The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-22
British Colonial Of
flee Confirms Press
News.
KRUGER WILL NOT ARBITRATE.
Hostilities May Linger But
They Are the Only
Outcome.

London, Aug. 31.-The colonial office
in confirming the dispatch already teIe-
graphed from Cape Town. saying the
Transvaal government had handed its
! reply to the British agent at Pretoria,
says that Sir Alfred Miner has teIe-
graphed a message to that effect. All
that the officials Of the colonial office
would say in regard to the matter was:
The reply is not complete acceptance
of the proposal of Mr.. Chamberlain
There is no longer any doubt that
President Kruger has refused to submit
to the demand of Joseph Chamberlain
for the appointment of a court of in
quiry He may have done so diplomatic
ally or hedgingly; but that his answer
| is regarded by the British government
as tantamount to a positive refusal is
now an established fact.
| The colonial office is normally nom
committal, but there are other evidences
which amply justify the statement The
report that President Kruger has pro-
posed new terms is somewhat verified
| by the guarded comment of the colonial
| office officials and the irritability dis
played there. There is not the slightest
doubt that they believe war is now the
only way to settle the controversy.
| They would far rather have curt de-
! faint answer, than the temporizing
reply which the Boer president has
sent. With the former, Great Britain
woul1 have plain grounds for a quick
| commencement of hostility Under the
| circumstances which it is believed now
exist, aggressive action needs consider
able explanation to justify it in the eyes
of the world and the English minority
VINO still declare war would be an out
rage.
However, if Mr.. Chamberlain has his
way, it is believed President Kruger S
| counter proposals will meet with scant
! attention and unless the Beers COM
pletely back down, which is not likely
the crisis will quickly develop into war
1t is gathered that the colonial office
has been aware of the nature of the
| Transvaal's reply for some days, and IL
was communicated to the war office
| hence it is probable Great Britain will
| delay the denouement as little as pos
sible.
i A high colonial official frankly ex-
| pressed to a representative of the AS
| ISOLATED Press his disgust of what he
termed ''Kruger's cupidity and hypoc-
risy." He said: THE kind of game he
| - pay tiS must D6 CtGdI 10 Americans.
| The protestations of the Beers that they
wish to live quiet agricultural life
may be the tune of some one on the
Veldt. but the gang in Pretoria is sim
| ply after money Though President
Kruger says many harsh things of the
| Outlanders, he never hesitates to make
money out of them, either by fair or
foul means.
This Transvaal question cannot be
| judged by recent occurrences. You must
go back fifty years. 1t has been hang
ing fire ever since that time and the
| sooner it is settled now the better"
Though the official did not actually
| say so, it was clear that he believed war
was the only method of settlement.
1t is learned that the government is
somewhat annoyed at the public's slight
interest in the Transvaal. The official
said to the Associated Press representa-
tive: tDreyfus seems the only thing
our people think about, though England
| is in most serious crisis This indiffer-
enoe is, perhaps, typical"
A special dispatch from Cape Town
| says there is great danger of an out
| break of violence on the frontier, and
| that the scum of South Africa are en-
| listing throughout the colony, and are
being sent to Pitzani and Jameson, on
| the border.