Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-09-24
HE UNDERSTANDS SITUATION
KNOWS THAT ENGLAND IS ONLY
PLAYING FOR TINE.
British People Fenr That the Beers
Will Have Invaded Natal Before
This Week. Cabinet Meet
ing-There Is n British
Peace Party.
Copyright. 1899. by the Associated Press)

LONDON. Sept. 23.-Never at any stage
of the Transvaal crisis has peace or war
rested so entirely within the hands OF Pres
ident Kruger. The longer he delays pre-
cipitating definite issue, the better are
the chances for peace. He now knows to
what extent he can rely on sections of
South Africa 10 uphold him: he realizes
that the British Will. if possible, avoid
conflict until the last transport lands her
men, and he is too willy "A leader not to
know TIE military advantage that comes to
the aggressor. His appeals to the foreign
powers TO intervene have apparently been
hopeless, but his efforts to drag in the
orange Free State have been successful,
and. if he honestly intends to defy Great
Britain. he will never have Il better op-
portunity than IT present.
II is such reasoning which is uppermost
in the minds of the thinking British, and
which prompts them to fear that before
next weeks cabinet meeting the Beers will
have passed over Natals frontier. If they
have not there will be much ground for
believing President Kruger means an uEti-
mate backdown. though whether he is
strong enough to carry his people with him
| in such a course is open TO great doubts.
The cabinet courcil merely verified the
issue no hostile ultiulatum until she is in
| a position TO back it up. The impression
that war is inevitable. which is now fairly
| general. is based almost solely upon the
| belief that the Beers will not submit, while
| It IS impossible for Great Britain to recede
| from the position which the secretary of
| state for the colonies, Mr.. Joseph Cham
| berlain, brought about.
The recent negotiations upon the part of
the colonial secretary have not tended to
appease the peace party in England
| Tho Speaker declares that ito fight
over a question of etymology is naturally
| impossible" by which the paper refers tc
| suzerainty being the whole base of the
dispute The Speaker and some of the
other Liberal papers take the view thai
Mr.. Chamberlain has made it as hard rs
possible for President Kruger TO accep'
his terms.
Sir Edward Clarke. queens counsel, tbs
former solicitor general, writes to tht
| Times that he sees no casus belli. ant
hopes parliament will be summoned, s:
that the whole affair may be explained Il
him and other Conservatives.
! Mr.. w T. Stead, Mr.. Chamberlain's bit.
Ter opponent, is bringing out a pamphlet
Shall Stay Ny Brother Boer?'-An Ap
peal TO the Conscience of Great Britain
in which he reiterateS his accusations ol
SIR. Chamberlain's completely in the
Rhodesisn conspiracy of 1885, and declares
that war would be 4 stain upon Great
Rritains escutcheon as foul as that by
which the Dreyfus case has suliied th'
fair name of France" He compares Mr.
Chamberlain TO General Mercier. and The
South African committee which tried th'
Jameson raiders to the Rennes court
martial.
But such diatribes do not represent thu
popular feeling. II President Kruger de
cides to hold his ground with the onl!
means at his disposal, /. e., almost imme
| diate hostiiities, ne will find he has bii
small sympathy from any class of British
The Transvaai negotiations are now 81
long drawn out that, though the paper
devote great space to them. popular in
terest seems tagging. The government or
} | gans, while regrett!ng the attitude Of tn
Orange Free State, point out that II
, open hostility will eventually prove ad
vantageOus in Kidding Grea: Britain OF tn
annoyance of having a presumably neutral
. but really hostile. power. so close to IN
scene of action and enabling Great Brit
; ain to add the Free State TO her posses
| sions without encountering foreign pro
tests OF accusations OF inhuman asgrand
|