Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-10
NeLAND CONTINUES WAR PREPARATIONS
Getting Ready TO Make Lavish Display Of
Force in South Africa.
M'KlNLEYS ATTITUDE IS APPRECIATED
nritons Feel Grateful for the stand
Taken by America's chief Ex-
ccutiyc-snIisbury Slow
10 Make War.

Copyright, 1850, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Oct. 9.-(New York World
Cablegram-Special Telegram There is
distinct pause in the Anglo-Boer crisis. Mil
itary preparations are being pressed on, but
the belief that peace will be ultimately Sc
cured Is nOticcably increasing.
This theory received great encouragement
today from the words of the duke OF Dew
onshire, who expressed the hope that the
present interval for reflection would con-
duct 70 a pacific settlement"
The Times correspondent on the Bechu-
analand border, who has just returned from
u tour among the Boer commanders, says
tho one essential to secure a peaceful ad-
justment would be to convince the Beers
that there was no intention to interfere with
their independence. This admission is looked
upon as highly significant in the columns of
t, that journal, which has led the van in shrek.
ing for war.
Negotiations with President Steyne of the
Orange Free State, news of which was first
given in these dispatches of Sunday, have
been resutless so far Chamberlain Of
fered TO give an undertaking to Steyne that
the British would not violate the Transvaal
frontier pending negotiations If the Boers
would give similar undertaking In response
to British territory. Steyne asked as fur
forces on the Transvaal frontiers should
not he increased This Chamberlain refused
point blank.
So tho matter stands. But as three months
must eapse before the British army corps
can be ready to advance on Pretoria, there
will be plenty of time for further negotia-
tions.
Transport Depnrtmcnt Falls Down.
Delay is mainly due to the utter break
down of the transport department, which has
proved quite unequal to the emergency Gre
ated by Chamberans headlong diplomacy.
He has forced everything to the brink OF
war without any regard to military exi-
eencles, and the consequence is that he
seems to have defeated his own object.
The situation promises to have far-reach-
ing political developments The earl oil
Rosebery. former leader of the liberal party
who has not delivered political speech In
the House OF Lords since his resignation OF
the premiership was approached today by
Lord Tweedmouth on behalf of Sir Henry
Campbol- Bannerman, the present leader
Rosebery expressed a general concurrence
in Baanerman's view, that while the redres
sal of outlander grievances was imperative
Chamberlains bad diplomacy was response
BILE for the threatened war. Rosebery pur
poses to speak on these lines to the Hous'
of Lords
This would be an enormous accession o
strength to the peace party, but Roseber!
is 80 vacillatng and so bound up with Cecl
Rhodes that it is feared he may recede a
the last moment
The real explanation of Kruger's recen
seizure of $i,000,000 in gold from the Ram
is that three weeks ago the Transvaal gov
ernment drew $2OOO,OOO in gold from tn
Bank of England for shipment to the Trans
vaal and Kruger was advised by his agent
In this country that this money ran risk O
seizure at the Cape by the British authori
ties So he Immediately seized Rand gol
TO twice the amount as hostage.
The war newspapers here are getting |
a desperate plight and as the Beers declin
to fulfill their predictions by invadin
British territory, they are driven back o
exaggerated stories OF Boer cruelty to out
lander refugees to inhame the public mint
But the game is nearly played out and unles
the Beers take the offensive the sobere
view must prevail.
The Chicago dispatch announcing Pres
dent McKinley's resolve not to intervene
widely quoted here as satisfactory evidenC
of the good will of the United States.
Britain's Military Preparations.
LONDON, Oct. 9-The yastness of Gret
BrItain's military eparations-seemingl
South Africa-was not fully realized by Il
public until the war office announced thl
$4,000 reserves had already been eummone
to rejon the colors
As a matter of fact General Sir Redve
Butler will have command of twice as mar
British soldiers as the duke OF Welilngto
the conqLeror OF the first Napoleon, eV
saw collected on one battlefield
The reasons back of this lavish display a
probably fear OF native rising and po
siby conviction of the advisability
showing Europe that Great Britain is pr
pared to resent any action resulting fro
the prevailing continental ill-will.
In this connection the action of 4
American Department OF State al
the friendly statements of Preside
Mckinley and Secretary OF Sta
Hay, published here, are hearti
welcomed as a happy return for Gre
Britain's refusal to sanction continental /
teryention in the war between the Unit
Staets and Spain
As tho Beers failed to attack Natal, VIII
the colony was vulnerable 1t is beginn
TO be felt that they are pursuing delibera
policy of waiting for the British propose
remaining in the meantime on the defensi
I'm the hope OF thus winning the sympath
of the world, and perhaps, the support
other nations and leaving TO Great Britl
the ignominy of starting hostilities.
According to the latest adyiC
from johannesburg the natives, W
seem TO have been reinforced by the lawl'
element. are getting out OF hand and anarc
rs threatened,
II they await the advance Of General
Redyers Butler 1t is conceivable that pes
will not be broken during the present ye
Should that prove the case and should
alleged wastage IN the Boer command
continue the force confronting the Brit
commanding general will be neither as !
merous nor as efficient as that now encaml
along the Natal border. Events have Il
seemed to shape themselves to secure am
pause for consideration.
All the proposals in the corresponds