The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-03
ENGLAND HANGS BACK.
The noers Said To BE Ready For a
Fight.

London, October 2.-The announced
mention Of the British cabinet to meet
tomorrow has apparently been reconsid.
efed.
Tt Is now said that the meeting depends
LARGELY upon the developments In the
ransvaal The date for summoning
Parliament has not been definitely set.
tied, though 1t is expected to be about
October H. Queen Victoria will hold a
privy council at Bslmorai, SCOTLAND, at
an sariy date, when the necessary proola-
nation will Re signed.
There Is nothing whatever to indicate
hat the authorities at Pretoria have the
slightest desire to coIne TO terms wish
sreat Britain Had not the Beers deser-
mined to hghR, 1t out or II they were not
prepared fer hostilitiss they would, IL IL
thought, have sent some tsmporizing re-
ply TO Great Britain'A despatch.
All tina hanging back seems to DO oR
Great Britain's side, where in spite Of
the newspaper and war office talk OF the
mobilization OF an army corps this work
Is apparently proceeding In ouriously
le sure manner. The departure of Genes-
al Sir Redvers Fuller, .thescom Dandsr Of
the British forces In South AfrioR, has
been postponed from week TO week and
when the members Of the cabinet t8ls in
public their assurances of Great BritAin's
good will towards the Iransvaal are
regard as almost smackin OF pathetic
appeals for peaoa.
of the council, in his reply to a toast OF
his health a. . public luncheon of the
Manchester technical schools Saturday
afternoon. was careful in referring to the
Transvasl situation to announce that the
cabinets new proposals. wers moderate,
an1 his whole speech ssemsd TO indioats
that the British government WAS framing
Its despatch so as TO invite q oontlnu-
ance Of the negotiations.
1t now appears that the alleged calling
out Of the first class army reserve Was a
hoax. The circulsrs were issued on offi-
| cisl paper and many members of tine re-
| serve presented them selves at the tar-
racks only to lind that the order was q
forgery.
The police now have the matter In their
hands. An advertisement appeared this
| morning announcing tae formation of o
corps of gentlamen rough riders, patterned
after Roosevslt's Rough Riders for ser
| from Ladysmith, Natal, this morning
say that six huRdred burghers have as
| sembled at AlbeTtina. in the Orange Free
State with the object of proceeding In
| the direction of the border aud that il is
feared a raid on Ladysmith Ia meditatsd
A prominent Ensllshman, DR.: Wilson,
has teen commandered at Harrismith by
the Orange Free state.
The Natal free artillery, carbineers and
other military commands, are encamped
al show ground on the road leading to
| the Orange Free State General Sir VIII
| liam Symons, the second In command
under Major General Sir George Stewart
White. commanding the Natal forces, Is
| expected to arrive at Lsdysmith shortly.
| Reports from Cape Town declare that
an immediate rupture of the diplomatic
| relations between Great Britain and the
TraDsvaal is expected.
The South African News. a seni-official
newspaper, announces that special train
has left TO fetch Mir. CouynRhaIn Greene,
the British diplomatic agent at Pretoria
and his stan. 1t adds that the formal
hauling down of the British flag on the
AGENCY building at Pretoria is imminent
The correspondent of the Associated Press
at Cape Town, however, has secured an
official denial of the statement regarding
DIR. Greene. The general drift of the
news indicates that the position of the
British troops in South Africa IL critical
owing to the delay IN sending reinforce.
ments and In the event OF hostilitiel
early revsrses are regarded as probable.
A special despatch from Joha rnesbure
dated September 80, gives the report Of
the arrival Of the notorious lyman.
The latest advicss show that the Trans.
yaal mobilization has been rapid and
CO uprehsnsive. Many Beers, it Is said.
did not walt to be Communicated but
Proceeded TO the border spontaneously
The members of the executive, state sec
rstaries. President Kruger's relatives
members of the Rad. judges and othel
professional men are all eagerly givinl
their services and tn women are bidding
the men folks die rather than return
beaten.
1t Is calculated that the Orange Ere,
State already has seven thousand men oil
the border.
Greag exciteInent prevail at Cap
Town, where 1t Is reported that the Beer
have occupied Laings Nsk.
Ia British at Cape Town express sat