New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-12

ENGLAND MUST ACT FIRST.
HER WARLIKE ATTITUDE CONTRASTED
WITH GERMANY'S INDIFFERENCE.

/
| WHY KRUGER STILL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF A WIDESPREAD CONSPIRACY TO OVER
TURN THE TRANsvAAL GOVERNMENT
EUROPEAN COALITION AGAINST ENG
LAND A VAGUE DREAM-DOEs THE
KAISER REALLY BELIEVE HIM
SELF HEIR TO THE BRITISH
THRoNE?- is SALISBURY
PLAYING TO THE
GALLERY?'
London. Jan. 1l.-Though official and diplo-
! matte circles are said to believe that Great
Britain is facing a great crisis, the general pub
lie refuses to believe that there is even possi-
| bility of war. 1t is thought that the naval
preparations making are well enough in their
way 10 impress upon foreign Powers that Great
Britain Is ready to accept the gauntlet of battle
should it be thrown down. but the popular opln-
ion IS that England will not herself provoke
| war The belief grows, however, that the Trans
vaaI Government will need a reminder that
Great Britain still exercises suzerain powers
over the country and does not propose to forego
/ any other rights conferred upon her by the
! Anglo Boer convention of 1884. Much dissatsfac-
! ton is expressed at the attitude Of President
| Kriiger. Though 1t Is generally conceded that
| he is practically dictator in the Transvaal. 1t
| Is believed that the anger of the burShers
against the British is burning so hercely that
ne dare not release DR.. jameson and the other
! prisoners at present, and that in making their
release contingent upon the restoration OF order
! in johannesburg ne is temporizing in order that
the indignation among the Beers may cool
down. The report Of the existence of docu-
ments showing the existence OF widespread
| conspiracy against the Transvaal simply con-
! firms the belief entertained in many quarters
/ that there was really an intention the part
| Of certain ambitious men to overturn the Trans
vaal Government and then bring about the an
! nexation of that country to Cape Colony. 1t is
thought that the arrest at Johannesburg Of
! number OF members Of the Reform Committee
was due to knowledge reaching the Govern
ment that the men arrested were implicated in
this conspiracy John II. Hammond the Amer
! lean mining engineer. who was arrested. is well
! known I'm NewYork. and ii is reported that
efforts already being made by his friends in
that city and elsewhere to secure his release.
ENERGETIC BRITISH ACTION.
/ As said in these dispatches yesterday 1t is
believed that all serious trouble with the Trans
| vaal has been averted by the prompt and encr-
! getic action Of the British Government, and that
whatever questions may arise ~ have already
arisen will be- settled through the usual diplo-
/ matte channels
with regard 10 Germany. 1t can be said that
although the Interference of Emperor William
in a matter that in no wise concerned him
| aroused most warlike feeling throughout
| Great Britain. that feeling is to great extent
1 dying ont under the repeated assurances OF the
German press that Germany never intended to
anront England
II Great Britain is threatening any Power.
II any Power has actually threatened her. 1t
Is Impossible 70 say which Power it is that has
menaced or is being menaoel. or course II Is
generally understood that Germany IS the Power
In question. but there is nothing official to show
! that she IS II is not known whether or not
! Lord Salisbury has asked for explanation
| Of Emperor Williams attitude or, If he has done
so. whether any explanation has been vouch-
safed him. At any rate Emperor William Is
not Germany. and the tone Of German senu-
ment 50 far a. can be CLEANED from newspaper
comment is decidedly adverse to war. II is not
in the power Of the German Emperor to declare
war unless It be a defensive one. To declare
war II not merely defensive. the Emperor must
have the consent of the Bundesrath. and it is
believed that the German commercial and colo
NAL interests would exert all their influence
Britain Such war would undoubtedly be
disastrous to those interests. and no one Is
ouicker 10 see this than the Germans them
selves II will Therefore devolve on the British
! Government 10 declare war. and II can be said
that scarcely any one believes that Il will do 50.
| There can, however. be no denial made of the
! fact that England is putting herself in con-
dition OF preparedness for any emergency mat
may arise. Popular opinion supports this policy
and would support war should 1t be necessary
to preserve British honor or the integrity OF
the Empire, but 1t IS not thought that either Is
threatened and there are not lacking persons
who do not hesitate 20 declare that Lord Sails
bury is playing to the gallery
WHAT Dl<s THE KAISER MEAN7
The most influential weekly papers, in trying
to solve the Emperors policy. concur in the
opinion that the theory that Ills Majesty Is
dangerous lunatc. who has exploded bomb
under a momentary impulse. must be dismissed
| as incredible.
"The spectator" very openly says that It finds
1t difficult to discover accurately what the EN-
pcror means. 1t adds that it has been patent to
| the Foreign Office for some time that Germany
/ Is exceedingly unfrtndly to Great Britain she
has checked Lord Sansbury's negotiations in
| favor of the Armenians and her attitude more
than that of the Car. has prevented Il s'ttlt-
| ment of that question. Admitting that II ls
! probable that the Emperor aims at European
! coalition against Great Britain The Spectator
| argues that such a coalition Is VAN cream.
| Neither France Russia. Austria nor Italy Is
sufficiently Interested to help to reallze the
dream OF German supremacy. Ihe spectator
| points out solution or the puHIle thdt
| Emperor William wanted the IransVaaI as a
German colony and opened negotiltonS with
the Beers to whom he promised protection. He
then sounded Portugal relative 10 the passage
! of an armed German force from DelagOa Bay
| across Portuguese territory to the TransVaal
In the mean time. finding himself checkmatcd
by the energetic action OF the British Govern
ment he has taken a more friendly attitude
The Statst' says that Germany VIII require
to settle with France before joining ooaltioh