The age-herald., 1899-10-12
SITUATION CRITICAL.
Not Known In London Whether First
 Gun Has Been Fired.

London, October 11-11:15 p. m.-Up to the present hour no dispatches have arrived from the Cape timed since the expiration of the ultimatum, so 1t is not yet known whether the first shot has been fired.
 A telegram from Pretoria, timed 7:30 yes- tecday evening, says: "The situation is be- coming hourly more critical. Numerous Americans. Germans, Frenchmen, Swedes, Belgians, Norwegians, Danes, Italians, Dutchmen Swiss and Cape Afrikanders have gone to the border to fight for the Tlransvaal, although they are not burghers, while many British residents also have ta- ken the oath of allegiance. The hope is ex- pressed by many that war will yet be averted
 Nothing since has been received from Pretoria and doubtless te1egraphic conn munication with the Transvaal Is now cut.
 The absence of news from the Cape since early morning is not due to an lnterrup- tion of the cable, but to the immaculate pressure of work the cables probably be- ing nearly monopolized by the British gov ernrnent dispatches, which take precedence over all others. Only two cables run to Capetown from Europe, and tne one on the eastern coast is very slow, practlcally all the work being thrown on the one at the other cable, which means that the present exasperating delay will recur re- peatedly during the progress Of the war, and that the newspaper dlspatcheS VIII probably be very meagre.
 Further particulars regarding the cor respondence between President Steyn and th Orange Free State and Sir Alfred Mil- ner. governor of the Cape Colony and British high commissioner. in South Afrlca, ca bled from Bloemfontein, show that SIT Alfred on October stated that the imper- fal government was re-considering the slt- uatfon. in view of the grave fact that bota the renublics were on a war footing and was even then prepared to consider de- finite sugguestion for the termination or the crisis. In another dispatch ne says. sMy object in all communications since October has been to leave nothing undene to prevent such action on the part or the Ira nsyaal as is calculated to make pa cffic solution impossible. l cannot, now ever ask the imperial government for pledge either regarding the dlsposltion or troops in British territory in South Africa or their dispatch from other parts or the empire"
 President Steyn replied: "The reasons for aru1ing fine Transvaal were the presence of an alien, hostile population Tn It's midst, which was always stirring up hatred ana endeavoring, for political or hnanciai rea- sons. to undermine the independence Of the state. The Boers have never taken the offensive not even after the Jameson raid, when the Transvaad was strongly armed and There were few British troops there. Regarding the Free State assembly, 1t will be remembered that the Free State al- ways lived at peace and at harmony with its neighbors, and has everything to lose and nothing to gain by rupture. The burgh6rs will certainly not be called out unless the government Is thoroughly con- vinced that the British troops on the bof- der are a decided menace to the independ- ence of the Transvaal, which the Orange Free State is bound to assist.