Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-04
Tenor of Boer Ultimatum Sent to
British Government.
MASSING OF TROOPS RESENTED
Their Continued Presence Declared
a Casus BeIli.
SEIZURE OF BRITISH GOLD

PARIS, October A number of papers
say that the Beers have sent an ultimatum
to England demanding the withdrawal Of
the troops from the frontier within forty
eight hours.
The papers congratulate President kru-
,, ger for coming to this decision.
There is a well-authenticated report that
a large force of Beers is assembled at Sc
| lik, at the junction of the Crocodile and
Pongola rivers. evidently with the object
of destroying the railway.
The northern commando whose base is
at Petersburg, eonfronts Col. Pumrer's
column which will move nearer the border
today.
ROer Have Little Artillery.
The report regarding the extent of the
Boer artillery is probably exaggerated, as
| it is believed the hufghers possess few field
| guns and it is unlikely that they would
| dismantle their forts in order to send gar
| rison pieces to the front.
The military authorities estimate that
| there are now 2.Uoo Beers in the field.
Late advices from Cape Town this af-
ternoon indicate widespread impression
there that. unless the Beers begin hostil-
tiles by Thursday they will not fight. but
will yield to the imperial demands when
formulated.
The Cape house of assembly last evening
agreed to a motion instructing the Cape
government to demand the speedy return
to Cape Colony of any and all rolling stock
now in the Orange Free State or the Trans
vaal.
A special dispatch from johannesburg
says the Beer officials there continue to
urge the British subjects who remain to
leave at once, and it is believed that all
who do not will be marched, under escort,
along the railway until train is reached
to carry them off.
Orders nave been issued from Pretoria
closing al, the saloons in the gold fields
The Transvaal government has taken over
the Perreira mines and all the mines in
the gold fields. A group of five of the
Eckstein mines has been closed.
Additional transports with troops from
India arrived this morning at Durham,
Natal, and will proceed to the front i'm
nediately.
Beers Short of Forage.
1t is rumored that the Beers are with
drawing from the Natal border, owing to
lack OF forage.
Montagu White. consul general of the
South African republic in London, informed
the Associated Press today that the Trans
some days ago to present joint demand
to Great Britain to withdraw her troops
from the frontier but he asserts that he
advised against its presentation, and, so
tar as he knows, the demand has never
| reached the British foreign office
Gavin Brown Clark, liberal member of
parliament for Caithnessshire who teIe-
eraphed to Pretoria portions of the speech
delivered last Saturday at Manchester by
the lord president of the council the Duke
of Devonshire, which Mr.. Clark thought af-
forded an opening for pacific settlement
has received the following reply from Pre-
toria, under date of October 3:
'Ihe government of the South African re-
| influences are at work to secure a peaceful
settlement. Considering, however, the man l.
| ner in which their five-year franchise pro-
posais were rejected. after the government
| had every reason to believe that they would
be accepted, considering also the abandon
ment of the Joint commission proposed by
Great Britain well as the declaratio
that the British government regard all for
mer proposals as abandoned and reforml1-
| latlng proposals, the government of the
| South African republic do not feel at lib
| erty themselves to reformulate the reiecto d
proposals.
II the desire for peace be earnest and
| sincere, an excellent opening is afforded
by the Transvaal's acceptance of the Joint
commission, proposition emanating from
| the British government, which, if carried
| out would undoubtedly bring a sat1sfac-
tory and honorable settlement" ="