The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-26
Whether England Seriously Fears
French or Russian
Aggression.
LARGE FLEET OF TRANSPORTS
Hurriedly Made Ready to Meet
any Possible Con.
tingency.
BELIEF THAT GREAT BRITAIN
is on the Verge of a Conflict Far
Greater Than the Trans.
vaal is General.


vaal is General.
LONDON, Oct, 25.-Brltlsh naval pre-
paratlons, revealed by to-day,s informs
utfou causes a strong reiteraslOp Of the
rumOrs Of serious foreign complications.
1t is now said that Rear Admiral Lord
Charles Bereuford win command the
Mediterranean squadron and details of
the activity at the dock yards and ma
val stations are coming In hot and fast.
The Associated Press learns. however,
that whether or no Great Britain SER
iously fears Russia or French agsres-
sion, the naval preparations have been
under consideration for severa! months
and It was the admiralty, intention to
put them in force as soon as war with
the Transvaal was declared. deeming 1t
necessary to increase the active
strength OF the navy in order to insure
the large fleet Of transports against
every possible contingency. Whether
later developments have transformed
the admlralty's precautionary measures
into preparations for naval demon-
stration necessltated by European hos
tility is the question OF the hour and 1t
Is as much mystery to many high
naval officers as to the public. The ex-
act condition of AFFAIRS consists Of or
derlng the naval reserves to be in readi-
ness to rejoin their ships at twenty
four hours notice, while all the cruisers
Of the reserve class have been notified
to be ready to sail in the same time
limit These vessels, though at the.
dockyards, are never out of commission
and are always supposed to be ready
for Immediate manning. a dozen crul-
sers, ranging from 5000 to 1900 tons
are now only awaiting the word to em-
bark the crew.
In addition to these preparations
work on the uncompleted vessels is be-
ing hurried day and night, The special
attention being paid to the cruisers Is
taken by many naval authorities tc In
dlcate that Great Britain intends to
form meuaclng flying squadron, using
the ''menaslng" because the naval force
at sea now is ample to convey the
transports and is thoroughly capable
of preventing any interference in
South African waters,
DO Not Conceal Knowledge.
While the British officials do not con-
ceal their knowledge OF German, French
and Russian antagonism and their irrl-
tation th4reat. they do not give the
slightest hint that European hostility
viii crystalllEe into any probable overt
act. But the belief that Grea: Britain
Is on the verge of crisis or even
conflict far greater than that in the
Transvanl has many supporters. though
the lack Of all official confirmation fav-
ors the conservative views that the re-
markable military and naval activity
Is due to a desire to take thorough pre-
cautions which, though omlRous, have
at present no special bearing upon
Great BritaIn's European relations.
AdvIces from the continent strength.
ems this view. For instance the Frem-
denblRtt Of Vienna, to-day says: Moth
ing points to the eventuality OF the In
tervention OF Europe in favor of the
Beers"
The paper adds that Germany espec-
tally has resolved mot to depart from
her attitude of neutrality"
LONDON, Oct. g5.-The commander
fn.chief, Field Marshal Lord worsIey.
has apparently been now convicted Of
"DoctorIng official reports from the
front" and there is a strenuous de-
mand on all sides for reverslon to the
earlier practice, when the reports Of
General Sir George Stewart White, the
British commander in Natal. were given
out textuaIly as soon as received. Tho
commandcr-In-chIers summary read in
The house of commons yesterday. spoke
OF General White having fought sue
cessfnl actIcn, whereas General Whites
own account puts an entirely different
complexion on the situation and re-
duces the movement tc Its proper pro-
portions, and shows that further ex-
citing Intelligence may be expected
from the same quarter at any moment.
1t Is quite evident that the war in Ma
tai has only commenced and that the
Beers are by no means discouraged ut
losing the FIRST two battles and many
experts are satisfied General JOubert is
even now close to the heels Of the Brit
lsh and that decisive action mOy be
fought to-day or tomorrow.
Bocrs Claim Success.
The main fact that the British were
forced to Cvacuate the Natal triangle
WHICH the Beers. naturally, rightly
claim as conspicuous success aud
which they may even emphasize by
proclamation nnnexlng northern Natal,
Is proving an unpaiatabic pitt TO the
public, whose appetite had been whet-
ted by the previous SUCCESSES. which
had been assumed to be greater than
they really were the determination and
gaIantry Of tho Beers enabled them to