Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-06-26
LOOKS LIKE A FIGHT.
War Seems Inevitable Over the
Transvaal Trouble.
MATTERS NEAR A CRISIS.
British War Office Is NOncOmmuni-
cative, but Popular Feeling IL
Stirred-PreparatiO For the
Coming Gathering of Women.

London, June &C. - The rafting OF
swords in their scabbards grows more
pronounced, though the war Office refuses
all information regarding the Transvaal
situation and declines either to confirm OF
deny the repeated circumstantial asser
lions of the closetings of the British mill
tary leaders or the dispatch of this OF
that regiment to Cape Town. The min
listers, however, have been unable to sue.
cessfully parry the multitude Of questions
raised in the house Of commons with the
intention of getting some inkling of the
governments intentions. A reply of the
parliamentary secretary of the war Office
Mr.. George Wyndham, is considered por.
tentously significant. He was questioned
as to the truth of the report that the
British garrison in South Africa was to
be gradually increased to 10000 men.
Had the government wished to give a
pacficatory answer with the view of al
laying the anxiety here and at the Cape
the question offered an ample opportuni'
ty, but Mr.. Wyndham replied in two
words, mo. sir"
The truth is that. whatever plans the
government has decided on, the ministers
regard it as impolitic to contradict re.
ports, however eXtravagant, Of it's war
like intentions because Of the reverbera-
lions. These reports cannot fail to pro-
duce at Pretoria an effect which it would
be foolish to impair by hasty denials OF
ratfcations AT the same time daily, al
most hourly. kilograms are arriving an.
nouncng energetic preparations in South
Africa for all contingencies. While it is
not true that General Sir Redvers Butler
has already been appointed to command
the expedition. there Is no doubt he will
make a big bid for the command. He has
been heard to remark in private CONVEX
satiOn that he reserved himself for go
at the Beers to repay them some old
grudges.
Crisis Fast Approaching.
In any case, the patience of everybody
is rapidly becoming exhausted, and the
situation is daily getting more intolerable
In fact, it has become so dangerously
acute that it must speedily be ended OF
mended The big military expenditure
of S20000.0 900 provided for In the mill,
tary works loan bill introduced in the
house of commons June n has caused
some alarm among taxpayers. although ii
is admitted that portion of the expendi'
creases In the army.
The contrast Of the proceedings in the
house of commons and at The Hague
peace conference has also been much
commented upon, while n great deal OF
dissatisfaction has been aroused by the
intimaton conveyed by the proposed for |
titications of the harbors that Great Brit
ain cannot rely on her navy to defend her
A. ~ nd av1n
Bcrcsford strongly opposed the fortifca
lions, taking the same grounds as Captain
Alfred T. Mahan, U. S. n. that eXpendi |
ture ought to be voted to mobile instead
of fixed defenses. saying he thought that
if Great Britain was unable to attack hel |
enemies at sea the empire would not last
long.
The debate also raises the important
question of colonial contribution to the
imperial defense 1t is pointed out in
official quarters that the expenditure OF
the United Kingdom on imperial defense
has been increasing of late years by leaps |
and hounds a large part going into the
pockets of colonial merchants in payment
of supplies to the garrisons and squad |
rons, yet their contributions are micro
scopic.
In connection with the proposed bar
racks it Is interesting to note that the
war office officials have been closely in
specting the Nowton houses with the
view of adopting the cubicle system in
stead Of the present barrack room. where
the troops live throughout the 81 hours.
Great Time For the Ladies.
The Countess of Aberdeen has been in.
defntgable in her efforts to perfect the
details of the international council of wo
men, In an interview with our repre-
sentative she said:
"The delegates are arriving in hun
dreds. The United States and Canadian
contngcnts make a splendid show. I'M
mense interest has been excited among
our transatlantic friends in the greatest
council of women the world has known,
The delegates are widely distributed
Many of them occupy private residences
but most of them favor such clubs as the
Pioneer, Sesame. Grosvenor, Crescent
and Camelot, and they are all packed
my address at the meeting will be
from a woman to women, broadly deal
ing with the scope of our work and the
tremendously interesting questions wom
EN- all over the world have to face. We
have secured the pick of women's brains,
from McNlco 10 w lIllpeE. VII WDTkluH
for the success Of the council Two thou
sand tickets have already gone tons of
literature on every subject, social and
political. have been printed and women
will monopolize the ear of the world next
week, for while London is opening its
drawing, dining and reception rooms for
us we are here for practical work, to
throw womans influence step farther
into the scale of nations. We expect
much from the American delegates and
the freshness of view, breadth of princ-
pie, candor and knowledge which
breathes through the pores of the great
republic. We are cementing the great
Anglo-&,Xon nation, forging with the
strong bands of principle the friendship
and union which must tend to further
the aims of the conference at The Hague.
We hope to show the world that Amer-
ca has recognized to a greater degree
than any other nation that woman may
rightly stand side by side, shoulder to
shoulder with the highest and nobest
manhood"
The international Sports.
MeSsrs. G.. y. jackson. G. c. Nassall,
A. Hunter and the Rev. j. II. Gray have
just met at the Queens club to arrange
the preiminaries of the interunversity
sports to take place July % and selected
the following team
Hundred yard dash. G. r. Thomas (Ox-
ford) and A. L. Hind (Cambridge); quar-
ter mile run, A NJ Hollins (Oyford) and