The age-herald., 1899-09-28

of Laigsnek will be occupied tomorrow tThursday) with sufficient strength for pres- ent needs, under the belief that the BuerJ will attack immediately, hoping to forestail the landing of the Indian contingent.
 London, September 27.-Nodces for tho adjourned cabinet council were forwarded this evening, and the chief government whip will be on hand to give immediate effect to any decision arrived at regarding the re-assembling of parliament. Informal ton from Bloemfontein this evening leaves little doubt that the Orange Free State 1oksraad Is unanimous in supporting tha Transvaal.
 Most important light is thrown upon the situation by a frank statement today to the Associated Press by Sir Walter Peace. agent general for Natal in London, who fought against the Boers in former years. He said:
 Sir Walter Peace's Views
 "The attitude of the Orange Free Stato means it's inevitable acquisition by Great Britain. Peace in South Africa can only be accomplished by war. In my opinion, war would not last more than two months. In order to make paehcatlon ef- fective Great Britain must assume abso- lute control over the whole of South Af- 1 rica.
 50 far as the position of Natal is con- eerned all this talk about poor, undefended Natal 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 pos sible What do you think ten thousand British troops would be doing while this much talked of Boer raid was in progress? Our railways are in good working order and our troops can be transported quickly. The bad weather conditions have beel magniied. campaign could be carried on now just well as m any other sea- son.
 Two Months Would Finsh War "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 fourteen days It is the luckest thing in the world, l however, that the Free State has been foolish enough to take a hostile attitude, for that means her addition to British pos- | sessions. The Free State would always have been disturbing factor in the quiet
 of South Africa.
 Great Britain has the power to work
 
 | whether she has the spirit Upon the con | clusion of war, which must be unhinehing in order to be effective British control
 must be absolute over all south Africa, in
 Cape Colony, Natal and other sections.
 Half measures would only prolons unrest
 and produce more disturbance. 1 Fioers Would be Ia
 "G have known the Boers as well as any | man. l have lived among them and l have fought them TO exist peacefully so close 1 to them is an utter impossibity. Nego- | tiations well enough in their way, but | British control of the Transvaal must come | eventually For years the Boers have been l crying. Throw the Uitlander into the | and out with him. Possibly they not so yrile as during the last war but there | is little difference. My idea is that if the l Boers were caught in the open once or 1 twice the thing would be ended. Kill five | hundred of them and all that would remain for England to do would be to send few shiploads of crepe They never have stood l in the open and if war comes now they l will have to do more than stay in the hills. 1 This is not optimistic twaddle, but an l opinion based upon my experience in cam- | paigns against the Boer. l haven't the | slightest fears for the safety of my colony 1 or its towns. It is possible that few 1 Boer ,ncursions might get a few miles into l Natal but no further, and it must be re- 1 membered that many of those living on the edge of the Natal border are themselves ] Boers." 4IE | Used All Means for Peace l Boemfontein, September 27.-The volks- raad of the Orange Free State has unani-
 mously resolved to instruct the govern-
 ment to use every means to insure peace l without violating the honor and independ- l ence of the Free State or the Transvaal | In a further resolution the volksraad l stated that in its opinion would be l criminal but asserted thar come what | might the Free State would faithfully ful- l fill it's obligations to the Transvaal in vir- | tue of the existing political alliance.