Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-08
LION is RAMPANT.
Kaiser Billy Seems to Have Set
the Animal Wild.
BRITONS READY FOB THE ISSUE,


tn the Cape and a Cruiser to De,aEoa
Hay. Where There Are Two German
warships Indications of Mobiiizins the
I;ritis,, Rc,erve--war in the lSir.
LONDON, Jan. s.-The dying
squadron has been ordered to be
ready for sea by Tuesday. 1t is an
nounced that Emperor William will
declare the independence Of Trans.
vaal. The situation is growing more
serious hourly.
IL is rumored that DR.. Jameson
has been sentenced to death.
Talk Of the Hour
NEW YoRB, Jan. s-A dispatch to The
Journal from London says: The govern
Ircnt gag is still ON the news from Cape
Town. Meantime the mos scrio us con-
dition is nearer home. England and Ger
many are on tho ragged edge OF war.
Your correspondent cabled yesterday that
it was impossible to believe the rumor
that Emperor William had told Leyds,
agent Of the Transvaal, that he meant to
send n German minister to Johannesburg.
and now he has said TO another news
man at Berlin that the emperor told him
he would recognize the complete inde-
pendcncc of the Transvaal. Reitcration
has strengthened the story, which if true,
means neither more nor less than war be-
tween England and Germany.
Is Russia with the Kaiser?
Emperor William has not ships enough
60 fight England and will not do so alone.
The case is one either of pure bluster, or
else is the outcome of we'll arranged plan
between Russia and Germany, in pursu-
nncc Of which Emperor William takes the
FIRST slight excuse for announcing his in
tcntions. The situation is intense here,
because England is not avcrsc to this war
as she was to war with the United States.
Ono could feel the strain in the air. The
whole situation therefore bears an ugly
expression. some sort Of word has been
sent out to the army reserves, and at the
presentation of some army medals by
Princess Louise the regular army gem
ertl detailed to the volunteers took occa-
sion to declare that the volunteers were
never in better condition and that retired
officers were pressing forward from all
over the country to notify the war Office
of their readiness to rcjoin the service.
War believed Ciose ss Hand.
a glance at The Chronicle reveals tho
fact that war with Germany is believed To
h. close at hand, and also disclos,s the
fact that the government has decided To
appriSc the English nation that IL is facing
crisis. The editor of The Chronicle nm
DIR tho Inspiration of the colonial Office
starts his leader thus: "Warlil.c Utter
anccs-Thc patience and good sense of the
English people stand today in need of rc-
infJrccmcnt. We observe hasty, not to
say panic-Strickcn. call for the immcdi-
ate summoning Of the defensive forces Of
the cmpir'. We assume that they will be
ready. We expect they will bc adequate.
Peace Is ono Of the greatest of British in
t,rcsts, and above all, peace with America
t. not merely an interest, it is u first con-
dition of honorable life for both peoples"
Transvaai Treaty l. rIain.
The editorial goes on to say that no dis
putc between England and America how
ever cmbittcrcd, should he allowed to pro-
coed to the extremity of war. The leader
Is u column long and all Of it directed to-
America. Then comes the treatment of
the German situation in second cdi-
tnrial II begins: "Thc tension is so cx-
trcmc at the present moment that every
man in these islands should feel resting
upon him heavy responsibility" The
editor quotes the vital clause of the con-
vcntiun with the Transvaal of 1884 in
forcing suacrninty over that country, and
adds: NO language can be palmer, and
we have simply to- inform the German
emperor that we abide 10y that language
NJ completely rs we do b. our intention to
respect the internal liberty aud indcpcnd-
cncc Of the south African republic"
Troops and Cruisers Moving.
Tho Daily Telegraph publishes the news
that the Royal Lancaster regiment, which
has started from India, will discmbark at
the Cape. Another regiment Of equal
strength il on its way from India to the
Cape. \ considerable force will shortly
leave England for the same point. \ first
class cruiser has been ordered to Dclagna
bay. the harbor where the German See
Adler is already. \ second German
cru>icr Is on its way to Dclagoa bay, bu.
both these are third class cruisers, and
likely TO be clcvcrly handled by the Brit.
ish ship.
France Not with Kaiser Billy,
The STANDARD, supposed to b. closer to
the government than even The Times. be-
gins its leader with = discussion Of the po-
sition of the German emperor Ii saws
that he has made u mistake in counting
un France "Thc intention of the emperor
was to combine against this country the
efforts Of the great powcrs," the editor
says. and goes on to say that instead of
getting France TO play the game o. her
enemies and strike an old friend the re-
suit is to bring about return to the
tonc of cordially which has for some time
been absent In French references to this
country. The article concludes with the
assertion that England will maintain her
authority in the whole group TO which the
Transvaal belongs.