Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-04-23
PICKED AND SORTED.
NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS
BRIEFLY RELATED.
The South African situation Is Becoming
Very Serious and the British In Mata-
beiand are In Great Danger-EngIand
and Germany May Have n squabbie.
Buluwayo is Seriously Threatened.


An official dispatch from Buluwayo,
Mata beland, says that it is impossible
TO estimate the numbers of the enemy.
Ihe whole country is now in the hands
OF the rebellious natives and they are
masslng In great forces northward.
No official statement from any source
is worth considering for moment If
II takes the ground that Buluwayo is
not In danger. The latest advices re-
ceived from Buluwayo have greatly
increased the anxiety felt for the
safety of that place. 1t has been
stated that Buluwayo is held by 1000
men; this is not correct. The number
of fighting men at Buluwayo is undo.
300, and of this small number, com.
pared with the Is. 900 Matabeles in the
vicinity of the town, 300 are reported
to have been dispatched to hold Man
give pass, which is steep detile, with
angular turnings and can be rendered
impregnable, and which is absolutely
necessary to prevent all outside com
munications being cut off from Bulu-
wayo. Then, again, large numbers of
Malta beles, presumed to be friendlies,
have, by some excuse or other, sue
ceeded in entering the town, and it is
well known that they have planned to
rise and strike at the British as soon
as the warriors of the Matabeles are
heard outside the line of defenses. As
measure of defense against the eX-
pected attack upon the town dynamite
mines have been laid in the outskirts
of the town and in the ground over
which an attacking party would nee
essarily approach. These mines have
been wired and connected in the cen
trail lager, which will be the point Of
retreat of attack and from which the
surrounding country is in full view.
later dispatch from Buluwayo,
Matabeland, says that AZ men attacked
the vanguard of the Matabeles and
drove them back to the main body.
The English sustained the loss of only
one man wounded. According to re-
ports over 80 of the natives were killed.
The $4,000 natives then moved around
Buluwayo in the direction of Mangwe
pass.
London: Urgent requests for troops
have been made by people at Buluwayo,
and the home government is blamed
for postponing the dispatch of strong
reinforcementS to South Africa. The
inaction of the war office is undoubt-
eddy due TO the desire of Joseph Cham
berlain, the secretary of state for the
colonies, to avoid anything which
might be construed into an attempt to
coerce the South African republic (the
Transvaal. There is no change in the
situation, SO far as the Beers are con-
cerned. They are continuing their
preparations, apparently for "a great
struggle, and il is feared that the fact
that Mr.. Chamb erlain thought il nee
essary to notify President Kruger that
the dispatch of reinforcements to the
Cape would not imply change in the
friendly policy of Great Britain to-
wards the Transvaal, will encourage
the Beers in their .dea that Great
Britain is afraid of them, and that it
will only require a combined effort
upon the part of the Beers of the
Transvaal, Orange Free State and
Cape Colony to drive the British out of
that part of the world. The Beers boast
of being able to muster about $50, 900
fighting men, and they claim this force
can defy the whole British army.
London: The Times publishes in
formation going TO show that the arm
ing of the inha bitants of the Trans
vaal which is going forward with such
energy is being assisted from German
sources.
London The Berlin correspondent
of the Standard says that the German
press is irdulging in the bitterest com
ments upon England's action in South
Africa, in which they see a direct
menace to the Transvaal. They charge
Colonial Secretary Chamberlain with
duplicity in his statements 10 parlia-
ment and in his messages to President
Kruger.
London: The Exchange Telegraph
Co. says that better news was received
from Buluwayo by Colonial Secretary
Chamberlain. The wagon train of
provisions from the south was said to
have succeeded in entering the be-
leaguered town and the reinforce
ments from Mafebing are reported to
be advancing rapidly without obstruc-
ton.