Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-21
NEARING The CLhAX
Suspense Succeeds the Recent Ex.
change of Notes Between Eng.
land and Transvaal.
ominous Calm May Be Followed by
War-Kruger Appeals
to Queen.
Anti-Boer Party in Great Britain
Made Furious by Speech
of Harcourt.

OF HarCOurt.
Pretoria, Sept. 21.-Gen. Joubert, the
Boer commander-in-c chief, is quoted as
saying: "The situation is serious. Prob
ably the heaviest fighting will occur on
the Natal border. The British are like
ly to attempt to invade the Transvaal.
by way of Van Reinan's pass"
London, Sept. 21.-Despite all out
ward show of calm, Great Britain is in
practically the same condition today as
was the United States few weeks be-
fore the opening of the war with Spain.
Beneath the crust of diplomatic re-
serve 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 Transvaal.
While Lord Salisbury is quietly at
home at Hatfield House Mr.. Chamber
lain is buried in work at the colonial
office and double forces at the royal
arsenal and dock yards are straining
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 office
! is far from admitting that the case is
hopeless The report that Great Brit
ain had demanded the dismantlement
of the forts at Johannesburg, together
with material reduction in the arma-
ment of the burgers. the colonial office
would neither deny nor affirm, although
lit is much doubted.
Meanwhile the Marquis of Lans-
Idowne, secretary of state for war, who
returned yesterday morning from Dub
tGen Lord Garnet Wolseley, field mar
shal, and Gen. 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
with / 100 troops was witnessed by a
Large and enthusiastic crowd.
AT woolwich activity increases daily.
fespecially in the ordnance department,
where Maxim guns, Lyddite shells. bal
loon equipments, gas reservoirs
wagons for limelight apparatus, water
Icarts, ambulances. army wagons and
| other araphernalia of modern warfare
are being hurried forward.
| While rumors of the re-assembiing of
parliament are current, the fact is re-
called that in the Afghan war in 1878
Great Britain declared war first and
then assembled parliament.
/ Last evening the Marquis of Lans-
iClowne issued a strict order to the staff
iof the war office warning all subordi-
mates to refrain from giving the press
amy information without authority of
J their superiors and calling attention TO
previous breaches of duty in this re-
I spect, which. the order says. will be
no longer tolerated"
| Advices from Capetown last evening
4 We're to the effect that the Afrikanders
declare that the Transvaal will not
yielu further and that If the imperial
government does not recede from its
present position war is inevitable.
! According TO other advices the
Iburghers are rapidly going into laager,
/ while the exodus from johannesburg
has reached 1000 persons The mer-
ichants there are erecting barricades in
front of their shops.
AT Pretoria the interest seems TO be
lcentered in the meeting of the Orange
| Free State volksraad today, which ii is
hoped may somehow suggest a modus
Ivivendi that will save the situation.
On the other hand advices from
Bloemfonten announce the arrival
there of a large number of members of
the raad. adding that the result of to-
days sitting is already agreed upon,
as the Orange Free State will throw in
Its lot with the Transvaa. all the Free
State burghers being fully armed and
READY to start at moments notice.
Rt. Hon. Sir William Vernon Har-
court in the course of an address to
his constituents last evening said he
could not read the persistent attempts
of the war press to aggravate the
/ lTransvaal situation without indigna-
ltion Great Britain said the speaker.
cannot claim general sovereignty in
| the Transyaal when she has only par
tial suzerainty and President Kruger
Icannot claim for the Transvaal the po-
sition of an international sovereign
state. Both sides, therefore, have made
allegations which cannot be maintained
by either Sir William declared that
there was no casus belli and expressed
the hope that shameful catastrophe
might be averted.