The record-union., 1899-10-10
SALISBURY STOPS
TO Mediate.
The Premier Hssitates to Enter Upon
War With the Beers.
Still a Hope for Peaceful Solution Of the
Transvaal Controversy.

Meantime the War Department of
Great Britain is Making Pre-
parations to Send Vast Army
Into South Africa-The Forces
Will Double the Number Under
Wellington's Command in the
Memorable Battle of Waterloo.
LONDON, Oct. 9.-The Berlin cores
pondent of the Evening Standard
says: Information has been received
in diplomatic quarters here that Lord
Salisbury at the last moment, hesitates
to enter upon a war with the Trans
vaaL A peaceful solution is not there
fore altogether impossible, although 1t
is improbable
According to the latest advices from
johannesburg, the natives, who seem
to have been reinforced by the lawless
element, are getting out of hand, and
anarchy is threatened.
The complete dearth of news from the
Cape upon which all attention is riveted
is partly compensated for by the mass
of minor details published concerning
the preparations for the dispatch of the
army corps and speculation as to the
length and character of the debates
when Parliament meets. In official
circles there is said to be apprehension
that the Radicals will offer protracted
opposition to the Governments policy
in South Africa, which will possibly
make propagation and Christmas near
neighbors.
Lord Salisbury's whip to the Lords,
issued tonight, says Parliament will
deal with matters of grave moment
The latest dispatch from Lourenz
Marquee, relating to the chasing of the
steamer Guelph by the cruiser Philo-
omel, caused some stir, especially as it
was announced that the Guelph had
landed at Durham Ala cases of ammu-
milton for the Beers. There is pretty
general feeling that ammunition ought
not to be allowed to be forwarded.
The Pail Mall Gazette referring to
the matter says: There is some hope
that the ammunition will be seized at
Durham, as Natal possesses a ministry
whose loyalty is unquestioned. Had not
the Filipinos been given arms by Amer
leans with which to. fight Spain, Cen
eral Otis would long ago been enjoying
his ease at home. Similarly with the
Beers, we may have to pay heavily in
blood for the apathy the Cape Gov
ernment has exhibited in this matter.
Lord Vantage, President of the Brit
ish Red Cross Society, will shortly issue
an appeal for contributions to aid in the
work of the society, which he says will
provide two hospital railroad trains and
a hospital ship. The Duke of West
minister and Lord Vantage have given
fl 900 each, and Baron Rothschild has
raised Ell 900 among his friends.
Some indications of the War Office
estimate of the duration of the cam
paign is given by the fact that the
authorities have contracted for eight
months supplies of bread and other mil
itary acquisitions rendered necessary by
the absence of the army service corps,
whom the War Office thus evidently
calculates will be at home again by
the beginning of May.
ENGLAND TO SEND A VAST ARMY
TO SOUTH AFRICA.
8 LONDON, Oct. 9.-The vastness of
Great Britain's military preparations,
seemingly out of all proportion to the
work in hand in South Africa, was not
fully realized by the public until the
War Office announced that $4,000 re-
serves had already been summoned to
rejoin the colors.
As a matter of fact, General Sir Red
vers Butler will have command of twice
as many British soldiers as the Duke
of Wellington, the conqueror of the
first Napoleon, ever saw collected on
one battlefield. The reasons back of
this lavish display are probably a fear
of a native rising, and possibly a con-
viction of the advisability of showing
Europe that Great Britain is prepared
to resent any action resulting from the
prevailing continental i'll will.
In this connection the action of the
American Department of State and the
friendly statements of President Nc
Kinley and Secretary of State Hay are
heartily welcomed as a happy return
for Great Britains refusal to sanction
continental intervention in the war
between the United States and Spain.
AS the Beers failed to attack Natal
beginning to be felt that they are pur-
suing a policy of waiting for the British
proposals, remaining in the meantime
on the defensive, in the hope of thus
winning the sympathy of the world, and
perhaps the support of other nations
and leaving to Great Britain the ig-
nominy of starting hostilities
If they await the advance of General
Sir Redvers Butler, it is conceivable
that peace will not be broken during
the present year. Should that prove the
case and should the alleged waste of
the Boer commandos, the force con-
fronting the British Commanding Cen
eral will be neither as numerous nor
as efficient as that now encamped along
the Natal border.
Events have thus seemed to shape
themselves to secure ample pause for
All the proposals in the
correspondence between President
Steyn of the Orange Free State and Sir
Alfred Miner British High Commits
sioner in South Africa, show that the
were proceeding up to Oc-
tober 9th, and that neither despaired of
peace, Sir Alfred Miner saying he was
sure that reasonable proposals would
be favorably considered by the British
President Steyns virtual proposal of
a neutral zone, to be created pending
further attempts at conciliation, meets
with considerable approval.
A rumor is current that the political
interest of the situation may shortly in
crease as it is alleged, that the mana
gers of the Unionist party in Great Bri-