The San Francisco call., 1899-10-03
UNCONFIRMED REPORTS
OF BOER VICTORIES

LONDON. Oct. 2-No confirmation is
obtainable from any source of the report
contained in q dispatch to the Exchange
Telegraph Company that the Beers have
captured Dundee
No exceptional activity was shown at
the Government offices to-day. Mr.. Cham
berlain and the Earl Of Selborne were alb
sent from the Colonial Office, but Lord
, Iansdowne, General Lord Wolseiey ard
General Sir Evelyn Wood were busily en-
gagged at the War Office. General Sir Red
vers Butler called at the War Office this
afternoon and special board meeting
was held. Naturally nothing of the dis
cusSiOn was made public, but 1t is under
stood that General Sir RedVers Butler
will not depart for the Cape until next
week except in case of unforeseen devel-
Cpments.
Many members of Parliament are re-
turning TO town in anticipation of an
carly SummOninE of the House OF Parlia-
ment. It is the general impression that
although some speakers may express dis
approval Of the Government policy. few
will go to the extreme Of voting against
the required credit 1t is considered more
probable that they will abstain from par
ticipating in Z division.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt, the Lab
eral leader, in q speech at TreXegar said:
The first and last word of these gold
hunters Is war, in order to Lead to annex
atiOn.' A correspondent wrote TO LORD
Salisbury asking if ii were not true that
the Government would make every effort
10 avert war and had no desire TO annex
the Transvaal If a settlement could be OBJ
tained peacefully. Lord Salisbury replied,
answering aftirmatiVely.
The Duke Of Argyle. in reply to an in
QuirV a & to what he thought of Sir Will
lam Vernon Harcourt's words. said that
they We're purely party Claptrap, adding:
81 have no respect for a petty State which
invites; rises by means OF and depends
upon the labor and brains Of strangers,
and then refuses them the common rights
Of humanity and condemns them to an IN
toierable life of serfdom."
A letter from an Outlander received in
Birmingham was published to-day. The
writer says: IF ii comes to a fight, I be-
lieve the Beers will make a massacre of
1t, blow Johannesburg to bits and shoot
us on sight. IN fact, l have been told so
by one in office"
Reports from various arsenals and gar
risons in Great Britain testify 10 the
actlNe continuance OF military prepara-
tons. The reserves have received pre-
lminary notice TO be prepared and sew
eTal regiments have been notified TO hold
themselves in readiness for active service
LONDON, oct IA rumOr which, how
ever, lacks confirmation, is current at the
CLUB tonight that the Duke Of Connaught
VIII accompany General Sir Redvers Bull
Ter to Africa as imperial commissioner
70 confer with President Kruger and
President Steyn.
The rumor that fighting has already
commenced seems to have originated at
the WOolwich arsenal.
Matters are at standstill and practi-
cally no dispatches from South Africa
have been received this morning.
The Morning Post again complains edi-
torially that. although the Government
put their hands to the plow in July. Oc-
tobeT has arrived without visible prog
ress having been made. The paper asks
what they are waiting for and expresses
the opinion that the eXpectant attitude
maintained is hardly consonant with the
high sounding words that have been
ed"
1t is understood that the Colonial Office