The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-29
INTENSE EXCITEMENT
II is Believed in Pretoria That War
is Now Inevitable.
BOERS MASSING THEIR FORCES,
They do Not Intend TO be Caught Nap
mug aud Would Have Begun Hos
tiiitics Ere Now hut For the
Scarcity Of Watering land
StilI Continues Her
Preparations.

LONDON Sept. 2s.-The decision of the
volksraad. OF the Orange Free state, TO
join with the Transyaal " the event OF
/ hosmiues. although fully expected. IS the
/ leading news to-day and viii. naturally
stInen the Beers independent attitude.
The Raads' resolution ns made the
brotherhood Of arms between the Trans
yaal and the Orange Free State, OF which
/ hitherto. there was only strong proba-
buiyt. an absolute certainty, and the Brit
/ ish will have to face the situation.
MUCH EXCITEMENT
intense excitement continues 10 prevail
! az Pretoria where apparently 10 is be.
/ neved that there is no escape from war.
The commission appointed TO consider
| the matter. reported to-day. as 20 what
( onlclals are necessary 90 carry on the
I government in the event of war and fixing
/ their salaries.
The field cornet at Pretoria is again
Z serving out rifles. Communicating Is ac-
/ lively proceeding and all preparations are
/ being made 20 take The field
An Engiishman. named Robertson has
I been arrested at johannesburg charged
/ with high treason. lie IS alleged to have
4 enlisted recruits for the Imperial LighI
/ Horse.
The Burghars are getting uneasy at the
concentration Of British troops between
/ Iadysmith and Laings Mex, especlaily at
! Glencoe and Dundee. The nominal reason
/ FOR the concentration is the protection oil
/ the Dunde, coal fields. bussthe Burghers
/ shrewdly suspect that the real reason is
the formation of "a force which VIII ad-
( vance across the Transvam frontier 81
/ Nryheid. as soon ass war is declared
! The Beers do not intend % bs caught
mapping and are now massng around
Vreyheid. not. however, merely as a pro-
/ tective measure, but to be prepared .-un-
/ less the British reiuforcements across the
I border cease. 90 make dash do torce
through "a portion OF Zulu land, crossing
the Buffalo river at point below ltorkes
Drift and then. seizing the railroad. cur
OFT tine British garrisons at Dundee ana
Iadvsmith from the south. which would
not only interrupt the British lines OF
communication but would seriously inter
fere with "a forward movement I'm order
To- watch this portion of the railroad eN-
posed to "a Boer incursion British post
win bo established "a Borke's Drift
BRITISH BASE
! a British infantry detachment Win
some engineers has arrived at DE Aar.
southwest Of the Orange Free state ana
am important railroad Junction Extensive
| fortifcations will be throWn up there and
the town will be made the base of opera
1 tlons from that side against the orange
/ Free State or the Transvaal More troops
will shortly arrive at De Aar.
A cable dispatch TO the Times from
CaDe Town says.
"The poers would have taken the initia-
tive by now. but for the scarcity of Wa
ter the rains not yet being sulhcitnt
Probably there will be great difficulties
in providing food supplies for the people
remaining at johannesburg after hostill-
ties have commenced
Several responsible people here who
have long clung TO the belief I'm an uih-
mate peaceful settlement now regard
war as inevitable
The Birmingham Post says: TWO car
goes of arms and ammunition leave Ham
burg or Rotterdam Friday for the Trans
vaal. comprising 5000 improved Aausers
10000 cartridges. and several mortars for
dynamite charges. As the second bat
talon of Grenadiers embarked on trans
port al Gibraltar for London this after
noon. they received hurry CALL or
dering them to proceed TO the cape. iof
which place they start tomorrow.
The Secretary of State for the COLONIES
Joseph Chamberlain, arrived at the For
Council will meet al 1880 p. NJ. tomorrow. /
The speaker of the House OF Commons.
William Court Gully. is returning 90 Lon
don. ana Sir Henry Campbell -Bannerman,
the Liberal leader i'm the House. and Her
bert Gladstone the chief Liberal whip,
Will arrive here Monday
The Press Association issued the follow
ing statement this evening:
WHERE THE INTEREST LIES.
"Wh learn that the centres Of Interest
I'm the Transvam crisis are in reality Mt
Lisbon ard Berlin. and this consideration.
IL is thought in some quarters may cause
a further adjournment Of the Cabinet
"Tha future administration and financial
control Of the Portuguese positions In
South Africa are held TO be an integral
factor in the present difficulty. The
friends Of President Kruger urge that IL
would be manifestly unfair TO insist upon
partial reduction OF the forts at Preto- |
ria and johannesburg SO long as Lorenzo |
Marques remains under the Portuguese !
government and IL is probable that the |
negotiations between London Berlin and |
Lisbon may not be concluded until after |
the Cabinet council
4 d'sestch so the Daily Mali fr0m /
Charleston says.
Communicating is proceeding IN the |
Wakkorstroom district and probably |
purghers are assembled at WakkerstrOom |
which IS eight miles from the Natal bor- /
der and eleven from Laings Mex. Twelve !
hundred have been ordered 90 SandsDait ]
thirteen miles west OF the Natal border .
where they v'iil' meet Orange Free State /
artillery which has been lying low in this /
neighborhood for a fortnight"
The Pretoria correspondent Of the Daily /
Telegraph SAYS: "The Transvaal execu-
tive are absorbed In war preparations.
Many Beers oppose aggressive action on /
religious grounds. There have been local
thunder storms and rains at Johannes
burg and IN various parts OF the Orange
Free state
The Odessa correspondent OF the Stand
ard telegraphs o rumOr that Germany re-
Gently suggested to Russia the advisabiit1
OF mediation between Great Britain and
the Transvaal and that Russia declined TO
have anything 10 do with the matter.
AUSTRIA WILL Help.
WELLINGTON n. r.. Sept. S.-fhe