New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-17
ANXIETY IN ENGLAND.
IRANSVAAL CRISIS ASSUMES
AN ALARMING PHASE.
KRUGER MUST WITHDRAW TERMS OR
FIGHT - MESSAGE SENT TO MR.
CHAMBERLAIN - CLTIMATUM
PROBABLE-BOER PARTY
LOSING GROUND.
LOSING GROUND


London, Sept 16.-sunday Will be an anxious
day for Great Britain. The reply OF the Trans
vaal Government. 1t IS known tonight. has
been formulated and is in the hands of the Brit
fish agent at Pretoria Furthermore the wires
ct the Foreign Office are busy with a long dis
patch from the British High Commissioner in
South Africa, Sir Alfred Miner. to the Secre-
tary OF State for the Colonies Joseph Chamber
lain, which is being rapidly repeated to the
latter's birmingham home 80 that the contents
Of the Boer reply will probably rest tonight
with Great Britan's Colonial Secretary.
Unless South Africa is peopled with false
prophets the Beers have either evaded or de-
fed wha. practically amounted to an Vltimatum
from the British Cabinet. From the tenor Of
their recent communications TO Mr.. Chamber
lain they could scarcely ne expected to do other
wise However. as frequently pointed out in
these dispatches, this presumed action upon the
part Of the Beers does not make war GER
tainty though It does place the British Cabinet
In q position where It must take steps ag
EresSlNe lIdl wal Oh ulltI lSH'IlllI4'u0 SN'llii8
sion will be the only alternatives remaining to
the Transvaal. This new serious phase Of the
crisis also gravely increases the probability that
the Beers will take time and diplomacy by the
>orelock and raid Natal coniscate the mines,
arrest the Outlanders for high treason, and
otherwise resent, while the British transports
are in midocean, what they believe is an at
tempt to rob them Of their independence
AN ULTIMATUM IN SIGHT.
If the course Of diplomacy is not foreshort-
ened the British Cabinet will meet again and
formulate specific demands far more sweeping
than the recent ones. These will be trans
,o,tted TO President Kriiger in the shape Of an
ultmatum.
As the members OF the Cabinet are scattered
throughout the country IT is improbable a
Council could be gathered till Monday night ct
the earliest. and there Is every reason 10 De-
l,eve the British Government will exhibit no
undue haste in forcing President Krdgers hand
for II is palpably more important to have NJ
teen thousand achievements on the scene or
fortunate Outlanders. who for weeks nave Dee'
CRYING for Immediate aggressive action Inc
logic OF such policy must he equally patent TO
President Kruger. 1t Is hardly conceivable that
he will await the arrival of the British rein
rorcements before taking the initiative II ne
displays such hesitation he Will strengthen the
belief that at the last moment he intends 10
hack down an impression which has many sup
norters among the ultra -conservauvely IN
clined
President Kruger's rumored refusal OF tne
latest franchise demands has lost to him many
friends IN England, and the pro-Boer party has
shrunk to small dimensions.
prr11NG IN ENGLAND CHANGING.
The reported formal alliance between the
rransvaal and the Orange Free State has also
done much to ALLEVIATE the feeling OF those Eng
Ushmen inclined to sympathize with the Trans
vaaI. though It is scarcely believed the Orange
Free State will take active part likely con-
ening itself to passive. unrecognized assistance
as in the war Of 1880.
white to command the troops in Natal meets
with universal approval as does also the an
rouncement that in case OF war General Hii
pod,,ers RuIler will take supreme command IN
,..x .,r,co Roth are men Of great experience.
bravery and force
Tho departure Of the troops from South-
empton for Natal to-day was marked by sucn
.oonas az have not occurred in England Tor
.,,, vears The wives, daughters. sweet
,eorts and friends Of the men crowded around
,ba Northumberland Fusiliers or as 'hey are
be,ter known. the Fighting Fifth on 'ne s'"-
.,ors and al the docks, crying. waving mats ana
,o,Arerchiefs and cheering, mixing grief and
,,o,~,o+,srn as men and women do only wheh
.hosa dear 10 them go to war Most OF 'he
snecjal Service officers wore ciVlliah cio''''s'
a.. "a many Of them were well known they
u,,tok,v recognized and cheereG. The
,.pso,t,ne Fifth" nearly all wore the khartoum
medal.
~opprcpONDENTs START SOUTH.
The correspondents Of the leading London
,oners start for South Africa to-day, including
Messrs Melton Prior g. w. Stevens ana o'"er
well known newspaper men.
Az the Manchester Peace Meeting last night
Leonard Henry Courtney. Liberal lorfhery
Deputy Speaker Of the House or commons
read e letter received from Herbert spencer
protesting against the idea that the nauoHAi
honor would be enhanced by attacking weak
nation; lamenting that age and III health pre-
vent him from aiding the peace movement de-
claring that 1t is undeniable that the Jameson
raid was an attempt to usurp the TransVaai'