The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-12
LOOKS LIKE WAR
Between Great Britain and the.
Transyaal Bocrs.
WILL Be A STUBBORN FOE.
The Uitlandcrs Reject President Kru.
gers Proposals ~ Declare Nothing
viii be Satisfactory Which Does not
" Provide for tho Recognition OF
Equal Political Rights for All-The
Situation is Very Critical. .5.

Copyright. 1899. by Associated Press.)
LONDON. June 11.-When the secre-
tary OF state for the colonies, Mr..
Chamberlain, In the house OF commons
on Thursday. summed up the result Of
the Bloomfontein conference by de-
clarlrg that. u new situation had been
created" he used a pregnant phrase
open apparently to a variety Of inter-
&prctations. but in reality open to only
one. The politicians who have closely
followed the affairs OF the Transyaal
ana Mr.. Chamberlain's attitude with
respect to them are fully satisfied that
TIN colonial secretary plainly meant to
clare that by means Of these open ne
gotlations. In which The British high
commissioner. Sir Alfred Miner. had
exhausted every diplomatic resource to
affect a reasonable settlement OF the
matters in dispute, It had been proved
definitely that President Kruger was
irreconciiabie. and that ali hope OF an
arrangement by a suggestion OF diplo-
matte pressure was henceforth vain.
The British are especially exasperat-
ed. because they feel they have have
been triiled 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 deliberately espoused the
cause OF the Uitlanders, and his next
step Will be n demand. Then there
hA t,sU ta,1 A..
i demand. 1t may be regarded as GER
tain that this contingency has been
fully forester for months past. Fresh
troops and large quantities OF muni-
: tons OF war have gone to South Africa
by every steamer The troops have
been described as rellefs, but those
they were supposed to relieve have re-
manned in South Africa. A steamer
which sailed In May took 500 Of these
rellefs. andpassengers who had pre-
Viouly, secured accomm odatlonS had to
lfyield their places to the officers and
men, In Natal, notably ut Lady Smith,
a large force had been assembled, fully
equipped and ready to march at mo-
ment's notice. Hundreds OF mules
from South Africa and Cyprus are on
the spot, the storehouses are full Of
forage and the magazines are packed
.%Witn ammunition.
Il 1t is estimated that the Transvaal
could muster q fighting force of from
$4,000 TO $4,000 men, while the British
troops there already number 1000 men
and are commanded by the veteran
{ Sir William Francis Butler. who has
been In command of the troops in
South Africa since 1898. His wife was
Y Elizabeth Thompson. the well known
artist. He served In Canada in 1870,
In Ashanti in 1874; during the Zulu wnr,
lS7s-79; in Egypt. 1882 and 1876. and
commanded the British troops at Al
eHandria from 1890 to 1899. In addition
the British have q larEeSbody OF splen-
did mounted ri1emen and police avail.
able. so that K hostilities break out,
events will move quickly.
While the country generally backing
Mr.. Chamberlain. many well informed
people assert that, urged by Cecil
Rhodes, and the potent socinl Influence
? of the British Chartered South Africa
= Company, he Is hurrying the country to
Z disaster. They say that not only will
President Kruger not retract, but that
the Transraal forces. familiar with ey.
cry inch of the country, will also be
able to cope with any force Great Brit
ain can put In the field. His artillery
Is known to be much superior to that
OF the British. and signs are not want
Ing to show that the Beers have more
than the moral support OF the Orange
TsNrna a d ..