Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-03-14
THE TRANSVAAL REPUBLIC
Now Occupies the Attention of
Great Britain
MORE so THAN GREECE
John Bull VIII Gust the Dutch President,
Kruger, if He'll Let 'lm-Sher-
man Quoted.

the Sun Printing and Publishing Com
pany.)-Public attention has been so CON-
centrated for several weeks upon the
crisis in the cas-. that little notice has
been taken of the really critical relations
now existing between Great Britain and
the Transvaal republic. There is strong
reason for. believing that the English
government is seeking the earliest oppor-
tunity or excuse for making one more
attempt to crush the little republic, which
so many times has successfully repulsed
British invasons. Colonial Secretary
Chamberlain is credited with just such
an outrageous policy, and his attitude on
several recent occasions has done much
to justify the suspicion. He emphasized
repeate dly in his examination of Mr..
Rhodes before the Sou h African commits
sion his conviction that the present re-
gime in the Transvaal cannot continue,
and openly intimated that the British
government would have given full sup
port to an ultimatum in the drifts ques-
ton last October, had 1t been necessary.
All of Mr.. Chamberlain's incest utter
ances in parliament in reference to the
Transvaal have been sarcastic and IN
tolerant He openly declares that the re-
lations between the two countries are
gravely strained There has been free
talk within a few days of an ultimatum
to President Kruger, with Lord Wolse-
ley and 10000 troops in the background.
There is, of course, every effort to make
1t appear that President Kruger is taking
the defensive, but nobody need be de-
ceived thereby. The keen old statesman
of the rand knows perfectly well that
England is trying to pick quarrel with
him, and he is simply making ready, as
he should do, for one more gallanc de-
tense of the Boer liberties against the
rapacious greed of gold-worshipping
Englishmen. This week he was making
speeches in the Orange Free State, where
he las been on mission which is pretty
well understood to include a statement
of an offensive as we'll as defensive al
lance of thetwo African republics
against England. His peculiar style OF
ora tory is not relished in England, where
everybody is ready to take cffense
whether it is intended or not He talked
cheerfully about the way his keen-eyed
burghers had shot Englishmen when the
foreigners had invaded the Transvaal,
and the fact that his assertion perfectly
accords with the facts, does not sweeten
it for British patriots. In another speech
the old man paid ponderous compliments
to Queen Victoria, or at any rate the
world has been given to understand that
they were meant to be compliments.
Among other remarks, he declared that
the queen was teen kwaja vrouw." and
a controversy IS now raging as to- the
meaning of this phrase. Beuters Tel
egraph company witch is the official Boer
agency as far as South African news is
concerned, translates the remark as "a
difficult woman"
The Central News which in South
African affairs is ultra British, cables
from Cape Town that Mr. Kruger's
words were meant to be contemptuous,
and that their literal and also collequial
meaning is IAN angry woman" or
"shrewd"
The London Globe, which may be fair
T. = l1es
says the expression is frequently used in
the Transvaal with reference to bad
tempered animals which, when annoyed,
kick or bite. Thus 'een kwake mannet-
je" is an expression applied to cock os-
trich which is an habitual and vigorous
kicker. Mr.. Kruger, it is urged. really
intended to describe Queen Victoria as
vicious woman Whatever Mr.. Kruger
meant Englishmen are bound to put
the word construction on it. AS to his
mission to the Orange Free State, priv
ate cables indicate that he will probably
fail as to his main object as the smaller
republic has no desire for high place.
One can scarcely take up IN English pa
per now without finding in some form
or another the obviously absurd accusa-
tion that President Kruger has the de-
sign to provoke England to war. Ger
tainly the valiant old republican shows
fine contempt of British susceptibilities
and stoutly declines to. accept as rule
of faith the proposition that the English
are a heaven-sent race, which sooner or
later must determine South Africa.
Moreover. he vehemently declines to al
low England to interfere in the domestic
concerns of his country, but he has done
absolutely nothing to justify the charge
that he would be such fool as to force
a war.
1t was announced today that month
hence the royal Irish regiment, one of the
finest corps of the British army, will sail
for South Africa, nominally to relieve
certain troops at Cape Colony, and Ma
tai, but 1t really is intended as re-
Enforcement to garrison which Is al
ready largely in excess of normal re-
quirements. 1t may be added and the
announcement is made public for the
first time, that the commanders of sew
eral British regiments now in India have
been secretly warned that their corps
may be required for active service in
South Africa before the summer has far
advanced.
The Telegraph today declares that
well known millionaire has just offered
over 5000 for the use on jubilee day of
three small windows belonging to week
ly newspaper with its publishing office in
Ludgate circus, which is by no means a
first-class position and that the offer was
refused.
Mr.. Bayard, after spending a month on
the Riviera and in Italy, will sail for New
York at the end of April.
A good deal of interest is taken here in
lOQS report III Lie LINES OF an inter-
view yesterday between Mr.. Smalley and
Mr.. Sherman, the new secretary of state
1t is represented that Mr. Sherman favors
the arbitration treaty, but is luke-warm
regarding its details and is willing to
accept any form Of a treaty. The sec
rotary declares that he will continue the
Olney policy with regard to Cuba and
Spain. American citizens will be pro-
tected by the American government
Those who under cover of American ma
tionality engage in hostllities against
Spain must accept the edhsequen5es Of
their acts. Those who are pursuing law
full oceupa lions In a lawful way will be
held entitled e tn: rrotecIioH Of law and
freaties, and In their behalf no efforts
will be spared should they be seized on
suspicion. There will be no war with
SPAIN" the interview goes on. I'VE
want none We have no reason to be-
lieve that Spain wants war. If Spain
would give me a quit claim deed to the
island of Cuba would not have It,"
4 Mr. Sherman said he was opposed to
AL annexation, think ng the United States