Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-12-12
SEEKS A CONFERENCE.
Salisbury Requested by Kruger to
Grant an Audience to Discuss
Quest ton of Settlement.

and the Transvaal. Strenuous efforts
were made by the premier to prevent
the fact that Mr.. Kruger had asked
an interview from becoming public,
but it quickly became known in court
| circles and soon was common prop
erty throughout London.
While Lord Salisbury has not yet
replied to Mr.. Kruger's request, it is
! believed that the conference asked
for will be granted. Statesmen in
speaking of the matter said Saturday
night that such a reply from the
premier could be counted on as al
most certain.
It is not considered within the
bounds of probability, however, that
meeting between the former presi-
dent of the now extinct republic and
Lord Salisbury would be rich in re-
suits. Lord Salisbury has made his
position on the subject of the treat
ment of the Transvaal question so
well known and has so tenaciously
held to his views that it is not at all
| likely that anything that Mr.. Kruger
could say would alter his views.
The selection of place for the
meeting, of course, has not yet been
even considered It is understood that
Mr.. Kruger gave no expression on this
point. The Hague, the birthplace of
international arbitration, may be Sc
lected, or some still more advan-
tageous point on the continent may
be decided upon. That Lord Salisbury
and Mr.. Kruger will soon meet is the
one point that those in position to
discuss the matter intelligently are
practically agreed. Talk of the de-
tails and the outcome, they say is
matter of speculation.
The Hague, Dec. 1O.-Queen Will
helmina received Mr.. Kruger in audi
ence Saturday. AS the Boer states
man was travelling incognito the visit
was not attended by the ceremony
usually paid to a chief of state. A
court official proceeded to his hotel
and accompanied Mr.. Kruger to the
royal palace in a state carriage. DR..
Leyds received Mr.. Kruger at the
door of the palace, but was not pres
cnt at the audience.
The visit lasted a quarter of an
Mr.. Kruger alone were present The
latter thanked the queen for placing
the cruiser Gelderland at his disposal
According to court attendants who
were present at the meeting of Mr.
Kruger and Hollands sovereign, Will
helmina gave the exile no hope of i'm
mediate help. She is quoted as hav-
ing said: ''Have confidence in God
who will protect you and yours.
will show my friendship when the
time arrives, but not now.''
Mr.. Kruger did not display any
marked enthusiasm over this defer
thanked the queen, but made no other
comment. His message to Lord Sails
bury was sent a few hours later.
The Hague, Dec. 1O.-President Kru-
ger has been refused aid by the power
upon which he placed his last hope
The car of Russia wrote to inform the
Boer leader in the most delicate yet I'M
| mistakable manner that recent ILL
health made it impossible for him to
interfere in any way in the Transvaal
affairs. He expressed the highest
esteem for Kruger and the sincerity of
his purpose, but let it be understood
that beyond that he could not go. The
message from the car was received
by the old chieftain last Friday, and he
felt the blow SO l1eenly that the matter
was kept as secret as possible.
The Hage, Dec 10.-The govern
ment of the Netherlands has instruct
ed the Dutch minister in London,
Baron Van Goltstein van Oldenaller,
to disavow in the name of the govern
ment all responsibility for the letter
addressed to Mr.. Kruger by the presi-
dent of the first chamber of the states
general, DR.. A. Van Manner van
Tonnes, approving his ''noble pur-
pose" and expressing hope that the
independence of the two Dutch re-
publics would be secured.
London, Dec. 10.-Special dispatches
from The Hague represent the feeling
there as one of alarm at the prospect
of an Anglo-German-Portugue com
bination, which might snatch the
Dutch seaboard or seize Java. It is re-
ported at the Dutch capital that the
possibility of war with England has
even been discussed by the cabinet
council.
Queen Wilhelmina will give dinner
in honor of Mr. Kruger, but he has
abandoned all hope of any effective re-
suit Of his visit to Europe, although he
does not despair of meeting Emperor
Nicholas, possibly on the Riviera.
Gold Badge for Mrs. Mckinley.
) Washington, Dec. 10.-President De
: Young and Thomas F. Walsh, of the
: Paris exposition commission, called
upon President Mckinley and pre-
| sented him gold badge on behalf of
the commission, to be handed to Mrs
Mckinley with their compliments
The badge is one of the finest pieces
of workmanship produced by Partisan
, goldsmiths, and the president pro-
nounced it the most beautiful he had
ever seen.
Train Wrecks Street Car.