The sun., 1900-05-28
THINKS PEACE IS NEAR.
England Regards South African War
hass, as About Over.
EVEN KRUGER THINKS SO.
Military Estimates That Conflict
viii End ON July d-ProbabiIity
Tint The Rand Mines Will
BE Destroyed.


the war. now centerS ON the date of its
concnsion. 1t is rather curious that the
faForcd day in most of the military esti-
mates is July 4.
General Ford Roberts has shown an in
teresting prediction to- select important
anniversaries for the executions of his
principal plans. 1t was on Maiuba day
that he forced Cronjc to surrender, and it
was on the qucea's blrt hday that he be-
gan his invasion Of the Transvaal. 1t is
hardly possible that this great Irish sDl-
dicr should select the birthday of one Ee-
public for The destruction Of another. 1t
would he IN act of bad taste, amounting
almost to Il direct aftrOnt, ana General
Roberts has never boon accused of being
wanting III tact.
ltut if the information which coraeS
from many Bopr sources means anything.
the war will be finished well within fhe
ensuing month. There is now ample all-
theitN for the statement that he Trans
vlAl government asked Great Britain fnr
terms Of peace nearly a month age Ii
WlS the relentless reply equivalent TO Il
demand for unconditional surrender
which alone united the retlcrals for fur
ther resistance.
Kruger ut Last Succumbs.
President Kruger even now, is willing
to accept the inevitable without further
bloodshcd, for the Bocr leaders can no
longer deceive themselves with false
hopes. A Spartan spirit, however, still
dominates Il large number of the burgll-
crs, and they are ready TO fight hopeless
~ with the same determination as though
a chance of retaining their independence
| remained. This indomitable band, how
ever, diminshes daily in number.
According to public and private dis
patches received in the past few days the
| division of opinion as to the continuation
| of the war is impossible to reconcile and
| President Kruger has shown his charac-
teristic clcyerness in referring the ques-
tion of peace to the leaders of the Boer
forces in the field. If they, or consider
| able majority of the commandants, ad-
wise that they must succumb to the over
whelming forces of the enemy, the Trans
yaal authorities will make submission to
Great Britain within few days. Even
| this will not be accepted through diplo-
matte channels, The reply of the British
! government to an offer of submission
from Pretoria will be that the surrender
must be made to General Roberts by all
burghers under arms.
Rand Mines May BE Destroyed.
| Additional attempts have been made
unofficially this week to use the threaten.
| Ell fate of Johannesburg as IL weapon to
gain some promise Of a concession from
| Great Britain. So far as known this has
failedicntirely. The probability increases
therefore, that the Rand mines will be
destroyed by dynamite. This not unnat.
ural act of revenge may indeed lie the
only condition upon which The irrcconcil-
ablcs among the BocrS will consent 10 nj
low the peace faction to make subms
sion
The tendency in tlis country il 10 p.
gard all Pretoria kilograms 10 Inc effect
that the Tfansvaal government is unable
10 resist The demand for the destruction
of the mines as mere bluff This is a
natural suspicion, hui II is hardly iusti
fed. According 10 the hest B0er Informs
ti1n the owners Of The Raud mine4 in TN
TransNaaI afe regarded III the chief tnSti
gators Of the war. Gold II considered, ot
course. the real lndeStone that is drawing
Great Britain TO the Boers country. AND
the latter would be more than human il
they did not desire to damage its source
as much aS possible. Furthermore. there
are Il large number of 'rlanSvaalcrs who
will not remain in the country under
British rule. and they have nothing tc
lose by doing everything possible that i,
detrimental to the tlsurpcrs.
Ever since January leading Beers have
been discussing the direction of thci,
next trek. Many favor going 10 Brazil o,
the Argentine Republic. Some of then
advocate negotiating with France for 4
section of Madagascar, where there i.
said to be an excellent climate inland.
Peace seems on the whole not far off
but the owners of the Johannesburg
mines cannot expect to escape scathless
As a matter of fact. the destruction OF
the mines. in the real sense Of the word
is simply impossible. Immense damage
can be done to the machinery, workings
ETC., and an enormous expense must be
incurred, but the gold will remain anc
will be still attanable