Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-29
MATABELES ARE IN REV0L 7
The War Spirit Likely to Extend to the Zulus
in the Tfansyaal.
A WAR NOW SEEMS TO BE A CERTAINTY
The Dutch Are Agitating the Independence
of South Africa and Are Importing
Many German Soldiers-Kruger's
Answer to Chamberlain.

London, March 2S.-Mr. Joseph Cham
berlain recently demanded of President
Kruger of the Transvaal that he ac-
cept or reject the invitation of Mr. Cham
berlain to visit London for the purpose of
settling the questions that have arisen
between Great Britain and the South
African republic. In response to this
demand President Kruger has telegraph
ed that the decision does not rest with
him, but with the volksraad, the parlia-
ment of the republic, and that the latter
will only assent to his going to London
on condition that the Anglo Boer con-
vention of 1884 be so amended that the
full independence of the Transvaal will
bereeognized and guaranteed by Great
Britain and other powers. Mr.. Chamber
lain declined to tell the house of COM
mons how the negotiations stood at pres
ent but within the ministerial circle the
gravity of the position is known. A high
official has told the representative of the
United Press that Mr.. Chamberlain had,
from the outset of the negotiations, dis
trusted President Kruger and had not
failed to draw accurate conclusions from
MS delayed acceptance of the invitation
to visit England. Mr.. Chamberlain still
hopes, however, to obtain a pacific set
tlement of the question at issue without
President Kruger coming here and with
out acceding to a revision of the conven-
tion. The ministers seem to be more
sanguine than the facts warrant they
probably not desiring to alarm the coun-
try until the last resources of diplomacy
are exhausted. The volksraad does not
meet until April 4. President Kruger
will then have dallied over Mr.. Cham
berlain's invitation which was sent early
in February, for three months, during
which time he has formed an alliance
with the Orange Free State.
He prepared an Africander insurrec-
tion in Cape Colony and reorganized the
forces of the Transvaal especially the
artillery.
That the issue of the negotiations
would be war has been contemplated
by the British government for some
time. This fact was pointed out in this
correspondence on February last, at
which time it was stated that the war
office, acting under Instructions from the
government, had prepared to send an
army corps of 10000 men to South Africa
OF this force it was intended that large
contingent should be drawn from the In
dian cavalry, artillery and infantry.
There is reason to state that this project
has not been altered, but that time has
been on the side of the Beers. The tact
and energy of President Kruger have
made successful invasion of the Trans
vaal by 10000 British troops almost i'm
possible. 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-sensa tional paper. the
Manchester Guardian, published yester-
day authoritative letters from Cape Col
ony in which 1t was said that a war
against the Transvaal would mean civil
war-the British against the Dutch, The
conquest of the Dutch would require as
many troops as were sent to the sCrmea.
1t is known accurately at the war office
what the strength of the Boer forces
alone is that are 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 Transyaal money. The
forces of Seulas, trained and commanded
by Boer and German officers, are esti-
mated to number 10000. 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
the gigantic task Of conquering the
Transvaal, yet they must face that or the
alterna tive of decision of independence
from the Transvaal, the Orange Free
State and probably Cape Colony, which
would form e@United States of South
Africa.
Inc f1S1nR OF the natives IN MaIaDeldnQ
Is expected to be only momentary diff
ficulty.
All of the Matabeies, including the wo-
men, number only 150 900. The men are
supposed to have been disarmed after
the defeat of their king, Lobengula, by
the forces of the British South Africa
company. but 1t Is now suspected that
they hid their weapons, instead of turn
ing them over to the companys officers.
Though the country is denuded of regu-
ro f<x-a =
company are disorganized about the re-
cent raid into the Transvaal, which re-
suited In most of the company's officers
being placed on trial In London, good
volunteer force, armed with Lemilford
rifles, and also force of 1000 volunteer
cavalry are near the region where the
rising occurred Buluwayo, the principal
town Of Matabeland. is protected by
number of Maxim guns and few guns
of heavier calibre There Is plenty of
ammunition in the town. Though
massacre of the settlers and miners is
possible. the rising will undoubtedly be
aueled without an engagement suffi-
cientIy serious to be called a battle.
The most serious news yet received
from Rhodesia Is that which came to
hand this evening saying that the native
police had Joined the rising. This puts
an entirely different face upon the trou-
BILE. and the suppression of the trouble,
which at first promised to be an easy
matter, now threatens to be q somewhat
large undertaking. The main anxiety of
the authorities here was centered in the
conduct of this force. Though 1t is only
$50 strong 1t will be powerful factor in
spreading the revolt The natives who
served as police were recruited from the
crack regiments of the old tMatabele
Kingdom. They are well trained. well
armed and command copious supply Of
ammunition Altogether the outlook is In
mo wise as IA vorable as 1t was yesterday
tar the speedy putting down Of the re-
volt The Globe commenting this after
noon on the subject says that the fever of
revolt is likely to spread 10 the tribes be-
yond Matabeleland Including the Zulus
In the Transvaal who, 1t was supposed