New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13
THE NEWS OF LONDON.
PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE TRANS
VAAL TROUBLE ASSURED.
THE EXODUS TO sCoTLAND-NoTEs OF
SOCIAL AND LITERARY PEOPLE.
Ley CABLE TO THE rnIeCNEl

London, Aug. 12.-While no decisive news has
yet been received from Pretoria It is evident
that President Kruger and Mr. Chamberlain are
making slow approaches and will ultimately
meet after a series Of tacks. The British pro-
posal for joint inquiry into the effects OF the
Franchise law may not be accepted IN set
terms but the Beers will either supply full
information and accept hints from Sir Alfred
Miner, or else a new scheme for enabling the
Outlanders to obtain immediate representation
will be produced and enacted. To-day's dis
patches point to the latter alternative; but
pacific settlement of the chief questions at issue
is almost a foregone conclusion. President
Rutgers inertia causes delay, but he has met
his match in keenness and patience. Mr.. Cham
berlain knows what he wants. and is determined
to have It.
Military preparations continue fresh relays
Of men and material of going out this week
to the Cape and Natal. but no offensive display
is made OF this menace of active campaign
work Barely enough is done to emphasize the
fact that moral coercion is persistent and In
flexible Mr.. Chamberlain has played his game
adroitly throughout this week He has brought
the Queen into position and called check In the
speech from the throne. There cannot be
drawn game when the Ministry is united the
Opposition Silent and the nation bent upon hav-
ing the white community in the gold fields
emancpated without sham or humbug. Mr.
Chamberlain has much at stake in these nego-
tiations for he has not had much luck in the
Colonial Office and must have a clear lead over
President KRUGER in this affair in order to
justify his reputation for sharpness and prac-
teal skill and maintain his political prestige
The flag has been lowered from Victoria tower
no, cd NJ
of Parliament. There will be no oratory for
many weeks and after to-day sportsmen's guns
will do all the talking on Scotch and English
moors Politics has been dull throughout
the session that the glorious Twelfth is well
coined with relief as a national holiday, and
Mondays broadsides, with full details Of the
shooting on every hunting ground. will he read
with delight like the theatrical pages after
Boxing Night The Dreyfus is almost the
only safeguard against the premature advent OF
the silly season. with serious discussion Of trifes
like the management Of husbands and tips to
servants.
The Times" to-day makes a brave at
tempt 10 revive public interest In the Nene-
zuelan question. but is constrained to admit that
nobody outside the Paris Tribunal has followed
the arguments or is deeply concerned in the
sage THE Times" complains of the prolixity
Of the argument Of counsel but neglects to add
that NJ Mallet- Provost has followed the prec-
edent set by Sir Richard Webster in making an
interminable speech II suggests that the sys-
tenn Of arbitration will break down in future
IL each case becomes a gigantic affair and the
arbitrators place no restraint upon counsel.
The moral which II does not point, is that
while arbitration is good substitute for war.
fair minded diplomacy such as may easily be
had over the Alaska frontier. II the Foreign
Office will deal with It an imperial rather
than a Canadian question. is a good alternative
for arbitration.
There were great throngs Of Americans at
Euston and Waterloo stations this morning, the
lists for the Cunarder and the American liner
being full Captain Mahan the chief figure
at Euston among the Lucania's passengers. He
has been staying quietly at hotel in Jermyn-
st, receiving calls from naval officers consult
ing with his London publisher. and talking in
philosophical. strain about the work of the
Hague Congress. With characteristic modesty
he has concealed his own part in the council.
OF which he was .he most distinguished naval
EXPERT He would have been fairly mobbed with
hospitality II he had come TO London before the
West End had been emptied, for few Americans
are more highly respected and admired in Eng
land He told the friends who assembled to bid
him goodby that he was relieved by the close OF
the Hague Congress and eager TO return to
America. He carried with him a copy Of The
Athenaum" containing his spirited letter on
certain structures on his Life Of Nelson" Two
Of his colleagues will follow him in another
week President Seth Low sailing by the Amer
lean Line from Cherbourg and Captain Crozier
from Bremen.
There were few prominent figures among the
hundreds Of passengers at Waterloo station
bound for the American liner. The Dominion
liner sailing next Thursday from Liverpool will
have large company of European delegates
TO the International Law Association meeting
at Buffalo.
The American Society after careful delbera
ton has issued circular to It's members sug
casting annual subscriptions TO a fund for the
relief of genuine cases of distress among their
countryn1en in England. This is a revival OF
useful work carried on by Mr.. b. F. Stevens,
United States dispatch agent. many years ago.
when he induced bankers to contribute to
similar fund and steamship and railway COM
panies to provide transportation to New-fork
for Americans overwhelmed with misfortune
This humane work will now be taken up intelli-
gently by the officers Of the society. and thor
ough investigation made Of all cases requiring
urgent attention. The United States Embassy
and Consulate and the offices Of American bank
ers have been exposed for a long time TO ap-
meals OF this nature without having means for
separating the sheep from the goats. There are
no charitable organizations in London similar to
those in New-York and other American cities
which make systematic attempt to investigate
cases Of distress and ferret out imposture.
ondop publishers are now closely