The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-26
NO SIGN OF PEACE.
Beers Are Impatient and Want
to Fight.

London, Sept. 26.-General feeling IN
cluding that of the pro-Boers as indi-
Gated by articlesin the afternoon news
papers is that the published dispatch
of the secretary of state for the col
onies, Mr.. Chamberlain, to the British
high commissioner in South Africa, Sir
Alfred Miner, clears the way for the
peace, if the Beers desire it. In any
event it is pointed out, II ahofdS Lui
ther delay, which, in the case OF Great
Britain, is certainly advantageous as
it gives time for the reinforcement OF
the garrisOns at the Cape The papers
generally, however, express the nope
that President Kruger will now see ms
way to meet Great BritainS 5 views, ana
the Westminster Gazette, which IS not
an anti-BOer paper, says:
president Kruger and his advisers
still have a chance Of securing peace
with independence"
In the meanwhile the dispatch of
troops to South Africa proceeds un1n-
terruptedly Three field batteries ar
rived at Birkenhead today and will en-
bark for Durham, Natal.
A cablegram from Cape Town says:
Quantities of stores and ammuni-
tion are leaving here daily. The move
ment of troops to Natal is merely
precautionary measure to secure the
coal mines and is in no wise IN the
measure of a menace. There is no i'm
periaI troops on the immediate border.
Rumors of collisions should be received
with caution"
The Times has a dispatch from
Johannesburg which asserts that the
delay is creating the worst possible i'm
preston in the minds of the DurgherS
who tauntingly boast that while Great
Britain deprecates delay upon the part
of the Beers she Intentionally and un-
necessarily prOlOngs the controversy
because she is afraid to follow up her
own game of bluff with the arguments
of force.
Reports are heard on all sides of the
ties and their pOstpOnement is said to
be solely due to the restraining in
huence of Gen. JOubert. 1t is added
that it is believed this influence can
not be exercised much longer. There is
a circumstantial rumOr that Gen
JOubert has received Imperative orders
from the armed burghers that unless
he is prepared to take the initiative
within a brief period he must relinquish
his command of the army. This is look
ed upon as instructive indication of
Boer feeling.
London, Sept. ga special from Pre-
tOria says that the members of the
VOlksraad, believing that the British
notes are intended to gain time for the
concentration of troops, urge the gov
ernment to adjourn the Rad immed-
lately and to send Great Britain a note
declaring that further mobilization will
be regarded as unfriendly act.
Trenches, earthworks and sand bag
defenses are being erected in all the
available approaches to the capital.
rican News today prints a dispatch
from Pretoria saying the alleged
change in British public opinion and
the absence of alarming reports subse-
quent to the meeting of the council are
considered hopeful signs.'
There is no official news from Bloem-
fOntein, but there is not the slightest
doubt about the attitude of the Orange
Free State.
At a meeting of Scandinavians there
it was unanimously decided to support
the government. Only twenty members
of the first raad are in town and it is
expected that the legislature will dis
solve at any moment
The Jews at a meeting have resolved
to support the government and have
offered to equip and provision a police
corps Of two hundred men.
Piet Kruger, grandson of the presi-
dent of the Transvaal, in a letter to the
VOlkstein asks whether or not it is the
governments duty to inform the i'm
periaI government that any further
landing of troops will be considered a
caSuS beli
There is feverish activity in all the
departments and the dispatch of riders,
carrying instructions to towns removed
from the telegraph lines is continuous