The record-union., 1899-09-26
Kruger Announces That the Reply Of the
Government VIII Be Presented To-Day.
British Officials Expect the Raad
of the Orange Free State to
Link Arms With the Transvaa1
Forces Commandant General
Joubert Reckons on in Case Of
Hostilities.


dispatch was read to-day in the Volks-
raad.
President Kruger announced that the
reply of the Government of the South
African republic would be presented to
the Volksraad tomorrow.
KRUGER'S FORCES.
CAPE TOWN, Sept. 25-It is re-
ported from Pretoria that Commandant
General Piet Joubert reckons on 1S,OO0
Transvaal troops, 10000 from the
Orange Free State, 5000 from Cape
Colony, 1000 from Natal and 5000 Hol-
landers, German and other volunteers.
ORANGE FREE STATE EXPECTED
TO JOIN TRANSVAAL.
LONDON, Sept. 25.-Another week
has opened with the Transvaal situa-
ton marking time. No news has yet
been received of the delivery at Pre-
toria of the last British dispatch The
next big news will be the decision ar
rived at by the Raad of the Orange
Free State, whose secret deliberations
is expected to close tomorrow, and it
will come as a great surprise If the
Raad does not decide to LINK arms with
the Transvaal.
Neither the jingoes nor the anti-war
party are very proud of yesterdays
affair on Trafalgar Square, which
proved nothing except that mob is
always ''jingo."
A telegram received from Calcutta
announces the departure of the trans
port Schidhana for South Africa. and
the last transport for the Cape leaves
India tomorrow.
CHAMBERLAIN'S LATEST LETTER.
LONDON, Sept. 25.-The officials of
the Foreign Office this evening gave
out the text of the letter of the Sec
retary of the State for the Colonies, Mr..
Chamberlain, to the British High Com
missioner in South Africa, Sir Alfred
Miner, dated September 22d. The
British reply expresses regret that her
majestys offer, No. ;, of September
9th had been refused, and says:
THE object her majesty's Govern
ment had in view of the recent nego-
tiations has been stated in d manner
which cannot admit of misapprehen-
sion, viz: To obtain substantial and
immediate representation for the Tit
landers as will enable to secure for
themselves that fair and iust treatment
which was formally promised them in
to secure for them when she granted
privileges of lf-government to the
Transvaal. No conditions less compre-
hensive than those contained in the
telegram of September Sth can be re-
lied on to effect this object. The re-
fusal of the South African Govern
ment to entertain the offer thus made,
coming as it does, after four months
the climax of five years of extended
agitation. makes it useless to further
pursue the discussion on the lines
hitherto followed. and the Imperial
Government is now compelled to con-
slider the situation afresh, and formu-
late its own proposals for a final set
tlement of the issues which have been
created in South Africa by the policy
constantly followed for many years ny
the Government of South Africa They
will communicate the result of their
deliberations in a later dispatch.
In later communication dated Sep
tember 22d, the Imperial Government
takes up the charge Of breach of faith
insinuated by Secretary or State Reitz
September 10th, which we cannot pass
over in silence"
Mr.. Chamberlain then says: The
proposals made by the South African
republic in its letters Of August 10Th
and Goth were not induced by sugges-
tions given by the British agent from
the State Attorney, as claimed. On the
contrary, the State Attorney sounded
the British agent, both In writing and
in conversation, as to the conditions
of which the Imperial Government
would waive the invitation 20 a joint
inquiry, and the result of these COM
munications was the proposals made by
the South African Government in these
letters. IT is impossible that the South
African Government could have had
any doubt as to the Imperial Govern
ment's answer to the conditions named,
and my reply was actually the same as
the British agent had foreshadowed to
the State Attorney, and which, there
fore, the South African Government
must have anticipated in making the
proposals.
1.-The Imperial Government also de-
MES that its telegram of September
Sth substituted an entirely new pro-
posal for the invitation to the Joint
commission of inquiry"
The Imperial Government then quotes
the dispatch from South Africa of Au-
gust 18th, containing an alternative
proposal identical with that which the
Imperial Government is SAID to have
substituted, and the communication
then proceeds as follows:
'sThe Imperial Government sees no
ground for Misrepresentation on the cart
of the South African republic as to it's
answer regarding non-interference and
suzerainty, as the Imperial Govern
ment had already stated that it would
not press for the appointment Of Joint
commission of inquiry, in view of the
fact that such an inquiry would. in
the opinion Of the Government of the
r.outh African republic, prejudice the
right of full independence repeatedly
recognized by the Imperial Govern
ment.
"As to the use of the English lam
guage in the Volksraad. the Imperial
Government regards this as reasonable,
and is astonished that the Govern
nent Of the South African republic