Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-28
WILL AID Beers
Orange Free State Takes
This Action.
WAR IS SURELY COMING
Peace in South Africa Must Be Brought
About By War--H0stilities Would
Not Last Much Longer Than Two
Months.

London, Sept. 27.-Notices to the adj
journed cabinet council were forwarded
this afternoon and the chief government
whip will be on hand to give imme-
diate effect to any decision arrived at r.-
garding the re-assembling of parliament.
Information from Bloemfontein this
evening leaves little doubt that he Or
ange Free State volksraad is unanimous
in supporting the Transvaal.
The most important light is thrown
upon the situation by a freak statement
today to the Associated Press by Sir WAL
ter Peace, agent general for Natal, who
fought against the Beers in former years.
He said:
THE attitude of the Orange Free state
means it's inevitable acquisition by Great
Britain. Peace in South Africa can only
be accomplished by war. In my OPINION
a war would not last more than Two
| months. In order to make pa~cllcatloli
| effective Great Britain must assume an
! solute control over the whole OF south
| Africa. So far as the position OF Natal Is
! concerned all this talk about poor un-
, defended Natal is nonsense. There VIII
be little or no fighting in Natal II II
| comes to a war and / fear that no other
issue is now possible. What do you think
10, 900 British troops would be doing Whlie
this much talked of Boer raid was IN
progress? Our railways are in good work
| ing order and our troops can be trans
ported quickly. The bad weather condl-
; tons have been %magnified. A campaign
| could be carried on now just as we'll as IN
| any other season.
1.-TWO months from the day General Sill
| Reayers Butler lands the fighting Will be
oy,r IF tho E<rpp State had been lONd
fighting would not have lasted IA days.
1t is the likeliest thing in the world. how
ever. tina the Free State will be foolish
! enough to take a hostile attitude. FOR that
means her addition to the British pos
sessions. The Free State would always
have been a disturbing factor IN the qule(
Of South Africa. Great Britain has the
power to work out ultimate peace. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether she has the
spirit. Upon the conclusion of war, which
must be unfiinching in order to be eff
fective. British control must be absolute
oyer all South Africa. in Cane Colony
Natal and other sections. Half meas
ures would only prolong unrest and pro
duce more disturbances
II have known the Beers as we'll as any
! man. l have lived among them and have
fought them. To exist peacefully so close
to them is an utter impossibility. Nego
tiations are well enough in their way, blu
British control of the Tralsvaal mus
come eventually. For years the Boert
have been crying. Throw the titlander
into the sea- and Out with him. Posi-
bly, they are not so virile as during tn
last war. but there is little difference
My idea is that if the Beers were caugh
in the open once or twice the thing woul'
be ended. Kill 500 of them and all tina
would remain for England to do would b
to send for a shipload of crepe. The
never have stood in the open and If wa
comes now they will have to do NOR
than stay in the hills. This is not Opt
mistic twaddle. but an opinion based upo
my experience in campaigns against tn
Beers. I hay not the slightest fear 70
J the safety of my colony or it's 1t
possible tina a few Boer incursions Nigh
get a few miles into Natal. but no fur
Their, and it must be remembered tina
many of those living on the edge of tn
Natal border are themselves Beers
A few days now hould witness a def
mite settlement of the crisis in the Trans
Vaal. The volksraad has assembled i
secret session. last night (Wednesday
and the burghers doubtless had the re
suit of their deliberations of the OranR
Free State volksraad to guide them i
reaching a decision in forming a reply
Mr.. Chamberlain's latest dispatch, whic
will probably be handed to the BIRTHS
! diplomatic agent at Pretoria. Mr.. Cor
nygham Greene, and be discussed by tt
British cabinet tomorrow. The secreta1
of state for war. the Marquis of Ian
down, was busy until a late hour la:
evening at the war office. A telegra'
! from Naples show that the British go'
\ eminent is buying mules there. as we
as in the United States. 1t is understot
that 10000 will be purchased altogethe
hut as it will take at least a month to &
} them to Africa and a similar time to g
} an army corps to the front, it is eyidel
! that big operations will be impossib
4 until toward the end of October.