The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-06-11
Troops and Supplies Have Al
ready Been Rushed In Large
Numbers to TransyaaI.
KRUGER WONT RETRAcr
Beers Will Have the Support Of the
Orange Free State and Are
Confideat.

LONDON, June lO-when the seeFe
tary o. State for the Colonies. Joseph
Chamberlain. in the house Of commons
on Thursday summed up the result Of
the Bloemfontein conference BY declar.
ing that "a new situation has been ere.
ated." ne used a pregnant phrase. open,
appearantely. 10 a variety Of interpreta-
tons, but In reality only open to one.
Politicians who have closely followed
the affairs OF Transvaal and Cham
berlaln attitude with respect to them.
are fully satisfied that the coleman sec
re,ary meant TO declare by means Of
hese opening negotiations. in which the
British high commissioner. Sir Alfred
Mines. had exhausted every diplomatic
recourse 10 affect reasonable settle.
ment OF the matters in dispute. II had
been proved definitely that President
Kruger was irreconcIlable and that all
hope OF an arrangements by suggestion
or diplomatic pressure was henceforth
vain
The British are especially exasier.
a,ed because they feel that they have
been ,rifed with. and the question on
eyerybody's lips is what next"
Chamberlain is not the man 20 be DE-
verted from his course. He has resolut-
ely and deliberately espoused the cause
Of the Uitlanders and his next step will
be a demand. 1t may be stated as GER
tain that this contingency has been fully
forseen for months past. Fresh troops
and large quantities OF munitions Of war
have gone TO South Africa by every
steamer Troops have been described as
reliefs. but these they were supposed
to relieve have remained In South Africa.
A steamer which sailed in May took 500
Of these reliefs and the passengers who
had previously secured accommodations
had to yield their places TO the officers
and men. In Natal, notably at Lady
Smith, large force has been assembled,
fully equipped and ready to march at ,
notice.
Hundreds Of mules from South Africa ,
and Cyprus are on the spot; storehouses
are full of forage and the magazines
are packed with ammunition. 1t is est.
mated that Tralsvaal could muster
lighting force Of from 5000 to 1900 men, !
while the British troops there already
number 1900 mel, commanded by the I
ie;eran Major General Sir VIM. Francis
Butler, who has been in command of the
roops in South Africa since 1895 In
addition, the British have large body
II splendid mounted rifiemen and mount
d police available, so If hostilities were
o break out, events will move quickly.
While the country generally is back.
ng Chamberlain, many well informed
people assert that, urged by Cecil Rhodes
md the posent social influences of the
British chartered South African CON-
,any, he is hurrylng the country to dis
ster.
They say that not only will President I
Kruger not retreat but that the Trans.
aal forces, familiar with ever inch OF
he country, will be able to cope with
ny force Great Britain can put in the
eld. Kruger's artillery Is known to be
nuch superior to British artillery and
igns are not wanting to show that the
Ioers have more than normal support {
( the Orange Free State.