Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-13
That IS the Ultimatum Of
the British People.
GEN. ROBERTS ADVANCE
Into Bloemfontein May be De.
layed for a Day or Two,
But French Controls
Railway Route.

London, March 13.-In the house of
lords today the Premier, Lord Salisbury,
read the British governments reply to
President Steyn and Kruger. The con-
Guiding sentence is as follows:
"Her majesty's government can only
answer your honor's telegram by saying
1t is not prepared to assent to the inde-
pendence Of either the South African re-
public or the Orange Free State.'
The United States government at the
request of President Kruger and Presi-
dent Steyn has offered to the British it's
services as mediator, with the view of
bringing about peace in South Africa.
Lord Salisbury has not yet replied, but
a reporter of the Associated Press learns
that there is little doubt he will decline
the United States good offices. He will do
SO, however, in terms as cordial and po-
lite as those in which the offer was
couched.
Lord Roberts actual entry into the
Orange Free State capital seems likely
to be delayed until tomorrow or later
today, as his statement that he is CO.
ing to reinforce General French implies
that opposition is being encountered on
the outskirts of the town though the de-
finite statement that the British cavalry
leader has positions which command the
situation leaves no doubt that the occu-
patton will speedily be effected and with
it,so London critics think, will accrue to
the British important captures of sup
plies If not of prisoners.
However, 1t may be that the Beers
may make strenuous resistance which
will not be overcome until Roberts main
army catches up with the cavalry.
A dispatch received by a South Afri-
can firm in London dated Mafeking,
Tuesday, March 6, via Lobatsi March 9,
says:
'AM well. but town still besieged."
A dispatch to the Times from Mafe-
king dated March says the garrison at
that place were then feeling acutely the
stress of the siege. They were reduced
to the use of horse flesh and bread made
from horse forage while the water was
parasitically contaminated. Typhoid,
dysentery and diphtheria were epidemic
but it was impossible to isolate the VIC
Tins. The sufferings of the women and
children were terrible and there We're
deaths in the women's laager daily. The
native population was starving. The
military operations were progressing
favorably. They had been extended to
Brickfields, whence the enemy had been
completely expelled.
A parliamentary paper containing the
kilograms sent to the British government
by the presidents Of the South African
republic and Orange Free State, and
Great Britain's reply thereto, was issued
today The first telegram sent by the two
presidents to the Marquis of Salisbury
is as follows:
"Bloemfontein, March 5.-The blood
and tears Of thousands who have suffered
by this war and the prospect of all
moral and economic ruin, wherewith
South Africa is now threatened, make it
necessary for both belligerents to ask
themselves dispassionately and in the
sight Of God for what they are fighting.
whether the aim Of each justifles all this
appalling caisery and devastation. With
this object and in view OF the assertions
OF various British statesmen to the effect
that this war was begun and is being
carried on with the set purpose Of under
mining her majesty's authority in South
Africa and Of setting up a one all over
South Africa. independent of her ma
jesty's government we consider 1t our
duty to solemnly declare that this war
was undertaken solely as defensive
measure to maintain the threatened in
dependence OF the South African republic
and is only continued in order to secure
and maintain the incontestable independ-
ence OF both republics as sovereign in
ternational states and to obtain the as
surance that those Of her majesty's SUBJ
jects who have taken part with us in this
war shall suffer no harm whatever in
perscn or property. On these conditions
but on these conditions alone, are we
now. as in the past desirous Of seeing
peace re-established in South Africa
while IL her majesty's government IL, de-
termined to destroy the independence Of
the republics there is nothing left to us
and to our people but to persevere to the
end In the course already begun. In
spite OF the overwhelming pre-eminence
os the British empire We are confident