New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1899-10-04
THE CRISIS IN SOUTH AZ
RIGA.

q
dinary delay of the Beers in taking
hostile initiative, is still a pacific cir
cumstance. But i, has doubtful signif
canoe when compared with genuine and
i far reaching preparations they are max.
ling for hostillties.
The attitude of the British govern
ment, in always insisting upon sovereign
power, has practically undergone nc
|change throughout the entire negotia-
tions. Every stage has depended upon
President Kruger. If he would not
back down when the British demands
were less sweepingly expressed, he can
scarcely do so now, when they are fer
mulated with almost brutal frankness
These negotiations, according to Pres
ldent Kruger's own statements, and
Judging from all the available informa-
ton, seem to have reached an impasse.
Rumors of the interference of a foreign
power continue to crop up, but the most
sanguine scarcely believes this would
turn the British from the determination
evident from the first to attempt to COM
pei President Kruger to submit absolute
" to their terms, though speculation is
rife regarding the awkward complica-
tions wkich might ensue by German or
Russian diversion in various parts of the
globe.
The Beers, who must have plainly.
seen the efforts of the British govern.
ment to avert hostllitles until the arriv-
al of re-inforcements, having weeks ago
planned campaign, will put it in ac-
ton, perhaps as early as this week.
They will probably avoid engagements,
devoting their energies to the destruc-
ton of property and the capture OF pris-
oners, perhaps including raid on Della
goa bay.
1t seems unlikely that they will at
tack via Laiugs Neck and other passes
of that boundary, for the simple reason
that these points are SO openly talked
about as their points of aggression, the
keenest observers believing it to be
more likely that the Beers will operate
Ziluland, thus creating diversion of
the $4,000 British troops, now chiefly
massed at Ladysmi,h, or in it's nelghbor-
hood. ,~
In the meantime, or, perhaps, previous
to this, British army corps, consisting
of 10000 men or more, will be sent out.
Parliament will be summoned, and no
doubt, the necessary supplies will be
granted, though there viii! be some hot
debating.
Regarding the plans of campaigns of
the respective armies, there is no relia-
BILE information, though it is the general
assumption that the main object of the
British will be the capture of the Preto-
| ria. The duration of the conflict is a
matter of the widest surmise, though the
continental and British papers do not
express the faintest doubt that 1T will re-
suit IN the defeat of the Beers and the
addition of their country to Great Brit
| aims colonies. -. ... ,,
Were peace or war dependent merely
upon matters of suzeralnty or the fran
chise, there mi ght be some hope that
hostilities may he avoided at the last
moment. But apparently there is truth
IN what the peace party papers have oft
en- limited at, that is to say, that the un-
derly1ng motive actuating the British
government throughout the negotiations
has been the suppression of what they
have reason to believe was a far-reach-
ing conspiracy for the establishing of a
Dutch federation from the Zam5esi to
the cape. The athority for this state
ment is Mr.. Chamberlain's message.
In conversation with representative
of the Associated Press lie reliably in
formed the secretary of state for the col,
onies, that one great factor of the situa-
ton, which could not be brought before
the public for fear that the governments
objects might be luisinterpreted, was the
cabinet's we'll defined understanding that
q carefully fostered plot had been in
progress to form Dutch federation.
He also referred tc the action of the
Orange Free State,and to that of the AT
ricando members of the cape to legislat-
ure, which somewhat confirms Mr.. Cham
berlain's view, for it is impossible to be-
lleve that such important steps would
result from mere spontenelty of senti-
ment on a current dispute.
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