New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
DIPLOMACY AT AN END.
KRUEGERS REFUSAL TO MAKE TERMS
TAKEN TO MEAN WAR
MR.. CHAMBERLAIN EXPECTED TO TAKE
FIRM STAND - ENGLAND PREPARED
FOR THE EMERGENCY-FoRCEs
IN SOUTH AFRICA.

IN SOUTH AFRICA
London, June 10-When the Secretary Of State
for the Colonies. Joseph Chamberlain. in the
House Of Commons on Thursday. summed up
the result of the Bloemfontein conference by
declaring a new situation has been created"
he used a pregnant phrase. open apparently to
a variety Of interpretations. but in reality open
10 only one The politicians who have closely
followed the affairs Of the Transvaal and Mr..
Chamberlain's attitude with respect to them
fully satisfied the Colonial Secretary plainly
meant to declare that by means OF these open
negotiations. in which the British High Com
missioner. Sir Alfred Miner, had exhausted
every diplomatic resource TO effect a reasonable
settlement Of the matters in dispute. It had been
proved finally that President KRUGER was ire
concllable. and that all hope OF an arrangement
by a suggestion of diplomatic pressure was
hencecorth vain.
TIE PURL1C EXASPERATED.
The British are especially exasperated be.
cause they feel they have been trifed with, and
the question on everybody's lips is What
next?"
Mr.. Chamberlain is not the man to be diverted
from his course He has publicly and deliber-
ately espoused the cause of the OutlandeIs, and
be energetic action to support the demand II
may be regarded as certain that this contingency
has been fully fcreseen for months Fresh
troops and ,arse quantities of munitions OF war
have gone to South Africa by every steamer.
The troops have bean described as reliefs. but
those they were supposed 70 relieve have re-
nalned in South Africa. steamer which saiied
in May took fiye hundred OF these reliefs, and
10
dation had 10 yield their places 10 the officers
and men. In Natal notably at Ladysmith. a
large force has been assembled, fully equipped
and ready 10 march at a moments notice Hun
dreds Of mules from South Africa and Cyprus
are on the SPOT. the storehouses are full Of
forage. and the magazines are packed with am
munition
STRENGTH OF BOER TROOPS.
II is estimated the Transvaal could muster
fighting force Of from 5000 to $4,000 men,
while the British troops there already number
II 600 men. commanded by the veteran Major
General Sir William Francis Butler. who has
been in command Of the troops in South Africa
since 1898 His wife was Elizabeth Thompson
the well-known artist. He served in Canada In
1870. in Ashantee in 1874 during the Zulu War
OF 1S7S-'19 in Egypt in 1882 and lsS4-So, and
commanded the British troops at Alexandra
from 1880 to 1898. In addition. the British have
a large body Of splendid rihemen and mounted
police available so II hostilities break out events
wii move quickly
While the country generally. is backing Mr..
Chamberlain many well-inforrned people assert
that urged by Cecil Rhodes and the potent
social influences Of the British Chartered South
Africa Company, he is hurrying the country to
disaster They say not only will President
Krtger not retreat. but that the Transvaal
forces familiar with every inch OF the country.
will be able to cope with any force Great Britain
can put in the field. His artillery is known TO
be much superior 10 the British artillery, and
signs are not wanting 70 show the Beers have
more than the moral support Of the Orange
Free State.