Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-09-30

| supremacy suspected -opinlon q.
Sir Walter Peace - "TO Exis,
Peacefully SO Close to Beers Is al
Utter ImpOssibilily- y-British Con.
troll Must Come Eventually"
London, Sept. 2S.--The Daily Telegram
publishes the following from its corre-
spondent at Cape Town: regret to
note universal opinion that war Is very
near. Everywhere the Beers are active
and bellicose. They are arming, equip
ping and storing supplies for pro-
tracted struggle. BOer agents are
securing South Africa to buy campaign
provisions.
Proof accumulates of the existence OF
great Dutch conspiracy against Brit
lsh supremacy in South Africa. The
Free State Is believed to be involved. ard
there is no doubt that the Orange gov
ernment is intent ON war. Many BOars
in the northern districts of Cape Colony
are joining our probable enemy. The
Dutch republics will together be able IN
muster $4,000 men. nearly all mounted.
| learn that the Free State has decided
to put 10000 men into the field.
Other dispatches from Pretoria ard
johannesburg speak of the probability
of hostilities within week. One corre-
spondent says: Four thousand rifles
and a quantity Of ammunition have just
arrived at Johannesburg and are beir 6
distributed by the field cornet. The
burghers of Pretoria, 1000 in number are
equipped and awaiting the order 10 ad-
vance.
| The Cape Town correspondent. Of The
Daily Mail says: The Beers l believe.
will cOnstrue the occupation of Laing
Mex as an act of hostility. Britis h
members of the Cape house of assembly
freely criticise England's unprepared- =
ness and predict serious reverse. fol-
! lowed by grave risings of coloni:ts at
various points in the adjoining repub-
lies. There has been an enormous run
upon revolvers. The price OF Mausers
has advanced from f7 to E22. Supplies
of all kinds are quickly bought up.
President Steyn. 1t is reported, is about
sending his family to the Cape.
A dispatch from Bloemfontein says
that the volksraad of the Orange Free
State has unanimously resolved To II.
struct the government to use ccoiy
means to insure peace without violating
the honor or independence of the Free
State or the Transvaal.
In a further resolution the voiEsraed
declared its opinion that war would b..
criminal but asserted that, come " hat
might, the Free State would faithfully
fulfill its obligations to the Transvaal
in virtue of the existing political AZ
lance.
| The Cape Town correspondent of The
Daily News says: The pass of Lairg
Mex will be occupied tomorrow (Thurs-
day. with sufficient strength for present
| needs. under the belief that the Boera
will attack Natal Immediately, hoping
to fOrestall the landing OF the Indian
contingent.
Most important light is thrown on the
Transvaal situation by frank state
| ment to the Associated Press by Sir
Walter Peace, agent general for Natal in
London, who fought against the Beers in
former years.
Sir Walter said: "The attitude of the
Orange Free State means its inevitable
acquisition by Great Britain. Peace in
South Africa can only be accomplished
hy war. In my opinion war would not
.lst more than two months. In Ordyl
to make paciflcation effective Great
Britain must assume absolute control
! over the whole OF South Africa
$50 far as the position Of Natal is con-
cerned all this talk about poor, unde-
tended Nata! is nonsense There will be
little or no fighting in Natal, if it comes
to war, and l fear that no other issue
Is now possible. What do you think
10000 British troops would be doing
while this much-talked-o of Boer raid was
n progress? Our railways are in good
working order and our troops can be
transported quickly. The bad weather
conditions have been magnified. A cam
paign could be carried on now Just as
we'll as in any other season.
1.-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 lasted IA
days 1t is the luckiest thing in the
world, however, that the Free State has
been foolish enough to take a hostile at
titude, for that means her addition to
British possessions
Great Britain has the power to work
out ultimate peace. 1t remains to be
seen whether she has the spirit. Upon
the conclusion of war, which must be
unfilnching in order to be effective, Brit
ish control must be absolute over all
South Africa, in Cape Colony, Natal and
other sections. Half measures would
only prOlong unrest and produce more
disturbances.
"Ihave known the Beers as we'll Is any
I nCnd hav
have fought them. To exist peacefully
SO close to them Is an utter impossibilty,
Negotiations are we'll enough in their
way, but British control Of the Trans
vaal must come eventually. For years
the Beers have been crying, Throw the
outlander into the sea- and Out with
him. Possibly they are not so virile as
during the last war, but there Is little
difference. My idea is that If the Beers
were caught in the open once or twice
the thing would be ended. XIII 500 of
them and all that would remain for Eng
land to do would be to send a few shin
loads Of Grape. 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 upon my experience in
campaigns against the Beers. 1 have
not the slightest fears for the safety Of
my colony or its towns. 1t Is possible
that few Boer incursions might get a
few miles into Natal, but no further;
and II must be remembered that many of
those living on the edge Of the Natal
border are themselves Beers"
BOYS Burned to Death,