Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-10-05
copyrighted by Associated Press.

copyrighted by Associated Press.l
London, Oct. 1.-Bereft of the count
less confusing phases, due to the Sc
crecy regarding the intentions of the
governments involved and the contra
dictory reports from the troubled ter
ritory, the most probable solution of
the warlike situation is this: The
Beers who must have plainly seen that
the efforts OF the British government
tC avert hOstilities would end with the
arrival Of reinforcements, will put a
campaign in action perhaps early this
week. They will probably avoid en-
gagements, devoting their energies to
the destruction of property and the
capture Of prisoners, perhaps includ-
ing a raid on Delagoa Bay. Keen OBJ
servers believe the Beers will operate
through Zululand, thus creating a di-
version OF the 5000 British troops, now
chiefly massed at Ladysmith. or in it's
nelghborhood. In the meantime, or
perhaps, previous TO this, the British
army corps, consisting of 10000 men
or more, will be sent out. Parliament
will be summoned, and no doubt the
necessary supplies will be granted,
though there may be some hot debat-
ing. Regarding plans of campaign of
the respective armies there is no relia-
bic information, though it is the general
assumption that the main object of the
British will be to capture Pretoria.
The duration of the conflict is a matter
of the widest surmise, though CONT
nenal and British papers do not ex-
press the faintest doubts that it will re-
suit in the defeat of the Beers and the
addition of their country to Great Bri-
tains' colonies. Were peace or war
| dependent merely upon matters of
suzerainty or fraichise there might be
some hope that hostilities may be
averted at the last moment, but the
| Associated Press learns that apparent
ly there is no truth in what the peace
party papers have often limited at, that
the underlying motive actuating the
British government throughout the ne
gOtiatiOns has been the suppression of
what they have reason to be-
lieve was a far-reaching conspiracy for
the establishment Of the Dutch fedora
! ton from Zambesi to the Cape. The
authority for this statement is Cham
berlain himself. The secretary of state
! for the colonies, says that the cabinets
well-defned understanding was that
for months a carefully fostered plot had
been in progress to form a Dutch fed
Grafton. He also referred to the action
of Orange Free state and to that of the
Afrikander members of the Cape legis
lature which somewhat confirms
Chamberlain view for it is impossible
to believe that such important steps
would result from mere spOntaneity of
sentiment of current dispute. 1t has
long been suspected that the cabinet
was prompted by more vital questions
than the Outlanders' rights, and If
Chamberlain is quoted correctly, it
would appear that Great Britain will
not stop until treasured of the absolute
safety of htT supremacy in South Afri
ca. Every London daily, except the
Chronicle supports Chamberlain.
Among country papers, however, some
of the most innuential bitterly oppose
war. Next to the Transvaal Admiral
Deweys reception at New York cap
lures public interest. Lengthy COM
ments on the festivities con-
tinue to appear. The event
is taken by the British press
as the occasion to express the opinions
of the government to the United States
regarding expansion. The only dis
cordant note is struck as usual, by the
Saturday Review which ridicules the
victory and the enthusiasm. All
Europe is intensely interested in
| the outcome of Great Britain's
Transvaal trouble, hence the interna-
tional troubles of several countries
have not received the attention they
otherwise would. France, after
period of intense excitement, seems
quiescent, but Spain and Austria are
in political upheaval. Of course the
Transvaal muddle continues to inter-
est Germany, though this interest has
somewhat tagged owing to the uncer-
ainty of the situation, throughout. In
absence of authentic information, the
newspapers have printed many sur
misses, much of which is editorial muss
work. The correspondent Of the Asso-
ciated Press says that he has informa-
ton from a reliable source that there
is no truth in the report that the en-
peror has offered to mediate between
England and the Transvaal. On the
contrary, it is lid that neither the en-
peror personally, nor Germany as a
try n
er, is going to interfere in the quarrel,
either now or later. no matter how
things turn out.