The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-18
BULUWAYO In PERIL
FIFTEEN THOUSAND BLACKS MASS
ING FOR AN ONSLAUGHT.
British Prestige I'm south Africa Also
I'm Danger, IL Reports from Cane
Town Are Correct.
BOERS PLOTTING MISCHIEF
VAST SCHEME OF CONQUEST HATCH
ING IN THE TRANsvAAL.
President Kruger Said to BE Secretly
Preparing to Drive All the British
Out Of south Africa.
BOERS PLOTTING MISCHIEF
VAST SCHEME OF CONQUEST HATCH
ING IN THE TRANsvAAL.
Especial Cable Lottery

| LONDON, April H.-It Is becoming appar-
| ent that the uprising of blacks in Matabe-
| leland Is a more serious affair than either
| the home government the South Africa
| officials anticipated. There are many wild
| rumors afoat. but the most alarming is a
| report that Buluwayo has been captured
| by the rebels According to another story
| 1900 Matabeles are massing for an attack
| on the Place. These reports are believed
| by Colonial Secretary Chamberlain to be
/ overdrawn. But all the same, it is known
| that orders have been issued for the dis
| patch of troops from here to the cape. The
| Middlesex regiment, stationed at Aldershot
is one Of the detachments ordered to start
| Immediately for South Africa.
| In the House of Commons, this afternoon,
Mr.. Chamberlain, replying to question on
| the subject, said that the government had
| decided to replace the troops withdrawn
| from Natal and Cape Town. Therefore
battalion of the line and a body of mounted
infantry would be DISPATCHED to these
Places as soon possible. This move
ment he added, connected. with the decision
Of the government to permanently increase
| the strength of the garrison of Cape Col
ony. step which had been urged by the
military authorities, who were Of the opin-
| iuH tIdl the present garrison at cape Town
was inadequate for the defense of the dock
| yard and coal depots. This announcement
OF Mr.. Chamberlain was greeted with loud
cheers and was looked on as meaning that
the government has finally decided to send
adequate reinforcements to South Africa.
Mr.. Chamberlain added. however. that, ex-
cept in the greatest emergency the i'm
perial troops were not suited to the work
Of quel.ing a native insurrection which, in
| the governments opinion, can be most
promptly dealt with by the local forces.
There was, he also said, an ample number
Of men and a sufficient supply of arms for
| that purpose in South Africa. The only
| difficulty experienced was that of moving
other Finally @ Mr chamberain R0n. said 70 hn
| the government was prepared to authorize
the recruiting. If necessary, of colonial
ances in South Africa, but the chartered
company would have to bear the expense.
The Cape Town correspondent of the
there that Pascoe ST. Leger GrenfeI, who
| left Gwele for Buluwayo on the day before
the first of the murders was reported must
| be dead, as ne has mt been heard of since
He was accompanied by Bob White, the
American manager of Gourlay's mines, and
SaRs nto n ws s dss armed G but 9h SI hs
| on the Shanghai, which killed Hammond,
! Farmer and others.
A RACIAL WAR PROBABLE.
The Times has a letter from johannesburg
| this morning bearing the date of March 80
which confirms the intelligence hitherto
brought by cable that Colonial Secretary
| Chamberlain had demanded President Krug-
| ers reply to the invitation to visit England
| within certain number of hours. but that
Mr.. Chamberlain had granted an extension
of the time on President Krugers request
IF peace is patched up, however" says this
letter, "it seems hardly >possib,e to avoid
| trouble in the future. A racial war would
| be popular cry and all the Beers in South
Africa would join In the defense of the
! 1ransvaal. 1t may fairly be computed that
the Transvaal would furnish fifteen thou
| sand men, the Orange Free State twenty
thousand men and Cape Colony and Natal
thousand men. The military preparations
here quite inconsistent with any other
| explanation than that war is considered i'm
minent. Large quantities Of cannon, Maxim
| guns. rifles and ammunition are pouring into
the country and orders, especially to Ger
man firms, are being given for all the re-
| reused by infiammatory speeches delivered
| in different parts OF the country. Quite re-
Gently the, Volkstem urged tEe Beers not
| to forget how the English had treated the
Beers, and during the trial of the reform
| committee prisoners the beam was brought
from Pretoria which the English used fifty
| years ago during the rebellion to hang five
Beers. 1t was this incident that led to Mr.
| Chamberlain's remonstrances (holds the
reform prisoners) and Pre3ident Kruger
then expressed the opinion here that the
beam was intended for a museum. The
| general opinion however, Is that Is was for
| more sinister purpose"
| The Times has an editorial this (Satur-
| day. morning couched in serious terms on
| the situation in South Africa 1t says: 1T
| is quite time that the nation and the gov
| ernrnent should realize that We have seri-
IN Ds ana to
| steps to ascertain the extent and charac
| ter of the Boer armaments, which even
Witch he expaa is oe o nS' respect
| an old and long-neglected Jaw. That being
the case. President Kruger cannot complain
| If we follow suit. The government ought
| not to delay to place an experienced Off
Ger at the head of both the regular and
| irregular forces designed for Matabeleland."
The Standard (Conservative). in edi-
torial commenting upon the statements
made to President Kruger by Sir Hercules
says 1T is not clear whether Mr.. Cham
berlain's exploration is intended to min
imize the signlficance of sending reinforce. &
way for the disclosures of more ample
ceived dispatch from Governor Sir Her.
O'clock on Friday afternoon. This dispatch
wayo. which Is conclusive evidence that no
news OF such disaster had been received
in Cape Town up to that hour.
the vagueness of Mr.. Chamberlain's state
ment. and asks whether the troops to be
sent are intended for Matabeleland or the
TranSvaal-
SITUATION rs SERIOUS.
A copyrighted cable dispatch from Cape
Town to the Associated Press says: The
difficulty In obtaining news of the Matabele
uprising increases day by day, owing to
the restrictions OF the authorities, but 1t is
positively known that the situation about
Buluwayo has grown darker and that the
rebellion is SO widespread that large force
OF troops viii be necessary to restore order.
Urgent requests for troops have been made
by people not directly interested in the
British Chartered South Africa Company,
and the home government is blamed for
postponing the dispatch of strong reinforce
ments to South Africa. The inaction of the
War Office Is undoubtedly due to the desire
OF Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, the Secretary
of State for the Colonies to avoid anything
which might be construed into an attempt
to coerce the South African republic but.
IL is pointed out, while Mr.. Chamberlain
is holding his hand the Beers are openly
drilling and being drilled under their i'm
ported German instructors are accumulat-
Ing arms and ammunition, constructing
Notifications and bringing heavy guns from
Germany.
The policy OF President Kruger Is one of
delay: TO avoid doing or saying anything
definite until the Transvaal is In position
= defy Great Britain nd