Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-09-29
The Orange Free State Win Stand
by the Transvaal.
PLAN OF THE RuRcHERs
rho Borrs Prevonted From Taking
the Ini,intive by sonrcity orw.ser
-nurghcrs Ma,s,nE Ncnr tho Natn,
Bor er. whero rhry VIII. Meet
tho Orange FREQ >tnto Artillery
New zoiand Will Senu Troops.

(By Telegraph to Virginian- Pllot.)
London, Sept. 2S.-The decision of the
volksraad of the Orange Free State to
Join with the Transvaal In the event OF
hostiltties, although fully expected, is
the leading news to-day and will nat
urally suffen the Beers independent
attitude. Tho Raids resolution has
made the brotherhood of arms between
the Transvaal and the Orange Free
State. OF which hitherto there was only
strong probability. an absolute GER
talnty, and the British will have to face
the situation.
Intense excitement continues to pre-
vail at Pretoria, where apparently it Is
believed that there Is no escape from
war. The commission appointed to
consider the matter, reported to-day as
to what officials are necessary to carry
on the government in the event Of war
and fixing their salaries 4f
The field cornet at Pretoria is again
serving out rifles. and all preparations
are being made to take the field.
An Englishman named Robertson has
been arrested ut johannesburg, charged
with high treason. He Is alleged to
have enlisted recruits for the Imperial
Light Horse.
NrAsSING TROOPS.
The Burghers are getting uneasy at
the concentration OF British troops be-
tween. lives 4 L "a and
peciaily ut Gleneoe and 1onndee:: Tie
nominal reason for the concentration is
the protection OF the Dundee coal
fields; but the BurEhers shrewdly sus-
pect that the real reason Is the for
nation Of a force which will advance
across the Transvaal frontier at
Vryhed, as soon as war is declared.
The Beers do not intend to be caught
mapping, and are now massing around
Vryheid, not. however, merely as a
protective measure, but to be prepared
unless the British endorsements
across the border cease to make n dash
In force through portion OF Zuzuland
across the Buffalo river at a point be-
low Rorkes Drift, and then, SELLING the
railroad, cut off the British garrisons
at Dundee and Ladysnith from the
South, which would not only interrupt
the British lines of communication
but would seriously interfere with a
forward movement. In order to watch
this portion of the railroad exposed to
Boer incursion, British post will be
established at Rorkes Drift.
BASE OF BRITISH OPERATIONS.
A British Infantry detachment, with
some engineers, has arrived mt De Aar.
southwest of the Orange Free State and
an important railroad junction. Ex-
tensive Notifications will be thrown
p-there and the town will be made the
base of operations from that side
against the Orange Free State or the
Transvaal. More troops Will shortly
arrive at De Aar.
A cable dispatch to the Times from
Cape Town says:
The Beers would have taken the In
ftiative by now but for the scarcity of
water. the rains NE yet being SUM-
Client. Probably there will be great DIFF
ficulties in providing food supplies for
the people remaining at Johannes
burg after hostilities have commenced.
Several responsible people here who
hnve long chung to the belief in an
ultimate peaceful settlement, now re-
gard war as Inevitable"
MUNITIONS AND TROOPS.
The Birmingham Post says two car.
goes of arms and ammunition leave
Hamburg or Rotterdam Friday for the
Transvaal, comprising $4,000 improved
Mausers, 100000 cartridges and sew
eral mortars for dynamite charges. As
the second battalion of Grenadiers en-
barked on q transport at Gibralta for
London, this afternoon they received
hurry CALL ordering them to pro-
coed to the Cape. for which place they
StdTs 3tC-UOTTOW. .+s-
The Secretary OF State for the Colo
MES. Joseph Chamberlain. arrived ut
the Foreign Office this afternoon. The
cabinet council will meet at 1880 p. m.
tomorrow.
The Speaker OF the House of Com
mons, William Court Gully Is return
Ing to London. and Sir Henry Camp
bell Zimmerman. the Liberal leader in
the House, and Herbert Gladstone. the
chief Liberal whip. will arrive hero
Monday.
CENTERs OF INTEREST.
The Press Association issued the fol-
lowing statement this afternoon:
We learn that the centers of interest
In the Transvaal crisis are in reality nj
Lisbon and Berlin, and this cor1sidera-
tion it Is thought In some quarters
| may cause a further adjournment of the
| cabinet. "a. -
| THE PORTUGUESE POSSESSIONS.
The. future administration and ANAL
control OF the Portuguese possessions In
South Africa are held to be an intexral
factor in the present difficulty, The
friends of President Kruger urge that
| 1t would be manifestly unfair to insist
upon partial reduction OF the forts
at Pretoria and Johannesburg SO long
as Lorenzo Marques remains under tho
Portuguese Governments and 1t Is
probable that the negotiations between
ar, "a Il.,rI ~. Il tzlr,