Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-18
ON THE BRINK OF WAR.
TranSvaaI'S Answer Is Practi.
cally Defiance. ..xs
ORANGE FREE STATE WILL HELP.
President Steyn Reported to Have Re
piled "Too Late" When Asked to In.
tervene In Behalf of Peace-Britisb
Cabinet Meets This Week.


lain S latest note is said to cover min
pages. It is eminently of the "negs
tive and ipconciusive" character, whic
Mr.. Chamberlain declared would com
pei the imperial government to conside
the situation afresh. 1t practically re
pudiates suzerainty, reverts to theseve
years franchise, and declines to Civ
equality to the Dutch and English Ian
gnages in the volksraad.
In short. it is politely negative an
defiant. The full text may not be avail
able tor day or two, but it will no
cha nge the aspect of affairs. The cabi
net viii probably meet on Wednesda,
or Thursday to consider the next step
The Morning Post said:
"The Beers mean to fight, That i
the plain English OF it,
The Standard said in part:
1.-The Transvaal note is unsatisfac
tory, and, indeed, dangerous compost
| ton"
| These extracts fairly represent pres:
opinions i'll London. All the paper
characterize the attempt to represent
Conyngham Greene as suggesting thu
Transvaal's former proposals as mere
shifty prevarication.
The Cape Town correspondent of The
Daily Mail said:
''Afrikander Bund circles profess t.
| have information that President Nc
KiDley has interviewed between Great
Britain and the Iransvaal.
All the dispatches from South Africa
this morning talk of the imminence oi
hostilities and the preparations fol
them. In Johannesburg it seems to be
taken for granted that the Orange Free
State has approved President Kruger's
note and promised active assistance in
the event of war.
An official telegram posted at Volks.
rust says that the Transvaal. with the
assent of the Orange Free State, repu
dates British suzerainty and adheres tC
the seven years franchise.
At Cape Town it is reported that Mr..
Hofmeyer, the Afrikander leader, sent
a communication to President Steyn OF
the Orange Free State, entreating him
to do his utmost to preserve peace but
that he received i'll answer the words
''too late
All military men agree that it is out
of the question to begin hostile opera
tions before the middle of next month,
no rain having fallen aud the veldt
being still bare.
PRETORIA, Sept. IS.-The reply of the
government of the South African re-
public to the latest dispatch, dated
Sept. j, of the British secretary of
state for the colonies, Joseph Chamber
lain. after acknowledging the receipt of
the British note, proceeds in part as
follows:
1.-The government deeply regrets the
withdrawal, as the government under
stands it, of the invitation contained in
the British dispatch of Aug. % and the
substitution, in place thereof, of an en-
tirely new proposal.
1.-The proposals, now fallen through,
contained in the Transvaal dispatches
of Aug. 10 and Ang. 81, were elected
from this government by suggestions
made by the British diplomatic agent
in Pretoria (Oonyngham Greene) to the
Transvam state secretary (F. W. Reitz},
suggestions which this government
acted upon IN good faith and after es-
pecially ascertaining whether they
would be likely to prove acceptable to
the British government. This govern
ment had by no means an intention to
raise again needlessly the question of its
political status. but acted with the sole
object OF endeavoring. by the aid OF the
local British AGENT. to put an end to the
strained condition of affairs.
''This was done in the shape of a pro-
posal which this government deems,
both as REGARDS its spirit and form, to
be SO worded as, relying upon intima
tiOns to this government, would satisfy
her majesty's government. This gov
ernment saw difficulty as to the &C
ceptance of those proposals by the peo-
pie and legislature of the Transvaal and
also contemplated possible dangers con.
nected therewith, but risked making
them on account of sincere desire to
secure peace and because assured by Mr..
Chamberlain that such proposals would
not be deemed refusal of his proposals,
but would be settled on their merits.
LAS regards the joint commission, the
Transvaal adheres to the acceptance of
the invitation thereunto given by her
majesty's government, and cannot un-
derstand why such commission which
before was deemed necessary to explain
the complicated details of the seven
years law should now he deemed un-
necessary, and why it should now,
without much injury. be thought possi-
bic to declare this law inadequate.
Further, there must be a misappre-
hension if it be assumed that this gov
ernment was prepared to lay proposals
for Il five years franchise and quarter
representation of the new population
before the volksraad for unconditional
acceptance. AS to the language, this
government never made any offer such
as is referred to, considering, as it did,
such a measure both unnecessary and
undesirable.
1.-The proposed conference, as distinct
from the joint commission of inquiry,
this government is likewise not un-
willing to enter upon, but the difficulty
is that an acceptance thereof is made
dependent upon the acceptance, on the
side of the Transvaal, of precedent con-
ditions which this government does not
feel at liberty to submit to the volks.
raad, and, moreover, the subjects to be
discussed at the conference remain un-
defined
''This government ardently desires
and gladly accepts arbitration, as its
firm intention is to adhere to the terms
of the London convention of 1884,"
The dispatch concludes by trusting
that the British government, Oh recon-
sideration, may not deem it fit to make
more onerous or new proposals, but
will adhere to Great Britain's propo-
sal for a joint commission of inquiry
as previously explained by the secre-
tary of state for the colonies to the im-
periai government"
Guards Conveyed the Griffins.
JoNnoN Nv Sent 12-The two