Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-09-13
ENGLISH STATEMENT
There Has Been No Ultimatum to
President Kruger, Only
a Hint.
NOT ADMIT SOVEREIGNTY
The British Officials Wish to Ascertain If
the Transvaal Proposition Of Last
Month Had Any Strings At
tached to It.

London, September 13.-The Associat-
ed Press learned to-day that the Brit
ish message to the Transvaal does not
but requests an immediate reply The
message is not an ultimatum in the gen.
orally accepted sense of the world. II
expresses the hope that President Kru-
lieve the present tension. The only part
at all aggressive is the reiterated dec
lination of the British government to
discuss the matter of sovereignty In any
form. British officials refuse to deny
or affirm the correctness of the latest
Pretoria dispatches, saying the British
terms are a five-year franchise, quar-
ter representation for gold fields, equal
raad, and equality for old and new
burghers in regard to presidential and
other elections.
A special to the Pail Mall Gazette
from Cape Town says: "The British re-
ply is regarded equivalent to an ulti-
matum. Correspondent advices from
Pretoria indicate that war Is inevita-
ble."
A report that Rand Irishmen have
formed a corps to help President Kru-
ger is confirmed. 1t is said at Cape
Town that cablegram has been re-
ceived from New York saying that ten
tfhousopd Trich,,, on, will I, roadv 70 holm
the Transvaal.
A message of the secretary of state
for the colonies, Mr.. Chamberlain, says
he understands the concessions made in
President Kruger's note of August Is
have been withdrawn on account of the
British attitude regarding suzerainty
and adds: "Her majesty's government
absolutely repudiated the view Of the
political status of the Transvaal taken
by the Transvaal government, claiming
the status of sovereign state, and
therefore are unable to consider any
proposals made conditionally on ac-
ceptance of this view"
Continuing, the note says the British
government is satisfied the law en-
bodying the proposed alleviating meas
ures for Outlanders is inefficient to Sc
cure the immediate and substantial rep
resentation which it is understood the
Tro nsvaal admits to De ,easonable. 1t
then says: Moreover, the presentation
Of proposals in the note of August 8
indicates that the government of the
South African republic itself recognized
its previous offers might with advan-
tage be enlarged and independence Of
the republic thereby in no way i'm
paired.
The dispatch then goes on to say that
Great Britain is still prepared to accept
the franchise proposals of August 8,
provided the court of inquiry shows the
new scheme to be unencumbered by
multiplying conditions. In this connection
the British government assumes that
new members Of the volksraad will be
allowed to speak their own language,
and adds that acceptances of these
terms would at once remove the ten
sion, and would in all PROBABILITY rem
der unnecessary any further interven-
ton by her majestys government to
secure redress for grievances which the
Uitlanders themselves would be able to
bring to the notice Of the executive
council and the volksraad. Her majes-
tvs government is increasingly i'm
pressed with the danger of further de-
lay in relieving the strain which has
already caused so much injury to the
interests of South Africa, and earnestly
presses for an immediate reply.
London, September ia special
from Pretoria says the leaders Of the
Afrikanderbund have telegraphed
President Kruger, urging him to yield
to Chamberlain's last demands.