Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-06
Neither Side Shows Any Great Anxiety to
Preoipitate Trouble.
GREAT ACTIVITY ON THE NATAL BORDER
Transvsal's Troops Advance with General
Movement of Artillery.
REINFoRCEMENTs FOR ENGLISH ARRIVE
British Position in Natal strength
ened by the Appearance of $500
More Men-Russia Cherishes
Some Designs.

LONDON, Oct. 5.-While there is no
dimlnution in the flood of dispatches from
South Africa recording with almost tire
some reteration the military preparations
and movements on both sides with all kinds
OF accurate and inaccurate rumors and spec
ulations, the real situation remains un-
changed.
1t Is evident that strong efforts are being
made to preserve peace, simultaneously with
all energy to be prepared. 1t is expected
that 10000 reserves will be called out t.
morrow and that corps will be formed
on the 18th or the goth Of the month. In
the meantime it is interesting to note that
neither side shows anxiety to precpitate the
trouble.
The mysterious visit CT Count Muravieff,
the Russian minister of foreign affairs, to
San Sebastian, where he saw the queen
regent and king of Spain and had a long
conference with Senior Slvea, the Spanisn
premier occupies political minds. From
Spain Count Muravieff will go to Paris.
Russias attitude in the Transvaal matter
is common knowledge.
Germany is officially neutral, but Emperor
Williams famous telegram to President
Kruger is not forgotten and this added to
Frances bitterness since the Fashoda affair
and Spain's reseni ment of Engands atti-
tude during the Hispanoa A. American war Sc $
the people asking what the motives of Count
Muraveff's tours are
The lingo press poohpoohs the idea cf
European interference, but in the same
breath eagerly seizes upon any incident,
such as the Americas cup races, to insist on
the growing Anglo-Amercan friendship.
Nh
The Daily Telegraph publishes in its
second edition this morning a dis
patch from Newcastle, Natal. dated yes
terday announcing that the Boer advance
began yesterday with double movement
of artillery
The dispatch says: THE Boer advance
began today with a general movement of
100 nrtilley. The Beers are occupying Laing's
Mex, nightly, and now hold the mountains
to the southwest of Volksrust There are no
British troops nearer than Ladysmith and
preparations are being made to abandon
Natal from the frontier to Glencoe.
"The inhabitants of Newcastle met today
and decided not to attempt to defend the
town In the event OF Boer advance in force
General Simons is prepared to evacuate
within twenty-four hours. The people are
crowding the trains for Ladysmith."
The British position in Natal was consid-
erably strengthened today by the arrival OF
In Indian transport with about $500 infantry
cavalry and artillery, all of which will prob
ably be sent to the front by train. With
their arrival at Gencove and Ladysmth to-
morrow or Saturday the British advance
camps and lines OF communication will be
practically safeguarded against dash
hcross the frontier by the Beers.
The military authorities apparently no
longer fear the massing of the Beers along
the border and in fact ii has been provided
that the Beers shall not make a sudden rush
into the country. The Natal people are
pleased with this, because they argue the
tension OF waiting will tell severely on the
Beers discipline and, moreover, they will
soon exhaust what little forage there is
near the border and be compelled to fall
back their base, because in view of the
defective commissariat. they are unwilling
TO advance into Natal leaving behind them a
forageless veldt
News is ContrndictOry.
Although todays news from South Africa
is. unmistakably grave, the advocates of
peace still derive a glimpse of hope from
some OF the dispatches that the stage OF
negotiations Is not yet fully terminated. The
news is contradictory. Side by side with
the announcement that the Beers have occu-
pied Laing's Mex is printed dispatch from
Pretoria stating that the Transvaa govern
ment has issued strict injunctions to the
commandants that British territory must not
be invaded and that Commandant General
Joubert has issued proclamation threaten
ing to shoot any man who crosses the border
Scarcely had the advocates OF peace ex-
changed congratulations over the announce
ment from Pretoria that j. II. Hotfmyr, the
Afrikander leader, and w. p. Schreiner the
Cape premier, had undertaken joint semi
official peace mission and had actually
started for Pretoria. where they ought tO
have arrived last evening when later mes.
sages from the Transyaal capital declared
that the Boer government knew nothing OF
this alleged mission. and that, in any event
nothing could preserve peace but the with
drawal OF the British demands
While II is not necessary to accept all the
sensational statements regarding the ad
vance OF the Beers, there is not iot OF evi,
dence going 10 show that the hurghers con
template receding,
Up to o'clock this afternoon nothing hat
arrived to confirm the dispatch from New
castle to the Daily Telegraph announcing
that a general advance of the Boer force,
began yesterday. The war office and tn,
colonial office profess entire ignorance II
the matter but this Is in consonance with
the attitude toward the press
Another Newcastle special, Forwarded
later than that to the Daily Telegraph, con
tradicts the first and declares that all wa'
quiet on the border last evening and tina
there was no sign OF Boer advance,
The next news regarding this alleged in
vasion OF Natal is awaited with anxious in
terest. The statement in the Daily Tele
garph's special that there were no British
troops nearer Newcastle than those at Lady
smith is obviously an error. as 5000 British
troops are encamped at Dundee
The alleged Boer advance coincides curl
ously with simultaneous kilograms from va
rious quarters regarding a Boer ultimatun
and the expiration Of the time limit las
evening.
Knmrs with the Boers.
psyIy,