The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-28
BRITISH CABINET SUMMONED
REASSEMBLING OF P4RLIdMENT
 TO BE CONSIDERED.
Chief Government Whip WtlI be on
 Hand to Give Quick Effect to Any De- cisiom-No Doubt as to Orange Free States Attitudc-Agent General of Natal Says Boers Can be Easily Whip
ped.

ped.
 London, Sept 27.-Notices for the ad-
 journed cabinet council were forwarded
 this afternoon, and the chief govern
 ment whip will be on hand to give inn
 mediate effect to any decision arrived
 at regarding the reassembling of par
 liament. Information from Bloemfon-
 tein this evening leaves little doubt that
 the Orange Free State Volksraad is
 unanimous in supporting the Transvaal.
 situation by frank statement to-day
 to the Associated Press by Sir Walter
 Peace, agent general for Natal in Lon
 don, who fought against the Boers in former years. Sir Walter Peace said:
 "The attitude of the Orange Free
 State means it's inevitable acquisition
 by Great Britain. Peace in South Af- rica can only be accomplished by war. In my opinion war would not last long, not more than two months, In order to make pactication effective, Great Britain must assume absolute control over the whole of South Africa. So far as the position of Natal is con- cerned, all this talk about poor unde tended Natal is nonsense. There will be little or no fighting in Natal, if it comes to a war, and I fear that no other issue is now possible. What do you think ten thousand British troops would be doing while this much-talked- of Boer raid was in progress? Our rail- roads are in good working order, and our troops can be transferred quickly The bad weather conditions have been magnitied. A campaign could be car red on now just as well as in any other season.
 Two months from the day General Sir Redvers Butler lands the fighting will be over. If the Free State had been loyal, fighting would not have last ed fourteen days. It is the luckiest thing in the world, however, that the Free State has been foolish enough to take hostile attitude, for that means her addition to British possessions. The Free State would always have bean a disturbing factor in the quiet of South Africa. Great Britain has the power to work out ultimate peace. It remains to be seen whether she has the spirit. Upon the conclusion of war which must be unflinching in order to be effec- tive, British control must be absolute over all South Africa, in Cape Colony, Natal and other sections. Half meas ures would only prolong unrest and pro- duce more disturbances.
 T have known the Boers as we'll as any man. I have lived among them and have fought them. To exist peace fully so close to them Is an utter impos- Negotiations are we'll enough In their way; but British control of the Transvaal must come eventually. For years the Boers have been crying, Throw the Outlander into the sea and Out with him.
 Possibly they are not so vir,le as dur ing the last war, but there is little diff ference My idea is that, if the Beers were caught in the open once or twice, the thing would be ended. Kill five | hundred of them and all that would re- main for England to do would be to | send a few shiploads of crape They | never have stood in the open; and, if | war comes now, they will have to do more than stay in the hills. This is not | optimistic twaddle, but an opinion based | ipon my experience in campaigns | against the Boers. I have not the slight ,st fears for the safety of my colony or ts towns. It is possible that a few 3oer incursions might get few miles nto Natal, but no further and it must ,e remembered that many of those liv- ng on the edge of the Natal border are themselves Boers."