Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-10
President Kruger Issues an U.timatum
to the British.
time LIMIT EXPIRES TOMORROW
News Arouses the Widest War
Enthusiasm in London.
TROOPS GOING TO THE FRONT


Britain.
LONDON, October 10.-A London news
agency publishes the following dispatch
from Pretoria, filed there at 7:40 pm. yes
terday:
IAN urgent dispatch has just been handed
to Conyngham Greene, the British diplo-
matte agent. requesting an explicit assur-
ance of the Withdrawal within forty-eight
hours of the British troops from the Trans
vaal borders. well the withdrawal OF
all British forces landed In South Africa
since the Bloemfontein conference"
The text Of the Transvaal ultmatum 1t
is understood, is now the way to the
British foreign office.
According to the latest advice, the time
limit expires tomorrow afternoon at o
o'clock. when, If the demands of the Beers
are not complied with. the further landing
or dispatch of troops will be considered an
act of and hostlities will commence
Immediately.
In ordinary circumstances Great
Britain is the government making the de-
mand. she would be the dispatcher of the
ultimatunl, and the fact that the Beers
have taken the initiative is regarded
rendering the situation more serious and
increasing the hopelessness of averting war.
The more peaceful tenor of the mornings
news and comments had scarcely been d-
Sested and aroused hopes that President
Kruger's birthday would also mark the
dissipation, or the commencement OF the
dissipation, of the clouds hanging over
South Africa when the sensational an
nouncement that the Transvaal govern
ment had handed definite ultimatCm to
the British diplomatic agent in Pretoria
caused a rapid slump in the hopes of those
who believe that diplomacy will yet save
the situation.
Apart from this the tends TO show
that long as the Beers remain inactive
Great Britain will continue to adhere to
her present persuasive methods.
An Unprecedented Action.
The diplomatic circumstances surround
ing the presentation of the ultimatum are
probably without precedent. Ordinarily a
foreign power. which makes peremptory
demands of another, sends them to an am
bassador or minister accredited to it's ad-
versary.
The Transvaal government however has
no diplomatic representative recognized by
Great Britain. Montague White, the
Transvaal consul general in London. would
not be received by either the foreign office
or the colonial office. Consequently. Presi-
dent Kruger was reduced to handing the
ultmatum to Conyngham Greene at Pre-
toria, who in turn wired it to Sir Alfred
Miner, British high commissioner in South
Africa by whom it retransmitted to
Mr.. Chamberlain, who thus becomes the
first secretary of state for the colonies to
receive an ultimatum. AS the
communication is translated from the
cipher in which it is transmitted Mr.. /
Chamberlain will forward it to the foreign (
office.
The Westminster Gazette says:
I'VE learn from a trustworthy source I,
that the British government has also dis /
patched a note containing stringent de- I
mands: which must have crossed the Boer
ultima tum. Diplomacy has thus said its I
last word; and the last word on each side
is: of the kind to which the other is not in
the least likely to yield
Troops Ordered to Ladysmith.
A dispatch from Durham, Natal, dated
yesterday, says:
THE Gordon Highlanders and all the
troops that arrived from India today have
been ordered to Ladysmith.
The coal that was seized by the Orange
Free State authorities has been released,
the officials explaining that it seized
because they thought the Transvaal mines
were likely to close
A special dispatch from Bloemfontein.
capital of the Orange Free State, notes
the difficulties in working the railroads,
owing to the designations of the employees.
The Orange Free State authorities al
ready borrowing engineers from the Trans
vaal.
The action of the British third-casS
cruiser Philomel in interceptng the British
steamer Guelph from Southampton, sup
posed to be carrying ammunition to the
nd he hat he ed
today to intercept the German line kans-
Ter, with ammunition, go to show that
Great Britain will not permit future de-
liveries of ammunition to the Beers, if 1t
can be prevented.
The following paragraph Immediately
precedes the four demands of the ultima
tum
Her majesty's unlawful Intervention in
the internal affairs of this republic in
flc- with the London convention of 1884, by
the extraordinary strengthening of her
troops in the l.eighborhood of the borders
of this republic has caused intolerable
condition of things to arise, to
which this government feels itself
Obliged in the interest not
en,y of this republic, but also of all South
Africa, to make an end as soon as possible;
and this government feels itself called upon
and obliged to press earnestly and with
emphasis for an immediate termination Of
this state of things and to request her
majesty's government to give assurances
upon the following four demands.
Signed by F. w. Reftz.
The Transvaal ultimatum, which is sign
ed by F. w. Reitz, secretary of state. con-
cludes with the following four demands:
First. That all points Of mutual differ
ence be regulated by friendly recourse to
arbitration or by whatever amicable way
may be agreed upon by this government
and her majesty's government.
Second. That all troops on the borders
of this republic shall be instantly with
drawn.
Third That all reinforcements of troops
which have arrived in South Africa since
June 1, 1880, shall be removed from South
Africa within a reasonable time as agreed
upon with this government. and with the
mutual assurance and guarantee the
part of this government that no attach