The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-13
WAR NOT YET DECLARED
THOUGH LATEST ADVICES INDICATE ITS
ACTUAL EXISTENCE.
NO DEFINITE INFORMATION.
From Pretoria Since Expiration OF the
Time Lfmit-AI News Meagre-Re-
ports of Assassination of Conyngham
Green-Boers Raiding Natal and Com
mitting Hostile Acts-Transvaal Con-
suIate in London CIosed-Threatened
Revolt I'm Cape Colony.


suIate in London Closed-Threatened
Revolt I'm Cape Colony.
London, October IL, 1915 p. MP
to the present hour no dispatches have
arrived from the Cape timed since the
expiration of the ultimatum, SO it is
not yet known whether the first shot
has been fired.
A telegram from Pretoria, timed 1880
o'clock yesterday evening says: THE
situation is becoming more critical
hourly. Numerous Americans, Ger
mans, Frenchmen, Swedes, Belgians,
Norwegians, Danes, Italians, Dutch
men, Swiss and Cape Afrikanders have
Transvaal, although they are not
burghers, while many British residents
also have taken the oath of allegiance.
The hope is expressed by many that
war will yet be averted.'-
Nothing since this has been received
from Pretoria, and, doubtless, tele
graph communication with the Trans
vaal IS now cut.
The absence of news from the Cape
since early morning is not due to an
interruption of the cable, but ITO the
immense pressure of work, the cables
being probably nearly monOpolized by
British government dispatches which
take precedence of all others. Only
two cables run to Cape Town from Eu-
rope, and the one on the eastern coast
is very slow, so that practically all the
work is thrown on the one Atlantic
cable, which means that the present
eXasperating delay will recur repeat
edly during the progress of the war,
and that the newspaper dispatches will
probably be very meagre.
ATTITUDE OF ORANGE7 FREE
STATE
Further particulars regarding the
correspondence between President
Steyn of the Orange Free State and
Sir Alfred Miner, governor of Cape
Colony, and British high commissioner
in South Africa, cabled from Bloem-
fontein, show that Sir Alfred on Octo-
Der 7th stated that the imperial gov
ernment was reconsidering the situa-
tion in view of the grave fact that both
the republics were on a war footing,
and was even then prepared to cOnSid-
er a definite suggestio1 for the termina-
ton of the crisis. In z mother dispatch
ne says:
MY object in all comm munications
since October End has been to leave
nothing undone to prevent such action
on the part of the TranSvaal as is cal
culated to make a pacific solution final
ly impossible. 1 cannot, however, ask
the imperial government for a pledge,
either regarding the disposition of
troops in British territory in South At
rica, or their dispatch from other parts
of the empire.
President Steyn replied: ''The rea-
sons for arming the Transvaal were the
presence Of an alien, hostile population
in it's midst which was always stirring
up hatred and endeavoring, for polit-
ical or financial reasons, to undermine
the independence of the state. The
Beers have never taken the offensive,
not even after the Jameson raid, when
the TranSvaal was strongly armed and
there were few British troops there.
Regarding the Free State army, it
will be remembered that the Free State
always lived at peace and in harmony
with it's neighbors, and has everything
to lose and nothing to gain by a rup-
ture. The burghers will certainly not
be called out unless the government is
thoroughly convinced that the British
troops on the borders of both states
are decided menace to the independ-
ence of the Transvaal, which the Free
State is bound to assist"
PREPARATIONS AT SOUTHAMP-
TON.
Great preparations are being made
at Southampton for the departure on
Saturday of General Sir Redvers-Bul-
Ter, and a great demonstration is antic-
ipated. The Duke Of Connaught, the
Duke of Yorke, Lord Lansdowne, Gen.
Lord W'olseley and General Sir Ivelyn
Wood are expected to accompany him
to Southampton from London.
1t is announced that THE fleet of
transports conveying General Sir Red
ed by warShipS, while further dispatch
boats and gunboats will be sent to
South African waters.
The government has spent 95,000,-
600 in naval and military preparations,
the orders placed with contractors this
week alone amounting to 100000. The
authorities, anticipating a serious re-
duction in the output of the South Af
rlcan coal mines, has ordered 5000 tons
Of English steam coal to be sent ito the
Cape for the use Of the warships.
The outbreak of war has sent up the
price of English wheat on various
country markets, the farmers have re-
fused to sell wheat under 80 shillings
per quarter, in some cases even hold
DUTCH REVOLT IN CAPE COLONY.
An important South African firm in
London has just received a telegram
from Cape Town stating that revolu-
ton cf the Dutch in Cape Colony is re-
garded as imminent.
ORANGE TROOPS ENTER NATAL.
A dispatch from Pietermaritzburg
says Orange Free State troops have en-
al hx- hc iror ,ar%fa amt ..f
Cundy Clough, thfrty-seven miles
southwest of New Castle, and are ad-
vancing upon Ladysmith.
TRANSVAAL CONSULATE CLOSED.
Montague White, consul general of
the South Africa republic in London,
closed the consulate this afternoon and
Immediately left for the continent.
Mr.. Whites departure was not at
tended by any excitement. Before
shaking off the dust of England, he
said to a representative OF the Asso-