The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-09-21
VERY NEAR TO WAR.
hfuGcr's Reply Only Aggravatas the
Situation.

Situation.
London, Sept. IA dispatch from;
Pretoria says the Transvaals reply
Will be on the following lines:
''The Transvaal adheres to the seven
year franchise proposition but is will
ing to consider, and. If necessary,
adopt any suggestions that Great
Britain my make in regard to the
working of the law.
In regard 10 the main points of Mr..
Chamberlain's dispatch the Transvaal
boldly stands by the London conven-
ton.
ut is said the reply is couched in
polite terms
State Secretary ReitZ, in the course
or an Interview, expressed some doubt
as to whether any alteration would be
made in the existing franchise law.
but said he believed a way could and
should be found to establish an arbi,
tration court AS to suzerainty the
least said the sooner mended, re-
marked the state secretary"
In the forecasts OF President Kru-
gers reply there is undoubtedly a
| large basis Of truth. which seems to
bring the dispute within Il measurable
distance Of war. Last evening the
press association issued curious
statement TO the effect hat as soon as
the garrison in Natal had been suti-
ciently strengthened the Transvaal
government would be called upon TO
accept n new convention, already
drafted, which. while guaranteeing
the integrity of the I>ransvaal State,
provides for the demolition of the forts
and limits the armed force of the
Transyaal to what is deemed sufficient
to maintain internal order.
According to the press association
the convention will demand that the
diplomatic agencies be suppressed and
the judiciary be made independent of
the executive. This statement. which
realizes the extreme demands of the
Ouitlanders must be accepted under
| reserve at the present stage. but it is
not unlikely to be o semi-oflical hint
as to the next move OF, the government
should President Kruger prove OBJ
durate. The morning papers. editorial
ly. regard the crisis as having reached
its most acute phase. The Daily News
says:
I'VE refuse to believe that President
Kruger will lie SO foolish as to reject
Mr.. Chamberlain's moderate de-
mands."
The Daily Chronicle. which appeals
| to Mr.. Kruger again ''to accept while
there is yet time and before the terms
become harder" says: "A refusal Of
the present terms will cause the ruin
Of the state over which Mr.. Kruger
presides The British government has
made the first and second moves in
| the game and must. therefore play the
third and the fourth. If Mr.. Kruger
haggles, the sinister condition in South
Africa will grow worse until a catas-
| trophe is reached
Other papers talk of the imminence
Of war and all the dispatches from
| South Africa continue to describe the
| military preparations on both sides.
The Pretoria correspondent Of the
| Daily Chronicle says:
1.-The Beers assert that Mr.. COnyng-
ham Greene. British diplomatic agent
| at Pretoria. knew 1T was their inten-
| ton to adopt their present attitude to-
ward suZerainty. and he tacitly Ell
| cOuraged them. His forty eight hours
demand has produced an awful atmos.
phcre in which anything is possible.
| At tie same time Mr.. HOfmeir and
practically every II ember Of the Cape
Afrikander party have wired urging
| acceptance Of the British demands"