The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-10
Interview in Which He Admitted the
situation Is Grave and Difficult
to Predict the Outcome.
AN ARMY At SANDSPRUlT
THIRTEEN THOUSAND BUTCHERS
NOW CONCENTRATES THERE.
Views of Novelist Milford, Who
Thinks the Beers Will Fight Like
Devils a Long Time.

LONDON, Oct. 1O.-The morning news
papers contain only a few dispatches from
South Africa. The most sensational is one
from the Daily Telegraph's Ladysmith cor
respondent, who says that a trustworthy
colonial farmer asserts that he saw
thousand armed Beers on Sunday within
the Natal border near Charlestown.
An Associated Press dispatch from Pre-
toria says: President Kruger. in the course
OF an interview to-day. said he regarded the
situation as very grave and considered IT
very difficult to predict coming events The
landing of British reinforcements in Natal,
ne said. did not trouble him, as he had full
faith in the Almighty. Mr.. Kruger declares
he knew nothing of the reported intention
of Mr. Hcfmeyer the Afrikander leader, and
]. Rose Innes under secretary of naval af-
fairs In South Africa to come to Pretoria,
and that there was nothing further known
regarding the suggested arbitration by the
Nnited States President Kruger will cele-
brate his seventy-f1fth birthday tomorrow.
State Secretary Reitz to-day said that
negotiations were pending regarding medi-
alton by the United States, but that moth
ing had been decided
One dispatch from Cape Town says: THE
Afrikanderbund has decided to call spec
ial congress In November. The members Of
the bund are advised TO refrain In the mean
time from taking part in local meetings"
Another dispatch from Cape Town reports
that advices from Pretoria say the Neither
lands Railway management asserts that
more than 500 carriages and trucks belong
ing to the Transvaal are now in the British
colony. According to these advices the
burghers are still arriving at Sandspruit
and it is estimated that 1900 are now con-
centrated there. They are becoming very
much dissatisfied with their inactivity and
heavy rains and bitterly cold weather rem
der the conditions very trying for horses
and men.
The dearth of news from South Africa
appears to be due to a heavy block on the
telegraph lines. which may mean that the
lines are occupied by official dispatches and
that negotiations are being actively car
ried. From Durham it is announced that nd
code messages will be accepted for any part
of South Africa without the production of
the code. The Transvaal banks have been
notified that no more gold will be permitted
to leave the country.
The Daily News this morning publishes
the report of an interview with Bertram
Milford, the South African novelist, who
spent twenty-five years among the Cape
Dutch, in which Mr.. Milford predicts the
victory will only be attained by the British
after long, bloody and costly war. He
says: 1.-The Beers will fight like devils The
Jameson raid aroused them and ever since
they have been preparing for war and prac-
ticing shooting and they will resist to the
bitter end. l do not believe the Beers will
incite the natives against England, but it
is impossible to say what the natives will
do. The Basutos are loyal to the Queen but
hate the Free State. Though it would be a
bad thing for white supremacy If the
Basutos were to rise and conquer the Free
State, yet 1t would be hardly possible to
prevent them. The SwaZis are equally Bit
ter against the Transvaal and 1t would
need little encouragement to lead them to
attack the republic. / do not think there
is any danger from the Zulus, but the Mata-
beles and the Nashhanas might try to repeat
the horrors of 1896. All the published esti-
mates of the fighting strength of the Beers
are exaggerated. 1t does not exceed fifteen
thousand at the outside
According to the latest advices from Jo-
hannesburg, the natives who seem to have
been reinforced by the lawless element are
getting out. Of hand and anarchy is threat
ened.