The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-30
Zig French Guns for the BOer Army
Struggled Into the Transvaal by
Way of De1ngoa Bay.
SHIPPED AS MACHINERY
BILLS OF LADING DOCTORED TO DE-
CEIvE BRITISH sEARCHERs.
France Much Concerned Over the Ru-
NOR that POrtugal's South African
Colony Is to Be Divided.

as 1oliOwS this morning 10 the Times.
There are disquieting intimations which
appear to point to our government hav-
ing treated foodstuffs as contraband of
war. AS this is matter of supreme i'm
portance, I venture to address this line to
you. in the hope that it may elicit an au-
thoritative statement on the subject
The Times, commenting editorially upon
Lord Rosebery's letter. says: TOO little
Is known of the seizures for any valid in
ference safely to be known. An emergency
might arise when certain foodstuffs would
be regarded contraband. while others
| would not, especially If the latter were in
tended for noncombatants. There might,
for instance. be reasonable grounds for
treating canned goods as contraband and
flour as legitimate"
After admitting that II would be un-
advisable to create a precedent which
might some day be invoked against u.s."
the article concludes follows: while
we fully share the view that no serious
change Of policy snould occur without CO.
gent reason and ample consideration, we
cannot but ask ourselves whether, In the
event of Great Britain being engaged In a
war, the action either of the enemy even
of neutral powers, in a matter upon which
great divergence Of opinion still exists. is
| likely to be governed by any precedent We
or any one else may have set in the past,
rather than by the immediate interest of
the moment"
Sir Charles Dixie this morning discusses
Great Britain's relation to Delagoa bay
with regard to the food question. He says:
''It would be one of the greatest follies
| the country could commit to disregard the
| possibility of a war some day against a
| powerful naval coalition, in which event
it would be to the interest of the United
| States to feed Great Britain. AS the
! British press and the German official
press has pointed out, there is reason
| to suppose that the secret agreement,
| several times referred to in Parlia-
ment between Great Britain and Ger
many concerns hypothetical state of
| things which has not yet risen. Great
| Britain must indorse the present condi-
| lions, possibly doing something by pressure
| on the Portuguese officials and strengthen
| ing the British consular staff at Delagoa
| bay"
| The Daily Chronicle in an editorial deal
| ing with the dependence of Great Britain
| upon the United States for food in time
| of war expresses the opinion that many
| British ships would be transferred to the
| United States flag
| The Times has the following, dated Dec.
q, from Lourenzo Marques: ''Cargoes for
| the Transvaal have dwindled to one-ffth
| of the average: but large shipments are
expected from Europe. In the meantime
nd In
Durham that guns and ammunition are
smuggled through for the Beers. A French
| liner now in the harbor is said to have
| brought two large guns from Madagascar.
| The head of the customs assures me that
there is absolutely no ground, however. for
| such rumors. All goods, he says. are dis
| charged, examined and dispatched by day.
| light According TO this official, even sad
| dies and horseshoes are not delivered to
local importers, except in small lots and
under written guarantees. The same pre-
cautions are taken with reference to all
contraband articles. OF course, much de-
| pends upon the competence and incorrurt-
bility of subordinates.
The Times has a later dispatch from
Lourenzo Marques, dated Dec. IS, which
says: 1.-The suspicion that the Boer in
telligence department is in close touch with
a foreign consulate In Pretoria is confirmed
| by the fact that the news of the appoint
ment OF Lord Roberts as commander-in-
| chief in South Africa was generally known
| in Pretoria on Dec. 20, indirectly reaching
| Delagoa bay from the Transvaal two days
| later. Suspicion rests upon a consul who
is notorious for his Boer sympathies. There
| is reason to believe that Pretoria is kept
we'll informed with regard to British mill
| tary movements.
with reference TO the rumors of smug-
J Cling contraband il is significant that Maj.
! Erasmus, of the Free State artillery, is
here. his arrival being coincident with that
| of the French liner. Considering the free
dom with which the Transvaal secret serv-
| ice fund is spent. considerable mischief
may be done unless cargoes are inspected
| by British searchers who understand for
! eign bills Of lading. 1t is felt here that all
mining and other machinery should be
stopped. owing to the possibility OF hood
winking the officials. The consul who rep
resents the Transvaal and the Orange Free
State in Lourenzo Marques still continues
to act in the Same capacity for Holland"
\ >
LAW Or CONTRABAND