Evening star., 1899-09-18
BOERS REMAIN FIRM
Refuse to Yield to the Latest British
Demands.
COUP IN TRANSVAAL EXPECTED
Forage Being Rushed Toward the
Natal Frontier
I@NcT a Nrn PITNJN(I II
ENGLAND BUYING MULES


dent Kruger's reply was issued by the sec
retary of state for the colonies. Mr.. Cham
berain. this afternoon; but it adds nothing
of Importance to the summary cabled to
the Associated Press last evening. The Ian
guage in many places is taken to indicate
a firm unyielding position. The reply,
however, concludes:
IF her majcstys $ government is willing
and feels able to make the decision. Joint
commission. at first proposed by Mr..
Chamberlain. it would put end to the
present state of tension. Race hatred
would decrease and die out and the pros
perity and welfare of the South African
republic and the whole of South Africa
would he developed and furthered and fra
termination between the different national
tiles would increase.
and feels able to make this decision 1t
would put an end to the present state of
tension. Race hatred would decrease and
die out and the prosperity and welfare OF
the South African republic and the whole
of South Africa would be developed and
furthered and determination between the
different nationalities would increase
Early Coup Anticipated.
The second edition of the Times contains
a dispatch from Johannesburg which says:
There is l am informed some early
coup in contemplation. The quantities of
compressed forage forwarded in the direc-
ton of the Natal border indicate some
move the part of the troops in that
quarter. The government is buying horses
freely today"
The evening papers all indicate the seri
BUSINESS of the crisis, but the st. James Ga
zette says:
1T need not be imagined that anything
will be done on our side in hurry. The
cabinet has first to reconsider and secondly
to formulate fresh proposals Therefore,
these commentators the crisis who as
sumo that fighting will begin Immediately
are obviously a little previous OF course,
it is quite possible that the Beers may be-
gin hostilities. in which case our troops
will have to defend British territory. But
unless the Beers take the offensive, the ne
gotiations will be prolonged until the rein
forcements now on their way to South Al
rica reach their destination"
Olive Schrener (Mrs. CronwrighD con-
tributes an eloquent cable letter on the
situation to the Manchester Guardian. She
says:
Mrs. CronvriGhts Appeal.
LET England clearly understand what
war in South Africa means. The largest
empire the world has ever seen will hurl
its full force against a small state and
about 30, 600 men. including lads of sixteen
and old men of sixty, without a standing
army or organized commissarat. The en-
tire little people will have to resolve itself
into an army OF their wives and daughters,
who will prepare the bread and meat the
farmers will put in their saddle bags when
they go to meet the enemy Today the
women of the TranSVaal are demanding
guns that they may take their part IN the
last stand. We may crush the little people
with the aid of Australians ana Canadians,
since the British Isles seem unable to crush
them alone. We may take their land and
lower the little flag of his independence, so
dear 20 the Boer. but we shall nave placec
a stain upon our own that centuries Will
not wash out. Only the international spec
u.ator. who. through persistent misrepre-
sentations and by means of the press, has
.,,t1 h fc Il
ready overloaded pockets with South Afri-
can gold
War Sentiment in south Africa.
All the dispatches from South Africa this
morning talk of the imminenCe of hoStili
ties and the preparations for them. In Jo-
hannesburg it seems to he taken for grant
ed that the Orange Free state has approv-
ed President Kruger's note, and promised
active assistance In the event of war.
An official telegram posted at Nolksrust
says that the Transvaal, with the assent of
the Orange Free State, repudiates British
suzeraiuty and adheres to the seven-year
franchise.
At cape Town it is reported, Mr.. Hof-
never, the Afrikander leader, sent com
rnunication to President Steyn of the
Orange Free State, entreating him to do his
utmost to preserve peace. but that he re
ceived in answer the words: Too late"
All military men agree that it is out of the
question to begin hostile operations before
L
fallen, aad the veldt being still bare.
1t is supposed that the next move con-
templated by the Transvaal is appeal to
the powers, begging them to recommend
arbitration on the lines of the conference
at The Hague.
\ ..spatch from Charles Town says the
widest rumors are current there. and that
great alarm is felt owing to the uupsotect-
ed state of the town, especially as BJer
signaling is plainly visible on the adjacent
mountains.
There was n serious jiStI,rbaDc in the
market square of Johannesburg on Satur-
da" afternoon. \ meeting called by labor
agitator named Balm TO condemn the Brit
ish policy and to enroll volunteers to fight
for the Beers led to serious fights with the
police, lasting d couple of hours. Many
persons We're injured among them the re-
charge against a mounted policeman. An
immense crowd, singing Rule. Britannia, -
accompanied him to the police office.
Text of Bocr Reply.
4 dispatch from Pretoria last night says:
The reply of the government of the South
African Republic to the latest dispatch
dated September H. of the British secre-
tary of state for the colonies, Joseph Cham
berlain. after acknowledging the receipt of
the British note, proceeds in part as fol-
lows:
The government deeply regrets the with
drawal. the government understands it,
OF the invitation contained in the British
dispatch of August %, and the substitution
in place thereof of an entirely new pro-
posal.
The proposals. now fallen through, con-
tanned in the Transvaal dispatches of Au-
gust 10 and August 81, We're elected from
this government by suggestions made by
the British diplomatic agent in Pretoria
(Ccnyngham Greene TO the Transvaal sec
retary OF state OF. w. Reitz) suggestions
which this government acted upon in good
faith. and after specially ascertaining
whether they would be likely to prove ac.
cepta ole TO the British government This
government mad by no means an intention
political status. but acted with the sole OH
ject OF endeavoring. by the aid of the local
British agent to put an end to the strained
condition of affairs.
Anxious to Secure Peace.
This done in the shape of a proposal
which this government deems, both as re-