The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-08

and Navy OthcGES CF1t1SISeO.
Copyrighted by the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct 7.-Judging from the
reports from South Africa a state of war
practically exists between Great Britain
and the Transvaal. This seems almost
paradoXical in conjunction with the fact
that the British diplomatic agent, Mr..
Canyngham Greene, still remains at
Pretoria, and the further fact that the
negotiations continue.
A solution of this apparent paradox
is found in an understanding Of the Gu
rious relations between the two govern
ments. AS has already been cabled,
Great Britain is not ready to make a
formal declaration of war against what
she considers a dependent nation, the
process being a mere Issue of orders
to the military forces to restore the
state Of sovereignty, which she al
leges originally existed. Were England
similarly at loggerheads with a power
recognized by her as her equal, pride and
precedent would some time ago have
compelled her to break off diplomatic in
tercourse. 1t is this legend of suzarainty
that enables her to palaver with
out loss of self-respect, and at the same
time to run a grievance by placing the
onus of beginning hostilities upon the
Beers or, failing in that, to delay action
until she has in the field a sufficient
force to oYerrun the Transvaal.
This is the only ground upon which
1t is possible to reconcile the govern
ments utterances' With its passive recep-
ton of palpably hostile acts on the part
of the Beers, for it is now lmpo sible
to believe that the Transvaal forces are
massing merely for defensive purposes.
Thus, war appears to be the only posi-
bic outcome. If the Beers are deter
mined to precipitate it, hostilities are
only a question Of days. If England
is allowed to take her own time, then
two months may elapse before the first
blow is struck.
BOERS WILL NOT WAIT.
Needless to say all signs indicate that
the Boers will not tamey await the ar
rival of the British army corps
Although the diplomatic negotiations
are W'elI-nigh forgotten in the expected
exciting developments, they are in a
peculiar stage, and deserve recapituIation
After the last cabinet council it was Off,
claily stated that the Beers had not re-
piled to the latest dispatch, and that the
foreign office, while deciding to consider
the questica de novo, expected an answer
from the Beers. The papers daily heralded
the arrival Of the reply, but none came.
Many TOOK this silence to mean that the
Boers refused tc discuss the controversy
further, but that this was wrong became
evident from President Kruger's reply to
the peace telegram Of the Transvaal COM
mltteein In London in which he said that the
latest British dispatch had asserted that
lhe British government was formulating
new proposals, thus implying that the
Beers were waiting for Great Britain's
new demands, and did not wish to waste
breath in discussing propositions already
dismissed.
what these new demands consist of is
still mystery. 1t was assorted that an
other cabinet council would pass upon
them, but this is now denied by Mr..
Chamberlain, who, In answering a dis
patch from the progressive members of
the Cape house of assembly, said the de-
mands had been communicated to the
Transvaal Whether this has actually
been done remains as much an enigma as
the terms themselves. All the public has
is the guarded statement of the Duke of
DeVonsh1re, lord president of the council.
at Manchester, where he declared that
these new demands did not imperil the
Independence OF the Transvaal, the word
independence having absolutely onposite
meaning in Boer and British interpreta-
ton.
CHANCE FOR PEACE.
Hence although the week has produced
no negotiations tending to throw light
upon the merits Of the case, 1t is evident
that negotiations have not ceased, so far
as diplomatic correspondence is concern,
ed. This goes to show that there IS 10
cause for immediate hostilities The pith
Of the whole dispute, however, is daily
becoming clsarer. The Beers are
thoroughly convinced that their freedom
is menaced, and England is convinced
that her supremacy in South Africa Is
threatened This constitutes an irnpasse,
against which pacific measures can
scarcely be effective.
QUEEN CANNOT INTERFERE.