The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
BOER CRISIS GROWS ACUTE.
THE HENCHMEN OF CECIL RHODES
LIKELY TO CAUSE TROUBLE.

Transvnal Incensed mt the Hold-Up of Thsir
War Munitions ut Delagoa Bay-British
Supremacy In south Africa Really at Is.
sue Now-Prsmior sohrsinsr of Cape
Colony IL Accused of Aiding the Bosrss
Special Cable Despateh to THE Sun.
LONDON. Aug. 19.-There are serious signs
that boodshed will be precipitated in South
Africa by means OF q stroke similar to the JameY
son raid and In the same interests as that
venture. Cecil Rhodes is probably personally
inactive. but his henchmen active in antl-Beer
menaces. The lapse OF O week without any
further friction between President KRUGER and
Colonial Secretary Cham berlain is regarded as
presaging pacific settlement OF the franchise
dispute. but concurrent with dispatches sug-
costing that this Is probable come cables such
the following. published to-day In Cecil
Rhodess weekly organ in London: THE Cape
Town Colouists are thinking less OF the Uit-
landers' cause than the general question OF
British influence in South Africa" The article
proceeds to argue that war is imperative to
prove that supremacy. 1t is evident. however.
that majority OF the Cape colonists are with
Premier Schreiner and against Cecil Rhodes.
There is considerable astonishment that
Portugal. at Great Britain's instance refused
to forward the Beers munitions OF war,
Two versions Of the affair are cur
rent. One is that the officials at Lorenzo
Marquee merely waiting for fuller Informs
ton and that when they learn the Governent'F
desire the consignment will be forwarded
Immediately. The other version is that the
Lisbon Government. at the instance OF EnG-
land. has ordered the Lorenzo MARQUEE off1s
cals to hold the supplies until further orders,
England maintaining that they will endangor
the peace OF South Africa, and are unnecessary
az England has not threatened the independS
ence OF the Transvaal. 1t Is certain that Mr.,
Chamberlain will not allow President Krugef
to turn the Transvaal into an arsenal and will
rather himself take the aggressive.
1t is evident however. that the public nj
Cape Town does not regard the crisis as be-
coming worse. The London correspondent Of
the chief Cape Town paper. who has been exc
cusvely sending the European end Of tho
Transvaal question. including 81 500 cablS
message on the night of the big Commond
debate. received orders this week to include
the Dreyfus dispatches in his reports.
The People says 1t learns. through a person
occupying high official position" that Sir Az
fred Miner the British mmssioner In South
Africa. being convinced that tho diplomatic
conflict had reached critical staget
q tolerant endurance of which would
lapse into weakness. cabled tG
the Government urgently requesting authori(
cation to insist upon tho Transvaal Govern{
ment accepting the terms offered BY
Great Britain. According to this source
OF information. Sir Alfred Miners ,des
cision was in full accord with the
opinion and intention OF the Government
and consequently Mr.. Chamberlin despatched
an utimatum to President Krng ger through Sid
Alfred Wilson. based on the terms already proc
pounded. namely. that Of an irreduoible minit
mum OF five years qualification .lfor the franz
chse.
Tho People also states that the War Off1ceda
prepared to despatch &c. 600 troops to the Cape
Colony. half Of them coming from India.
Gen. Sir Frederick Forestier- Walker. the
new commander OF the British troops in South
Africa. sailed for Cape Town yesterday.
CAPE Town. Aug ia sensation has been
caused here by a statement In tho Times. %
local newspaper. that Premier Schreiner. since
the crisis assumed an acute phase. has ellowA
ed ]. 100000 rounds of cartridges to be remove
cd from Port Elizabeth to Bloemfontsin for
the purposes OF the Transvaal. Mr.. Schreinerv
In an interview an hour prior to the writing
OF this despatch explained that the incident
was five weeks old the cartridges. he saidS
were the absolute property ofthe Orange Free
State. the relations OF which with England
were perfectly friendly. He said that he saw
no objection to their removal. r
PRETORIA. Aug. 19.-The Pretoria Govern4
ment is ncensed at tho detention Of the
munitions OF war in the transit to the Transs
vaal by the Portuguese authorities at Delagoa
Bay. President Kruger and Vice-President
Joubert are openly opposed to the Volksraads
report on the dynamite concession. 1t Is said
that the Government was on the point Of rot
turning favorable reply to England's invita-
tion to q Joint inquiry into the Uitanders'
grievances when the news Of the Delagoa Bay
episode arrived and the reply was in conses
quence withheld.
1t 10 said that President Krnger's reply to
Mr. Cham berlain's proposal for Joint inquiry
into the franchise troubles was to have been
handed over to tho British Agent to-day or viii
be on Monday. The Government declines to
state the nature Of the reply.
ROME Aug. 19.-It Is officially announos9
that an Anglo-Italian agreement has been end
tered into whereby British subjects in tho
South African Republic are placed under th4
protection and jurisdiction Of the italian coAi
suls In the event OF hostilitiss in tho TranAs