The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-03
SOUTH AFRICA UNITED
Beers Get Support of
the Free State.
DECISION OF THE RAAD
To stand by the T~ransvaaI Makes the
Situation more serious and Suffens the
Independent Attitude OF the Beers.
Both sides MassiDg Troops on the
Each Expecting a Dash
Across the Line from the Other-Ae-
tive War Preparations.

London, September 2S.-The decision
Of the volksraad of the Orange Free
State to join with the Transvaal in the
| pected, is the leading news today and
| will, naturally, stiffen the Beers indie
| pendent attitude. The raad's resolu-
ton has made the brotherhood of arms
between the Transvaal and the Orange
Free State, of which, hitherto, there
was a strong probability, an absolute
certainty, and the British will have to
face the situation.
Intense excitement continues to pre-
| vail at Pretoria, where, apparently, it
is gelieved that there is no escape
from war. The commission appointed
to consider the matter reported today
as to what officials are necessary to
carry on the government in the event
Of war and fixing the salaries.
The field cornet at Pretoria is again
| serving out rifles, and all preparations
| are being made to take the field.
An Englishman, named Robertson,
has been arrested at Johannesburg
charged with high treason. He is al
| legged to have enlisted recruits for the
imperial light horse.
The burghers are getting uneasy at
the concentration of British troops be-
tween L4adysmith and Laings Mex, es-
| pecially at Glencoe and Dundee. The
| nominal reason for the concentration
is the protection of the Dundee coal
fields; but the burghers shrewdly sus-
pect that the real reason is the fOrma-
ton of a force which will advance
across the Transvaal frontier at Vry-
held, as soon as war is declared. The
Beers do not intend to be caught nap
! ping and are now massing around Vry-
held, not however, merely as a p1otec-
tive measure, but to be prepared, un-
less the British reinforcements across
the border cease, to make a dash in
| force through a portion of Zululand,
crossing the Buffalo river at a point
| below Rockies drift, and then, Selling
the railroad, cut off the British garri-
sons at Dundee and Ladysmith from
the south, which would not only inter-
rupt the British lines of communica-
ton, but would seriously interfere with
| a forward movement.
In order to watch this portion of the
| railroad exposed to a Boer incursion, a
British post will be established at
Rockies drift.
A British infantry detachment with
some engineers, mas arrived at De Aar,
southwest of the Orange Free State
and an important railroad junction.
Extensive Notifications will be thrown
| up there and the town will be made the
base of operations from that side
against the Orange Free State or the
| Transvaal. More troops. will shortly
arrive at De Aar.
A cable dispatch to the Times from
| Cape Town says: 1.-THE Beers would
lave taken the initiative by now, but
for the scarcity of water, the rains not
yet being sufficient. Probably there
will be great difficulties in providing
food supplies for the people remaining
at Johannesburg after hostilities have
commenced.
Several responsible people here who
nave long chung to the belief in an I'LL
innate peaceful settlement, now regard
war as inevitable
The Birmingham Post say two car
goes of arms and ammunition leave
Hamburg or Ratterdam Friday for the
Transvaal, comprising $4,000 improved
Mausers, 500 1000 cartridges and several
mortars for dynamite charges. AS the
Second battalion of Grenadiers en-
barked on a transport at Gibraltar for
London, this afternoon, they received
a hurry CALL" ordering them to pro-
coed to the Cape for which place they
| start tomorrow.
The cabinet council will be met at
| 1920 o'clock tomorrow.