Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-07
Opposed to Each
Other in Case Of War.
NUMBER OF TRANSPORTS
That Will Take the Army Corps to
South Africa--The Tactics OF the
Beers Will Be the Same as in the
Last Trouble.

the Associated Press. )-The scope of
Great Britain's military preparations can
scarcely be grasped by the mere reading
of individual items as these appear from
day to day. A fair notion of their inn
mensity can be gained from the semi
official statement that for the transport
of the army corps about 20 ships of from
1000 to 1000 tons burden are required,
not including a score or more Of trans
ports already on the way to the Cape. If
these vessels effectively disembark their
careoes of men, horses and equipments
within five weeks from the date of their
sailing the programme will have fulfilled
the forecasts of the most optimistic Brit
ish military experts. If all the troops
are able to take their places as compon
ent parts of the army corps by the end
of November, they will have done accord
ing to the best available opinion. remark
ably we'll. The Decentralization of Gen
eral Skaters army from it's 81 trans
ports is not forgotten by British officers.
Although the vessels to be employed in
the Cap service are of considerably
larger average tonnage than those Which
carried the Americans to Santiago de
Cuba, the admiralty is supplying them
all and taking complete charge from wa
IL CuS ~ NJlCLS uSS hio .
a tremendous outlay of capital.
Although the impending army corps is q
matter of pre-emient military interest.
the troops already on the scene of prob
able action constitute no insignificant
body. The original Cape garrison was
1000 men and this has been increased by
800. There are l., Zoo men at sea on the
way to the Cape and their arrival will
make the total of British troops in South
Africa, prior to the arrival of the army
! corps, $4,000 men. The Cape squadron
now includes 10 warships, all heavily
manned. enabling the navy to land a bril-
.ade of about 1000 men. Against this
array are opposed the T~ransvaal n it's
ally, the Orange Free State. This is all
that can be aid regarding the Beers
forces. They are non-regulars and at
tempts to estimate their strength are
hopeless, though calculations appear
daily in the English papers from 1000 to
H.. 900. The whole question was sum-
med up to-day for the Associated Press
by an influential m of the house
! Of commons who said:
"Refore this is ended Great Britain will
have to face every Boer, man or boy,
with strength enough to fire a gun for the
sake of his country
I The part which the foreigners who are
volunteering under the Boer standard,
especially Americans will take in the eye
pected conflict provokes much SUPPOSE
ton and comment. The BOer ranks Will
certainly include a number of Irishmen
and former officers of the German army.
1t is said the Beers will adopt the policy
they adopted in 1881, when 10 ~sharpshot-
ers were detailed out OF each company
to pick off the British officers.
The Alaskan negotiations proceed al
though Sir Louis Davies, the Canadian
minister Of marine and fisheries, is TAX
ing a short vacation in Scotland with
Lord Strathcona, the Canadian high COM
missioner. The Associated Press learns
that there is a good prospect of a tenta-
tive settlement within a fortnight, al
though a definite arrangement appar-
en,tly cannot be reached until the joint
high commission ratities Ehe pending
modus vivendi. 1T is understood that IT
, Sir Louis Davies expresses satisfaction
on behalf of Canada regarding the pres
emit propositions, the whole question will
probably be settled. All reports alleg-
ing to give details of the settlement are
pronounced by the authorities here with
out any basis.
This week occurred the last of the nu-
merous executions that have made New
gate prison in London historical. Here
after all %hangings will take place in
Wadsworth Jail. London and Newgate
will be replaced by a new criminal court
b,,il1ipr