Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-01-16

>~S
was wired from Springfield after his
first forward steps. Striving to think
out the unknown, London is confused
by surmise and rumor, and disquiet-
ed by suspense. Spencer Wilkinson,
the lucid military expert Of the Morn
ing Post, asserts that the Boer force
in Northern Natal is larger than Gen.
Buffers and Sir George Whites to-
gether, so that the Beers are able to
leave a force around Ladysmith larger
than that within the town and yet to
oppose Gen. Butler with a force SUI
perior to his own.
Reports from the Boer camps affirm
that the circle of investment has been
drawn closer by the occupation of
some hills nearer the town, thus liber-
ating achievements to oppose Gen.
Butler.
The Daily News asserts that a null
titude of the rumors that originate
in South Africa and London are given
currency by the English military au-
thoritieS in order to mislead the
Beers. The war pages of the great
dailies are almost barren. Neverthe-
less the instruments connecting the
war Office with the cables continue to
click.
The yeomanry recruiters are dis
turbed by the fact that they are. able
to get only n and one-half COM
panies out of upward of one thousand
applicants in the metropolitan dis
tricts. All the other applicants fall
short of the requirements. One thou
sand would be regarded as a very
small number, even were all accepted.
+ The provinces are doing better al
though to raise ten thousand ppear
far from the easy matter it did a fort
night ago.
Among the minor perplexities of the
war office is a strike among the. mill
tarys t%ailors, which caused delay in
u~niforming the recruits.
j. B. Robinson, the South African
millionaire, in a signed article in the
: Daily News this morning, relates con
versations he has had with President
Kruger and describes several inter-
views in which the Jameson raid was
talked over. On one of these occasions
President Kruger said:
do you meal to tell me that you
do not know that the men who organ
lied and engineered the raid organized
it for their benefit? They had decided
how they would divide the Transvaal
and how each of the parties was to
have certain interests in this country.
"Many reformers who were put in
Jail were perfectly innocent. They
were ignorant Of the schemes of the
men in the inner circle. There were
only twelve men in that inner circle,
and they were to divide. the Transvaal
among themselves.
"They and their companies found the
money for the raid. Do you think we
are so innocent as not to know that
Rhodes, metaphorically speaking, held
a pistol at the heads of certain men in
England and said to them: If you do
not support me l shall denounce you
and your completely in the raid"
At this stage, according to Mr.. Rob-
inson, President Kruger became more
excited and shouted 81 loudly that peo-
pie in the street stopped to listen to
the conversation. Mr.. Kruger then
said:
And. now you are demonstrating
with me about arming. 1t is true, l am
arming, and it is because 1 see clearly
that / must defend my country"
To this Mr.. Robinson replied:
"The British public is aroused. II
any attempt were made again to enter
this country there would be a great
outcry in England and the imperial
authorities would take steps to punish
the organizers and to prevent such free
booting expeditions"
President Kruger approached Mr..
Robinson, placed a hand on his shoulder
made a violent effort to suppress his
excitement and said:
you mean well, but I have lost all
confidence What has happened would
take place again and l am determined
to guard against it"
Later Mr.. Kruger said:
What is to prevent Rhodes and his
co-adjutors again engineering some dia-
bolical attempt against the independ-
| ence of my country"
Mr.. Robinson proposes to publish a
| book giving "The true story OF the
| Jameson raid"
The Birmingham Mail the organ Of
| Joseph Chamberlain, says:
I'VE understand, on the highest au-
thority. that If the government is de-
feated In parliament on the question Of
/ %ha mar fhc nahino< -i1J r~-oSso&~1~