The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-06
No BLOW ISSTRUCK
BOERs MASSED UPON THE FROM
TIER, But YET HOPEFUL FOR
FINAL PEACE
SOME CHANCE OF SETTLEMENT
NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN ABAN-
DONED, THOUGH WAR PREP
ARATIoNS CONTINUE
BRIToNs READY FOR ATTACK

No Longer Alarmed at the MaSsing
of TransvnnI Troops Along the
Rorder-Attempt to Blow Up Pub
lie Buildings at Cape Town Is
Reported British Government
NAV Call out the Reserves Today.
LONDON, Oct. 5.-Nothing important
has developed as to the Transvaal situa-
tion since morning The Daily Tele-
erarh's dispatch Of this morning an
nourctag that the Beers had invaded
Natal and seized Laing's Mex now seems
to be without foundation. The govern
ment has received nothing to justify the
rerort. although such a move on The part
of The Beers would naturally create niue
surprise The British position in Natal
was strengthened today by the arrival OF
Indian TRANSPORTS with reinforcements OF
about $500 infartry. cavalry ana artll4erS'
all of which will be promptly sent TO 'he
front by train, and with their arrival
at Glen Cove and Lady Smith, tomorrow
or Saturday, the British advanced camps
and lines of communication will be prac-
tieauy safegua2ded against the risk Of
successful dash across the frontier by the
Beers.
The military authorities apparently no
longer fear the massing of the Beers
along the border, and in fact 1t has been
provided that the Beers shall not make
sudden invasion in the territory. The
Natal authorities are rather pleased with
this, because they argue the tension OF
waiting will tell severely on the Beers
discipline, ard, moreover, they will soon
exhaust what little forage there Is near
the border ard he compelled to fall back
On their base, because ir view of the
defective commissariat they are unwill-
ing to advance into Natal leaving be-
hind them q forageles5 veldt.
Adviees from Aldershot convey the in
teresting information that Gen. Sir Red
vers Butler, who is to assume the chief
command of the British forces In South
Africa, is opposed to the presence of a
large number of war correspondents with
his forces, and wishes to limit the CORE
spondents to twelve representatives of
the lea,ltng Prtttsh, Indian and colonial
agencies and newspapers, including in
this number the foreign correspondents.
A dispatch from Perth, capital of West
Australia, announces that the govern
ment Of the colony has decided to dis
patch q West Australian contingent to
the Cape.
Gen. Sir Radvers Butler arrived at Bal
moral castle tonight, as the guest of
Queen Victoria, TO bid her majesty fare
well on his departure for South Africa
Rt, Hon. Sir George Trevelyan, speak
ing at Halifax, Yorkshire. said he be-
lievcd Mr.. Chamberlain had made a ter
rible mistake in rejecting President
Kruger's offer of q five years franchise,
but thought that war would be avoided
If mediator Should be sent to the Cape
IN INTEREST OF PEACE.
A dispatch from Cape Town states that
both J. F. Hofmeir, Afrikander leader
of Cape Colony, and Chief Justice Kotz
express the opinion that the imperial
government acted In the interests of
peace IN demanding the suppression of
the Transvael agency in Brussels and
the recall of DIR. Leyds the Trausvaars
European representative Sir Alfred
Miner, British high commissioner in
South Africa, has already reported in this
sense to Mr.. Chamberlain.
Increased activity IS being shown at
Wooiwich, and it is alleged that provision
is being made there to send supplies for
the two army corps. Four hundred tons
of material and munitions of war have
already been shipped for Africa.
Peace meetings held ct Halifax and
birmingham, last night, were scenes Of
much disturbance. At the Birmingham
meeting crowds of jingoes invaded the
hall cheering Mr.. Chamberlain and sing
ing Rule britannia" and the orators
had to be content to shout their speeches
into the reporters ears. The meeting
ended abruptly without any resolutions
being passed.
Advices from Johannesburg report that
Kafirs. are raidirg business places and
houses in the East Rand. The whites
have fired on them. A special force of
police has been dispatched to disperse the
raiders.
special dispatch from Pretoria saws
that President Kruger expresses himself
strongly at being prevented by the exec
utive council from going to the front.
He is reported to have said:
Some people say I am the cause of
the present uCUble, and I want to take
my share Of lighting with my people"
The same dispatch announces that
Commandant General Joubert's wife has
started to join her husband on the border
Heavy rains have fallen and the Sand
Bpruit river IS flooded
MR. HOFMEIR's MISSION.
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Daily Chronicle furnishes little further
light upon the obscurity of the move
ments Of Mr.. Hofmeir, the Afrikander
leader. The correspondent admits that
the report of a conference between Mr..
Iofmeir and Sir Alfred Miner on Tues
day and the departure of Mr. Hofmeir
was premature but says the conference
actually occurred on Wednesday, and
it is believed that no direct result was
obtained.
1.-The Rhodesians' continued the cor
respondent, "are spreading the report
that Mr.. Hofmeir is unwilling to attempt
settlement, but this is inaccurate. He
is far from unwilling, but is anxious to
mediate on the lines I-have already in
dicated."
From this it appears that Mr.. Hofmeir
mas not started on a mission of media
ton.
The Times Pretoria correspondent sup
plies an explanation of the reported ar