Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-08
1hLK OF ANOTHER CONFERENCE
Beers May Be Given Chance to
ParIey Again.
WARLIkE NEWS FROM AFRICA

council here today attracted greater pub
lie interest than any meeting of the min
listers for years past.
A weli-dressed crowd of people cordially
greeted the most prominent of the cabinet
ministers. and impatiently thronged the
precincts of the foreign office throughout
the session, eagerly scrutinizing the faces
of those coming and going, in the hope of
obtaining some intirnation of the outcome
of the momentous event. The war spirit
was evident on all sides and the generals
were enthusiastically cheered they ap-
peared the crowd evidently understanding
that they had been summoned to be in
readiness in the event of the ministers
wishing their advice.
Big Crowd Gathers.
A crowd of from 1000 to 5000 persons as
sembled at the Whitehall entrance to
Downing street, where the foreign and
colonial offices are situated. at an early
he our today. Mr.. Chamberlain, the secre :
tary of state for the colonies, and the
Earl of Selborne, the under secretary, We're
the first arrivals among the officials, and
they were followed by Field Marshal Lord
WOlSeIey, the commander-in-chiefo of the
Amy: General Sir Redvers Butler who it
is said will have the field command in the
event of war with the Transvaal, and
General Sir Evelyn Wood adjutant gen.
eral to the forces.
The arrival of Lord Salisbury, the pre-
mier. was the signal for tremendous cheer
ing Next came the Duke of Devonshire,
the lord president of the council; Right
Hon. Henry Chaplin, the president of the
local government board, and the Earl of
Halsbury, the lord high chancellor. who
passed unnoticed. AS showing the impor-
tance of the meeting of the council, Under
Secretaries Wyndham of the war depart
ment and Brodrfck of the foreign office
were summoned to attend.
BY o'clock all the cabinet ministers were
present.
1t was reported that Mr. Balfour, the
first lord of the treasury, would not agree
with some of his colleagues in the cabinet
and there was some talk of split.
stock Exchange Gets News
The first Indication of the possible deci-
Sion of the cabinet came from the stock
exchange. where the tone recovered on the
report that the ministers had decided not
to send an ultmatum to the government of
the Transvaal but to insist that the Trans
Vaal must agree to a conference at Cane
Town; but 1t is too early yet to pretend to
give this as definite information of the
action contemplated or taken.
The cabinet council was concluded at 3
pm
a reporter of the Associated Press asked
the president of the board of agriculture
the Rt. Hon. Walter Long If any conclu-
sion had been reached. He said
All | can say Is that We must have pa
tience.'
The ministers came out arm in arm
laughing and chatting greatly contrasting
with the manner in which they went in
Lord Salisbury again received an ovation
Although the foreign office has not given
OUT a statement, the general impression
was tnat no ultimatum would be sent to
the Transvaal at present and that a time
Town.
The short duration of the council and the
nf ha r,oili
moned were taken as indications that the
situation IS more pacific, though, of course
TINS is only surmise.
Fears at RamathIabama
Ihe Times in its second edition today
published a dispatch from Mafeking. which
said:
Colonel Baden-Poweu will review the
troops at Ramathlabama tomorrow. Large
numbers Of Beers are moving about the
border near there. There is uneasinass
over the number of Transvaal Dutch here
II is feared they might join the invaders
in case of raid.
The correspondent of the Times at New
taStIe, Natai. says: There would be lit
Tie surprise here if the Beers assumed the
aggressive Immediately. 1t is a matter of
establishment that few British troops
ern border
Sir William Francis Butler who was re-
Gently relieved as commander of the Brit
iSh troops in South Africa by Lieutenant
General Sir Frederick Forester Walker
arrived in this city today He reported at
the war office and was consulted in regard
to the situation in South Africa.
Many ship owners have called at the Of
fees of the admiralty and offered their
vessels as transports. They were told,
however, that nothing would be done in
this direction until the cabinet council had
decided on what action would be taken In
regard TO the crisis.
The Evening Standard today saws: 1.-The
general feeling pervading the public de-
partments and clubs is that hostilties are
Inevitable"
Kruger Asks Moderation.
PRETORIA, September SIN the course
OF the debate in the first raad yesterday
President Kruger said he knew the Lord
would give a good judgment in the dispute
between England and the Transvaal and
that IF Mr.. Chamberlain stood before the
c0untenance of God his own conscience
must acknowledge there was no suzer-
ainty" All depended, the president de-
clared. upon the reply received from Mr..
Chamberlain. He Q<rugeD had given much
away already. He had given his jacket
and trousers. and the only thing left was
independence.
1t was said, continued President Kruger.
that il was the desire of the British to
wipe out the defeat at Majuba Hill, but it
was the noblest thing England ever did,
when. after that, she restored the inde-
pendence of the Transvaal. That was due
to Mr Gladstone who saw that the petitions
sent to the queen were false. THAT deed -
said Mr.. Kruger. lis indelibly engraved on
the minds of the inhabitants of the Trans
vaal as the nobiest of Englands deeds''
The presidents declaration that If 1t
came to fighting God would be the arbiter
was loudly cheered.
in conclusion. President Kruger said he
hoped the raad would wait until the reply
to the last dispatch had been received.
If the proposal for conference was re-
newed the Transvaal government would
do its best to meet the other side: God.
he said held the hearts of the people in
His hand. and If the people called on Him
He would respond He ruled the lot of all
The president also said he earnestly hoped
that Mr.. Chamberlain's heart would be
changed.
JOHANNESBURG. September S-The
anxiety here in regard to the crisis has be IN
intensified by the tone of the debate in the
raad.
The railroad offices continue to be be-
sieged by those wanting TO get out of the
country.
BOMBAY. September S.-The 10Th Hus.
sars and the 21st Field Battery of Artillery
have been ordered to leave Secunderab baG
for the Transvaal September Ii.