The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-11

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London, oct 1O.-The stolidity, if not
the placidity, of the English character
never was better shown than it is in
London tonight. when England is face
to face with war.
Although it was only $50 when Mr.
Chamberlain's secretary handed to a
representative of the Associated Press
the first copy of the Transvaal ultima
tum, an hour later every evening paper
had the news. There was not a trace
of the excitement attendant upon the
announcement of the result on the
night after the first race for the Amer
ica's cup.
il is fact that the enthusiasm in
London signally fails to compare with
that which was shown in the smallest
American city upon the announcement
of the war with Spain.
Put this must not be interpreted to
mean that England is not alive to the
realities Of the situation. The auda-
city OF the Transvaal's dispatch mo-
mentarily stunned the public, and-it
was only when under the glare Of the
music hall lights and listening to the
stirring bars of the national anthem
and other patriotic airs, that the eff
feet of the momentary rebuff was lost
in demonstrations that shook the raft
ers.
Sing National Airs.
At the Alhambra General Sir Red
Ners Butler was present The first bars
of Rule. Britannia" brought the en-
tire audience to its feet and for a
quarter Of an hour the house resounded
with the choruses of national airs and
with cheers.
The Army and Navy club, familiar
" known as the Rag, has not for many
a day seen such a gathering of cam
palgners as was there tonight. Nor
was the slowly aroused enthusiasm
confined to the officers. At Wellington
Barracks, where a battalion of Gren-
adiers. which forms a portion of the
First army corps. had just returned
from sixteen months service on the
Rock of Gibraltar, the enthusiasm
knew no bounds. Seldom does Tommy
Atkins permit himself the luxury of
enthusiasm. but the regiment has had
a long spell Of dreary garrison duty.
and hailed the call to active service
with schoolboy delight.
Will Not Be Picnic.
Underneath all, however, officers,
suhalterns and civilians recognize the
fact that the Transvaal campaign win
not be 2 picnic. and the sober reality
of this gives a sterner note to London
life tonight than anything that has oc-
CURED since the days Of Gordon and
Khartoum.
The first minister TO speak publicly
regarding the uitimatum was Lord
James of Hereford, chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster. who, speaking at
Aberdeen tonight. said:
THE government has done every
thing in its power TO preserve peace.
Apparently, however, diplomacy is
ended and the hopes of peace are viz
tualiy destroyed, and that not by the
action of the queens government. but
by the TransVaal government. PreSi-
dent Kruger has sent an ultimatum.
If we were to withdraw our troops at
his bidding we should suffer the great
est humiliation and the government
would deserve to be hunted from Of
fee as craven towards
LORD James said he had intended, be-
fore receiving the news of the ulti-
matum. to take a different view of the
position. but now nothing remains but
TO commend the cause to the god of
battle and arms and to implore his
blessing upon the engagement about to
De entered upon.
War Will Exist Today.
It cannot be doubted that England's
reply viii be a fat rejection of Presi-
dent Kruger's demands, and that at a
quarter after O'Clock this afternoon
English time an actual state of war
viii exist.
Fridays cabinet council win have to
deal with the military situation, and
parliament viii have little else to do
but to sanction the necessary credits.
Speculation as to the outcome of The
crisis has now given way in the news I
papers to the discussion of military and
strategical matters.
The ultimarum was received in Sir |
Alfred Miners English translation at
! o'clock Tuesday morning. Sir Alfred +.
had already notified Sir George White, I
so no time was lost in taking the nee 4
essary steps. As the British troops 1
continue landing in South Africa and I
advancing to the front, il is quite pos
sible, according to the terms OF the /
Bocr nltimatum. that hostilities have
already commenced. as Kruger has I
everything 10 gain by an instant adj /
vance. Until the arrival of the army 4
corps 1T is probable that the British
viii everywhere remain on the defen-
siye.
Sharp Fighting Probable
Looking at the complicated nature
of matters, il is almost useless TO spec
ala4e at the present stage, but sharp
fighting is likely to occur at Mafeking,
where Colonel Baden Powell is pluck 4
lily holding his exposed position. As
the generals have decided not to at
tempt to hold the country north of
Dundee the Beers viii doubtless occupy