The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-10
EARLY AFRICAN WAR NEWS
His Terms Not Taken SertousIy-Lord
Salisbury Believed to Have Refused
Them-The Proposition Regarded as
Ruse to Gain Time,

Ruse to Gain Time.
London, March oslo p. NIT Is
learned late this afternoon that Presi-
dent Kruger has appealed to Lord Sails
bury for cessation of hostilities, offer
ing at length, by cable the terms which
he is willing to accept These however,
are not taken seriously, as they include
practically nothing more than what the
Transvaal government offered prior to
the issuing of the British ultimatum.
Official circles here regard the propo-
sition as merely a ruse of the Beers to
gain time and do not consider that Pres
ident Kruger is yet ready to consider
the sweeping demands which Great
Britain will make as to reimbursement
for the loss Of life and great expendi-
ture.
1t was understood that President
Kruger's advances had met with an
emphatic rejection at the hands of Lord
Salisbury, who is believed to have said
that no such attempt to retain the in
dependence of the Transvaal can be
considered for a moment by the British
government.
All the dispatches from Lord Roberts
headquarters, including those of the
commander-in-chief himself, indicate
the lack of a guiding spirit among the
Beers, and indicate also individual de-
moralization, portending disintegration
unless speedily stemmed.
The fight of the burghers from Pop
lar Grove, according to all accounts,
was wholly inglorious. A Times dis
patch from Poplar Grove, under yester-
days date, goes so far as to assert that
the Beers rout was so complete that
the submission of the Free State is be-
ing demanded by the burghers from
their unwilling president. and it is ex-
pected that it's submission will be made
within a week. The correspondent
says:
POSSIBLY the Beers wisest course
was fight but it was most undignified,
and is certain to produce CONSERVATION
at Bloemfontein. There is growing out
cry against any further Identification
of the Free State with the Transvaals
interests"
Dispatches from the Boer camp at
Glencoe via Lourenzo Marquee depict
President Kruger as donning bando-
1ier, Selling a rifle and inviting volun-
teers to accompany him, as he wished
to have a shot at the enemy himself.
President Kruger is also quoted as hav-
ing declared in his address to the troops
that he Ibid not know whether arbitra-
ton or intervention would end the
struggle, but that it would end quickly,
will ~, Joo avt str OILY he
lieved."
In the meanwhile the British are not
staying their advance Lord Roberts
has moved ten miles nearer Bloemfon-
tein, evidently with the view of Selling
and utilizing the railroad, possibly to
reach the Free State capital in three or
four days, Whence he may begin repair
ing the railroad southwark, meeting the !
British advance from Cape Colony, |
which may be expected to be FASTENED !
as soon as General White takes control. !
The British occupied jamestown unop
posed yesterday, and the Beers are re- ,
ported to be retreating beyond Aliwal |
North, so Cape Colony is practically |
clear of armed Beers.
Reinforcements from Natal are going |
to Lord Roberts. General Warren's di- |
vision and some artillery have already |
been ordered to join the commander-in- |
chief, so the latter is preparing for all |
eventualities, including possible desper- |
ate opposition to his crossing the Vaal |
river and the necessity of the siege of |
Pretoria, where thousands of natives |
are reported to be employed in the con-
struction of defensive works, concern |
ing which such secrecy is maintained |
that no one is permitted to dalk or drive |
on the outskirts of the town.