Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-08
One Condition on Englard's Part is That She
Withdraw from the Frontier.
ESSENCE OF HER TROOPS IS IRRITATING
Chamberlain Meanwhile in No Hurry to
Proceed Because of Unpreparednes:.
BRITAIN FElGNs TO CONSIDER THE OFFER
Various Reasons Make Delay Ad-
visabIe, Notably n Broken Down
War Department-LittleR Real
Hope for Peace.

Copyright, 1899, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Oct. 7.-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Telegram )-Here Is the
most important development in the Anglo
Transvaal imbroglio. l can say authorita-
lively that President Steyne of the Orange
Free State has offered the British govern
ment, on condition that the British troops
withdraw from the frontier, to go himself
to Pretoria and use every possible pressure
at his command to induce Kruger to grant
the franchise and reforms demanded by
England. This proposal has not been re-
jected by the British government, neither
has it been accepted, but it is under con-
sideration. 1t should open an avenue to
peace If Chamberlain desires peace, but
President Steyne's friendly advisers in
this country, ! learn, have regretfully
informed him his proposal has not hope of
being accepted by Chamberlain and that its
immediate rejection is only prevented by
tactical considerations.
Steyne's position Is so desperate he has
the most powerful incentives to prevent
war, and his country has nothing to gain
and everything to lose by it's chvaric sup
port of the Transvaal. If his proposed mis-
sion failed it probably would detach him
from the Transvaal alliance, but Chamber
lans imperialist policy seemingly renders it
desirable that the two Dutch republics should
be involved in the impending war for the
assertion of British supremacy. The i'm
perialists say they want "a general clear-up
of the South African situation" end well
come chance OF disposing of both republics
by one campaign.
The precise situation between the British
and T7ansvaal governments at this moment
is as follows: Secretary Chamberlains
ultima atum, which in revised form, Is being
circulated in draft among the cabinet and
individually approved, has not yet been for
warded. The reasons for it's delay are va
rious. In the first place it Is because of the
friendly suggestion of Germany that the
Transvaal should be given breathing time
4 TO make further proposals, in second, 20
please Queen Victoria, who abhors the idea
OF war and finally, 1t should be stated, Cham
berlain is quite willing to withhold the dis
patch in furtherance of his own policy, as
| British army preparations are backward,
| the war department is broken down and he
desires to gain time. He and the war party
also count the Beers committing some
overt act Of war which would obviate the
necessity Of sending an ultimatum at all,
! leaving the British government unfettered
| by any conditions and putting a stop to the
peace agitation in this country, which is
| uoW dSSuIulLS constituting u
serious obstacle to the jingo plan of cam
paign.
Chamberlain Hostile.
1t must be borne in mind as cardinal
fact that the situation is that peace is not
desired by Chamberlain or High Commits
soner Miine, or by the war press and all
| it representa- in this country. No terms
satisfy them; they believe that a demon
stration by force of arms of the British
army in South Africa are essential to the
interests OF impt rialism in thst region, even
If Kruger now proposed to concede every
thiLg England demanded a fortnight ago.
1t would be useless. The Times, faithfully
expressing the prevalent jingo sentiment,
cynically iorestalls further concessions
from Pretoria by declaring:
mo paper reforms can any longer be
dreamed OF, nor can We any longer be
content with that portion of Sir Alfred
Miners program discussed at Bloemfon-
tein."
The Times further declares:
ITO talk this time of day about fve-
year franchise or about joint commits
sion to examine a five-year franchise
scheme, is to betray positively childish in
capacity to grasp the. meaning of events
passing before ones eyes"
Critical Point of the Dispute.
The claim for surrender of the inde.
pendence of the Transyaal, made under eu,
phemistic terms of suzeranty and full rights
for uitlanders, Is now the crucial point OF
the dispute. The dispatch of June 25 was
the first intimation given Of any newspaper
suzeralnty being resurrected by the British
government and your correspondent ther
predicted, even II all other British demands
were granted, the suzerainty claim would bt
produced as a provocatiop OF war. This IL
exactly what has happened and II the suzer.
ainty does not cause war, 1t will Ja becaus,
OF the resolute stand taken by Campbell
Bannerman, leader of the liberal party, whC
undoubtedly has risked much ia view OF tn,
existing widespread lingo fever, in fatl!
asserting there is no ground for an appea
to the arbitrament OF arms.
AS the pronouncements especially obtained
by me from the most important leaders o
English public opinion show, the movemen
for arbitration by the United States receive
only a lukewarm support at present, but 1
is the view Of the shrewdest publicists her
that the liberal opposition in the countr,
and Parliament now initiated by Bannerman
must necessarily bring the arbitration solu
tion TO the front unless war is precipitate
by some indiscretion on the Boer side.
Work of the lingo Press.
The lingo press is resorting TO every pos
sible expedient to intiame the public min
against the Beers. As at the time oi in
Jameson raid, stories are now published @
, Boer brutality TO women and children.
is averred the Beers intend to poison tn
rivers, that they have resolved TO shoe
every Englshman they capture and are gen
orally depicted as irredeemable savages
These are the inevitable rawlings OF the wa
fever which has taken entire possession {
a majority of the people In this countr!
. The idea Of American interveati n is eithe
ignored or curtly dismissed by the iingoe
, They are also unaffected by the fact tha
the whole opinion OF the civilized worl
e has pronounced against them, Extracts frOl
the European press of every crntinents
country denounced the impending war a
q unjustifable. an opinion which might /
Z ascribed TO Jealousy or dislike, were 1t NJ
| aIa ..s.d Of on