The Penn's Grove record., 1899-10-27
BRITISH PREPARATIONS.
The Formation o. a "Menacing" Fly.
ing Squadron.
NAVAL RESERVES CALLED OUT.
The AdmiraIty's Preparations For
Further Complications - Rumors of
European Observation-Disclosures of
Gibraltar Being Strengthened-Eng.
land Prepared For Any Emergency.

LONDON (By Cabie).-The extent of the
British naval preparations eau :es a strong
revival OF the rumors OF serious foreign
complications. 1t is learned that whether
Or not Great Britain seriously fears Russian
7r French aggression, the naval prepara-
Ions have been un'ler consid Iteration for
several months, and it WAS the Admlralty's
Intention to put them 10 force as soon as
war with the Transvaal was declared
~iseming 1t necessary to increase the active
strength OF the navy 10 order to insure the
large neet OF transports against every pos.
stble contingency. Whether later develop
ments have transformed the Admiralty's
precautionary measures into preparations
Tor Il naval demonstration necessltated by
European hostility is the question of tho
hour, and 1t is as much a mystery to many
high naval officers as to the public.
The exact condition of affairs consists OF
ordering the Naval Reserves to be In readl-
ness to rejoin their ships at twenty-fouf
hours notice, while all the cruisers of the
reserve class have been notified to be ready
to sail in the same time limit. These yes
sells, though at the dockyards, are never
out of commission, and are always sup
posed to be ready for immediate manning.
In addition to these preparations, work
on the uncompleted vessels is being hur.
ried day and night. Tn special attention
being paid to the cruisers is taken by
many naval authorities to indicate that
Great Britain intends to form a menactng
flying squadron, using the term "menac-
log" because the naval force at sea now Is
ample to convo the transports and Is
thoroughly capable OF preventing any In
reference in South African waters.
While the British officials do not conceal
thafr Bna.ulalDa nf narn,op EraDDt and
Russian antagonism and their irritation
thereat, they 10 not give the slightest hint
that European hostility will crystalline in
to any probable overt act. But the belief
that Great Britain is on the We rye of a
crisis, or even a conflict far greater than
that In the rransvaal, has many supporters,
though the lack OF all Official confirmation
favor the conservative views that the re-
markable military and naval activity Is
due to a desire to take thorough precau-
lions which, though ominous, have at
present no special bearing upon Great
Britain's European relations.
The Neues Wiener-Tagblatt, OF Berlin,
publishes a telegram from the Trausvaal
Legation at Brussels announcing that DR..
Leyds has received formal assurances that
France and Russia will not permit Great
Britain to annex the Transvaal or the
Orange Free State. This is diseredited,
however, as 1t is pointed out that even II
this were the intention OF the powers mem
toned they would not allow their hands to
be shown p~renaturely through the medium
Of DIR. Leyds.
The Russian newspapers may be some
what responsible for the general impress
sion In regard to European Intervention,
the st. Petersburg Russkija advocating that
Great Britain be brought to her senses by
a naval demonstration in South Africa, in
which France would take the lead.
New and stringent orders nave been
promulgated with reference to the de-
lenses OF Gibraltar. The privilege English
men nave hitherto had OF entering the
gate without a pass is temporarily sus-
pended. Nobody is allowed to enter OF to
inspect the batteries.
For months sappers and miners have
been engaged In constructing new and
powerful batteries, and the garrison will
be augmented.