Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-09-21
BRITONS PREPARING.
Rushing Work For Possible War
With the Transvaal Republic.
BoEE PREPARATIONS COMPLETE.
1t Is Understood That the Dispatch
Ing of British Troops to South Africa
WIN Be Regarded as Casus Belli.

1t Is Understood That the Dispatch
Ing of British Troops to South Africa
WIN Be Regarded as Casus Belli.
Kruger's Appeal to the Queen.
London. Sept 2L-Despite all out
ward show of calm. Great Britain is
in practically the same condition to-
day as was the United States few
weeks before the opening of the war
with Spain Beneath the crust of dip
lomatic reserve the military officials
are working night and day, preparing
for the signal to begin hostilities,
whether that comes or not.
England is not going to be caught
mapping any more than the Trans
yaal. While Lord Salisbury is quietly
at home in Hatfield house. Mr. Cham
berlain is buried in work at the colo
NAL office. and double forces at the
royal arsenal and dockyards are strain
ing every nerve to equip and transport
troops to the Cape.
1t may be set down for certain that
Great Britain will do nothing to pre-
cipitate matters, and the colonial OF
fee is far from admitting that the
case is hopeless. The report that Great
Britain had demanded the dismantle-
ment of the forts at johannesburg, to-
gether with a material reduction i'll
the armament of the burghers, the colo
NAL office today would neither confirm
or deny, although it is much doubted.
Meanwhile the Marquis of Lans-
downe, secretary of state for war, who
returned yesterday morning from Dublin
has held long conferences with General
Lord Garnet Wolseley, field marshal.
and General Sir Evelyn Wood, adju-
tant general to the forces, and the ac-
tivity at headquarters is reflected in
the contract, supply and transport de-
partments.
The departure of the British trans
port Jelunga for the Mediterranean
yesterday with 100 troops was wit
messed by large and enthusiastic
crowd
At Woolwich activity increases daily
especially in the ordnance department
where Maxim guns and other para
phernalia of modern warfare are being
hurried forward
Advices from Cape Town are to the
effect that the Afrikanders declare
that the Transvaal will not yield fur
ment does not recede from its present
position war is inevitable. The South
African News supports the contention
of the Transyaal that the convention
of 1884 abolished suzerainty.
According to other advices the
burghers are rapidly going into lager,
while the exodus from johannesburg
Tuesday reached 1000 persons. The
stock exchange at Johannesburg has
resolved to close the moment martial
law is proclaimed, but all current con-
tracts will be carried out until the
proclamation suspending all business.
In the meantime the merchants are
erecting barricades in front of their
shop windows.
The Johannesburg correspondent of
The Morning Post says: The Boer
preparations are as complete as the
government can hope to make them.
1t is believed that martial law will be
proclaimed today, if no reply is re-
ceiyed from England 1t is under
stood that the dispatching of British
troops to South Africa will be re-
garded as casus belli. The Boer
officers are urging the government to
begin hostilities forthwith. 1t is felt
that the Orange Free State can best
be forced to action by a successful
military demonstration on the part of
the Transvaal.
The Cape Town correspondent of
The Daily Mail says: President Kru-
ger has cabled strong personal ap-
peal to the queen, beseeching her to in
tervene to prevent bloodshed. 1t is
about a column in length and is in
tended to scarify the consciences of
the "unco guild when published
Sir Alfred Miner has wired courte-
GUS message to President Steyn, as
surfing him that the northward march
of the British troops is not meant as
a menace to the Orange Free State and
requesting to be informed regarding
the latter's attitude.