Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-26

LONDON, October 25.-British naval
preparations revealed by to-day's in
formation causes a strong reiteration
of the rumors of serious foreign COM
plieations. 1t is now said that Rear
Admiral Lord Charles Beresford will
command the Mediterrean squadron
and details of the activity of the dock
yards and naval stations are coming
in hot and fast The Associated Press
learns, however, that wheather or no
Great Britain seriously fears Russian
or French aggression, the naval prepar-
ations have been under consideration
for several months and it was the adj
miralty's intention to put them in force
as soon as war with the Transvaal
was declared, deeming it necessary to
increase the active strength of the
navy in order to insure the large fleet
of transports against, every possible
contingency whether later develop
ments have transformed the admiral
tvs precautionary measures into prep
arations for naval demonstration
Decessitated by European hostility is
the question of the hour and it is as
much a mystery to many high naval
officers as to the public. The exact
condition of affairs consists of ordering
the naval reserves to be in readiness to
rejoin their ships at twenty-four hours
notice, while all the cruisers of the re-
serve class have been notified to be
ready to sail in the same time-limit
These vessels though at the dockyards
are never out of commission and are
always supposed to be ready for i'm
mediate manning. A dozen cruisers,
ranging from 5000 to 1000 tons are
now only waiting the word to emark
the crews.
In addition to these preparations, work
on the uncomrqeted vessels is being hur-
RED day and night. The special attention
being paid 10 the cruisers is taken by many
naval authorities to indicate that Great
Britain intends 70 form menacing flying
squadron, under the term "menacing,"
because the naval force at sea now is am
pie TO convoy the transports and is
thoroughly capable of preventing any in
reference in South African waters.
While the British officials do not conceal
their knowledge of German, French and
Russian antagonism and their irritation
thereat, they do not give the slightest hint
that European hostility via crystalline
into any prot able overt act But the be-
lief that Great Britain is on the verge of
crisis or conflict far greater than that in
the Transvaal has many supporters,
though the lack of all official confirmation
favors the conservative views that the re-
markable naval activity is due to a desire
to take thorough precautions which,
though ominous, have at present no special
bearing upon Great Brita.n's European
relations
Advices from the continent strengthen
this view For instance the Fremdensblatt
Of Vienna to-day says: Nothing points
to the eventuality of the Intervention of
Europe in favor of the Beers. The paper
adds that Germany especially has resolved
mot to depart from her attitude OF neu-
trality''
On the other hand the Neues Weinertag-
blatt publishes a telegram from the Trans
vaal legation at Brussels announcing that
DR.. Leyds has received formal assurances
that France and Russia will not permit
Great Britain to annex the Transvaai or
the Orange Free State. This is diseredit-
ed, however. as It is pointed out that even
if this were the intention Of the powers
mentioned they would not allow their
hands to be shown through the medium OF
DR.. Leyds
The Russian newspapers may be some
what responsible for the general impress
sion in regard to European Intervention,
the St. Petersburg Russ1ija advocating
that Great Britain may be brought to her
senses by a naval demonstration in South
Africa in which France would take the
lead