The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-09-18
VERY WARLIKE
All Advices From the Transvaal
Agree That the Reply Of
Kruger
Is Not an Acquiescence in the
Demands of the British
Officials.
Young Beers Impatient to Take
the Field.-AfrikanderS
United.

grams from pretoria cOnnrm the fore.
cast Of the reply Of the Transvaal to
Great Britain, which does not accept
the demands of the British government
as a whole. Great excitement prevails
| at Pretoria over the consequences which
may ensue The young Beers are ask
ing to be led into the field Immediately.
1t is impossible to predict what will be
the situation after the delivery of the
reply in London. The feeling here is
that it will be impossible for the i'm
perial government, and undignifed
upon its part, to again enter upon an
interchange Of arguments.
The Royal Munster regiment has ar.
rived here.
LONDON, Sept. 1S.-Indications from
all sources point to the extreme gravity
of the Transvaal situation.
Pretoria advices emanating from a
Boer source say the Transvaal is un.
compromising and that preparation for
staunch resistance is proceeding contin-
uously.
Another Pretoria special dated Sept.
Is, says the situation is now regarded as
all but hopeless. unless Great Britain
retreats from her position.
The dispatch adds:
1.-THE governments Of the two repub.
lies consider the Transvaal should re.
fuse to concede anything further and it
is believed the Beers will have the sup.
port of all the Afrikanders throughout
South Africa"
1t is now definitely stated that the
Orange Free State has agreed to unite
with the Transvaal in resisting the
British claims.
Specializing on Proceedings
Speculation regarding the events that
would Immediately precede and follow
hostilities with the T%ransvaal continues
to occupy public attention. 1t appears
that no declaration Of wal ia necessity.
The process, according to good author
ity would be a proclamation by the
British high commissioner, Sir Alfred
Miner, stating that the convention Of
London is annulled, and that Queen
Victoria has resumed the government
OF the country known as the South AT.
rican republic. The general command.
ing the British expeditionary forces
would then be instructed to occupy the
Transvaal, and hold it until a fresh gov.
eminent is established. When the
nnr1nfrv 20 1,ooiSol s~--
doubtless representing all classes of the
inhabitants Of the Transvaal, would be
appointed to draft a new constitution.
That all this is easier said than done
is quite palpable, even to the most n
thusiastic Englishmen. Estimates of
the strength of Beers widely diverge.
Nh. John Morley referred to them If
them as able to put an army Of SO, OO(
men in the field, while the war Office
officials seem to think that %, 900 is all
they could muster. AS a matter of fact
their strength entirely depends upon
the assistance they IL i've from the
Orange Free State, ami the natives.
which is impossible to gauge. The
present atmosphere of war has enor. !
mously stimulated army recruiting.
Crowds of young men surround the Of !
fees and daily large patches take the
queens shilling.
Correspondents Start.
Correspondents Of leading London
papers have started for South Africa
including Messrs. Melton Prior, Stevens
and other we'll known newspaper men.
General Sir George Stewart White |
V. c., former quartermaster general.
whose appointment to the Natal com.
mand was gazetted Friday night. has
also sailed with his staff.
At the Manchester peace meeting the
Rt. Hon. Henry Courtnay, Liberal. for.
merly deputy speaker of the house of /
commons, read q letter received from
Herbert Spencer, protesting against the
idea that the national honor would be /
enhanced by attacking a weak nation.
lamenting that age and i'll health pre.
vent him from aiding the peace move
ment, declaring it is undeniable that /
the Jameson raid was an attemnt ia |
usurp the Transvaal, and asserting that
what the outlanders bullets failed to dc
then, they now hope to do by vote.
Continuing, the letter reads:
ut is sad to see our government back |
those whose avowed Dolicv ia exnan.io