The record-union., 1899-09-17
Has Been Given Into the Hands Of
British Agents at Pretoria,
Who Immediately Put 1t on the Wires to
Foreign Office at London.
The Answer Thought to Have
Either Evaded or Defed What
Practically Amounted to an Ul-
timatum From the British Gov
ernment.

| Copyrighted, 1S99 by Associated Press.)
| LONDON, Sept. 16.-Sunday will be
an anxious day for Great Britain. The
reply of the Transvaal Government, it
| is known tonight, has been formulat-
ed, and is in the hands of the British
agents at Pretoria. Furthermore, the
wires at the Foreign Office are busy
with a long dispatch from the British
High Commissioner in South Africa,
Sir Alfred Miner, to the Secretary Of
State for the Colonies, Joseph Cham
berlain, which is being rapidly repeated
to the latter's Birmingham home, so
the contents of the Boer reply will
probably rest tonight with Great Brit
aims Colonial Secretary.
Unless South Africa is peopled with
false prophets, the Beers have either
evaded or defied what practically
amounted to an ultimatum from the
British Cabinet.
If the course of diplomacy is not
foreshortened, the British Cabinet will
meet again and formulate specific de-
mands far more sweeping than the last
ones. These will be transmitted to
President Kruger in the shape of an
ultimatum. AS the members of the
Cabinet are scattered throughout the
country, it is improbable that a coun-
Gil could be gathered till Monday night
at the earliest, and there is every rea-
son to believe the British Government
will exhibit no undue haste in forcing
President Kruger's hand. for it is palp-
ably more important to have 10000
reinforcements on the scene of action
than gain the gratitude of the impor-
tunate UitlanderS, who for weeks have
been crying for immediate aggressive
action.
President Kruger's rumored refusal
of the latest franchise demands has
lost him many friends in England, and
the pro-Boer party has shrunk to small
dimensions.
The reported formal alliance between
the Transvaal and the Orange Free
State has also done much to ALLEVIATE
the feeling of those Englishmen inclin-
ed to sympathize with the Transvaal
though it is scarcely believed the Or
ange Free State will take an active
part more likely confining itself to
passive unrecognized assistance, as in
the war of 1880.
Southampton for Natal to-day was
marked by such scenes as have not oc-
Cured in England for many years.
Most of the special officers wore civil
ian clothes, but as many of them were
well known, they were quickly recog-
nized and received ovations. The
Fighting Fifth" nearly all wore the
Khartoum medals.
SITUATION EXTREMELY GRAVE.
LONDON, Sept. 16.-Indications from
all sources point to the extreme grav-
ity of the Transvaal situation. Pre-
toria adviceS, emanating from a Boer
source, say that the TransvaaPs reply
is uncompromising and that prepara-
ton for a stanch resistance is proceed
ing continuously.
Another Pretoria special, dated Sep
tember 10Th, says the situation is now
regarded as all but hopeless, unless
Great Britain retreats from her posi-
ton. The dispatch adds:
1.-THE governments of the two repub-
lies consider that the Transvaal should
refuse to concede anything further,
and it is believed that the Beers will
have the support of all the Afrikanders
throughout South Africa
It is now definitely stated that the
Orange Free State has agreed to unite
with the Transvaal in resisting the
British claims.
Of all the numerous channels through
which South African news reaches
London, not one gives the faintest
hope that the Boer reply will be favor
able, the majority taking the view that
war is extremely probable.
The Boer representatives here and on
the Continent reiterate that the British
Government is allowing itself to be in
fiuenced by those wanting to dominate
over the whole of South Africa and
that conviction of the truth of this is
so firmly rooted in the minds of the
burghers that it is impossible to hope
that they will accept the constantly
proffered friendly advice regarding the
settlement of the matter on Great
Britain's present terms.
The first battalion of the Northum-
berland Fusiliers, 800 strong, and de-
tachments of the army service corps,
ordnance corps. sailed on the steamer
Gaul at p. m. to-day from Southamp-
ton, en- route to Natal. amid great en-
thusiaSm. The men appeared to be in
splendid condition and openly anxious
for fighting. The Fusiliers went direct
from Aldershot, but many of the Off
GERS of that regiment and numbers of
special service officers started from
London, receiving at Waterloo Station
an enthusiastic send-off from the large
crowd present. The porters cried "All
aboard for Pictorial which was taken
up by the crowd uproariously.
General Sir George Stewart White,
V. c., former Quartermaster General,
who is going to command the troops
in Natal, sails with his staff on the
Tantal Castle from Plymouth. He left
London subsequent to the departure
of the main body of officers
Though General White tried to keep
private the hour of his departure from
London for the Transvaal, a large
crowd was present and gave him an
ovation.
Captain Sir Edward Chichester. the
commander of the British cruiser I'M
mortalite at Manila. is among the off,
GERS accompanying General White. He
is going to Cape Town to command
the second-class cruiser Doris, flagship
of Admiral Harris.
This is my first march TT is diff