
spread conspiracy against the Transvaal
simply confirms the belief entertained in
many quarters that this was really an in
tention on the part of certain ambitious
men to cverturn the Transvaal Govern
ment and then bring about the annexa-
ton Of that country to Cape Colony.
1t Is thought the arrest at Johannesburg
of q number of members OF the reform
committee was due to the knowledge
reaching the Government that the men ar
rested are implica ted in this conspiracy.
John H. Hammond, the American min
ing engineer, who was arrested, is well
known in New York and It is reported
that efforts are already being made by his
friends in that city and elsewhere to secure
his release.
As stated in these dispatches yesterday
IL is believed all serious trouble with the
Iransvaal has been averted by the prompt
and energetic action of the British Govern
ment and that whatever questions NAV
arise or have already arisen will be settled
through the usual diplomatic channels.
With regard to Germany it can be said
that although the interference of Emperor
William in q matter that in nowise con-
cerned him aroused a most warlike FEELING
throughout Great Britain that feeling is tn
a great extent dying out under the re.
peated assurances OF the German press
that Germany never intended to affront |
England.
If Great Britain is threatening env
power, or if any power has actuallv |
threatened her, it is impossible to saw |
which power it is that has menaced or is /
being menaced. OF course it is generally |
understood that Germany is the power in |
question, but there is nothing official to !
show that she is. 1t is not known whether |
or not Lord Salisbury has asked for an |
explanation OF Emperor Williams atti- /
tude, or if he has done so whether any
explanation has been youchsafed him.
At any rate Emperor William is not
Germany, and the tone of German senti
ment so far as can be cleaned from news
paper comment is decidedly averse to war.
1t is not in the power of the German
Emperor to declare war unless it is a de-
fensive one. To declare war, if not merely
defensive, the Emperor must have the con-
sent OF the Bundesrath, and it is believed
the German commercial and colonial inter
ests would exert all their influence to pre-
vent q declaration of war against Great
Britain Such a war would undoubtedly
be disastrous to those interests, and no one
is quicker to see this than the Germans
themselves. It will therefore devoIve on
the British Government to declare war,
and it can be stated that scarcely any one
believes il Will do so.
There can, however, be no denial made
OF the fact that England is putting herself
in condition OF prepared readiness for
any emergency that may arise. Popular
opinion supports this policy and would
support war should it be necessary to pre-
serve British honor or the integrity OF the
empire, but it is not thought now that
either is threatened and there are not lack
ing persons who do not hesitate TO declare
that Lord Salisbury is playing to the
gallery"