The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-26

equality. For instance a Catholic Is
debarred from holding the humblest Of
iice, and this disqualification applies for
some inscrutable reason. which l cannot
explain, to Episcopal Methodists as we'll
Sooner or later the Transvaal will fall
into the hands of the English. Possibly
"Oom Paul. Is conscious of this himself.
But his policy is TO hold out as long as
he lives. with the best will in the world
he cannot grant all that the Uitlander5
ask. II he had been diplomatic enough In
the past TO grant a small portion OF 1t,
It would not have come to threat OF war.
a war which England would this time
fight from start to finish with all the re-
sources in her power. The British feet
could not take an active part In the war,
and her army Is so small relatively to
the amount OF territory which 1t con-
trolls that at the outset the Beers could
place as many men in the field as Eng
land without calculating upon the act
i've sympathy of the Beers of the orange
Free State who might or might not re-
main neutral. But Great Britain has
three hundred thousand volunteers at her
back, not to speak of the native troops
Of India, and President Kruger has as
reserve none. This Is the actual situa-
ton. I do not believe that there will be
war, although Boer and Englishman are
prepared to recognize 1t as a not remote
possibility.
o
The st. James Gazette of London has
published what purports to be General
Jouberts plan of campaign. 1t says
that old warrior has reckoned upon
forced march fiom Pretoria to Cape
Town, a distance Of some thousand miles,
blowing up on his way the De Beers and
Kimberley diamond mines. If he en-
countered no opposition In his movements
such an extraordinary military exploit
| might be possible, but taking a common
sense view of 1t, the Vancouver would be
impraticable with the slightest resist
| aIce. Joubert is not an Attila and wnat
he could hope to gain by blowing up the
De Beers and Kimberley diamond mines
except the execration of mankind is not
apparent. The country through which
he would march has a salubrious and
magnificent climate, on Of the finest in
the world. 1t is practically an open
veldt or prairie. Truth to tell, the Boers
| are poor fighters in the open. Give them
| favorable shelter for sharp shooting and
| they are magnificent marksmen. But
| they must have that or they are no.
| where. If you remember, this was the
| strategy which they adopted when deal
| ing With the Jameson raiders 1t was
| under the same circumstances that they
carried Maguba Hill. There is not the
slightest reason TO suppose that If war
| IS declared they will act on the offensive
| with civilized troops. The British have
| a magnificent record in their South
African wars. The Twenty-second regi-
| ment was massacred to a man at Isan-
| dula, the Forty-fifth was annihilated
| at Rorke's drift. In both instances the
| retaliation was quick and terrible. 1
| have said, and I may repeat, that there
| is no likelihood of war. The Beers, like
the Spaniards, are acting up to their
views of constitutional prerogative but
| after all is said and done the interests
| of civilization are paramount, and will
henceforth guide the destiny of the world
| in the Transvaal as well as elsewhere.
| p. l.. Greer.
| Scranton, June a.