The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-08
BRITISH PREPARATIONS.
Reserves Ordered Out and Parliament
Summoned to Meet Oct. II.


ICopyrighted. 1899, by the Associated Press.]
LONDON, Oct. IA royal proclamation
summoning Parliament to meet on Oct. II
and authorizing the calling out of the re-
serves was signed this morning. The Ga
zette announces that summonses have been
issued for the number of reserves neces-
sary to bring every battalion ordered to
South Africa to its full strength Of one
thousand men, and the men must present
themselves before Oct. II. This forward
movement here is fully counterbalanced by
stories of military preparations in the
Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The
field force for service in South Africa, the
War Office announces, will commence mob
LIKING next Monday. Her Majesty in privy
council at Balmoral this morning assented
to the calling of Parliament, the mobiliza-
ton of the reserves and the continuance in
the army of all soldiers now serving who.
in ordinary circumstances, would be entitled
to discharge or transfer to the reserves.
An army of 500 will be modified.
Judging from the reports from South At
rca, state of war practically exists be-
tween Great Britain and the Transvaal.
This seems almost paradoxical In conjunc-
tion with the fact that the British diplo-
matte agent, Mr.. Conyngham Greene, still
remains at Pretoria and the further fact
that the negotiations continue A solution
Of this apparent paradox probably lies in
an understanding of the curious relations
between the two governments. AS has al
ready been cabled, Great Britain is not like
ly to make a formal declaration of war
against what she considers a dependent
nation, the process being a mere issue of
orders to the military force to restore the
sovereignty which she alleges originally ex-
listed. Were England similarly at loggers-
heads with a power recognized by her as
her equal, pride and precedent would some
time ago have compelled her to break off
diplomatic intercourse. 1t is this legend Of
suzerainty that enables her to palaver with
out loss Of self-respect, and. at the same
time, to run a good chance of placing the
onus Of beginning hostilities upon the Beers,
or. failing in that, to delay action until she
has in the field sufficient force to overrun
the Transvaal
WAR THE ONLY OUTCOME.
This is the only ground upon which it is
possible to reconcile the governments ut
terances with its passive reception of pai-
pably hostile acts on the part of the Beers,
for 1t is now impossible to believe that the
Transvaal forces are massng merely for de-
fenslve purposes. Thus war appears TO be
the only possible outcome. If the Beers
are determined to precipitate Ii, hostiities
are only a quetion of days If England is
allowed TO take her own time. then two
months may elapse before the first blow is
struck.
Needless to say, all signs indicate that the
Beers will not tamley await the arrival OF
the British army corps. Although the diplo-
matte negotiations are well-nigh forgotten
in the expected exciting developments, they
are In peculiar stage and deserve recapit-
| ulation. After the last Cabinet council it
was officially stated that the Beers had not
replied to the latest dispatch and that the
Foreign Office. while deciding to consider
the question de novo, expected an answer
from the Beers.
The papers daily heralded the arrival of
| the reply, but none came. Many took this
| silence to mean that the Beers refused to
| discuss the controversy further, but that
| this was wrong became evident from Pres
| ident Kruger's reply to the peace telegram
Of the Transvaal committee in London. in
| which he said that, as the latest British
| dispatch had asserted that the British gov-
| eminent was formulating new proposals.
| thus implying that the Beers were waftin.
| for Great Britain's new demands and did
| not wish TO waste breath In discussion of
| propositions already dismissed What these
| new demands consist OF is still a mystery.
| First II was asserted that another Cab
met council would pass on them; but this