The age-herald., 1900-01-16
THE CLASH IS
 NOW AT HAND BOofs Are Drawing Closer Around Ladysmith MAKING READY ID FIGHT A Strong Army Prepared to to Meet Butler. pREz T KRUGER INTERVIEWED | e 6 IS He Was Forced to Defend His = ountry-Issues a Proclamation and Quotes from the
 Psalms cF
A Strong Army Prepared to
 to Meet Butler.
. IT KRUGER INTERVIEWED

lers latest authentic word as to what he and his thirty thousand men are doing was wired from Springfield after his forward step. Striving to think of the unknown, London is confused by surnise and rumor and disquieted by suspense. Spencer WAL kinson, the lucid military expert of the Morning Post, asserts thafthe Boer forca in northern Natal is larger than Buffers and Sir George Whites together, so thai the Boers are able to leave force around Ladysmith larger than that within tnd town and yet to oppose General Butler with a force superior to his own.
 Reports from the Boer camps affirm that the circle of investment has been drawn closer by the occupation of some hills near. CT town, thus liberating endorsements to oppose General Butler.
 The Daily News suggests that mult- tude of the rumors that originate in South Africa and London are given current by the English military authorities in order tq mislead the Boers. The war pages of the great dailies this morning are almost bar- ren. Nevertheless, instruments on the loop connecting the war office with the cable continue to click.
 The yeomanry recruiters are disturbed by the fact that they able to get only one and half companies out of every 1000 applicants in the metropolitan district The other applicants fall short of the requires ments. One thousand would be regarded as a very small number even were all ac, cepted. The provinces are doing better, although to raise 10000 appears far from the easy matter it did a fortnight ago.
 Among the minor perplexities of the war office is a strike among the military tail- ors, which causes delay in uniforming the recruits. s
 Interview With Kruger
 J. B. Robinson, the South African mil<< lionaire, in a signed article in the Daily News this morning relates conversations he has had with President Kruger, and de- scribes several instances of the Jameson raid, which was talked over. President Kruger said:
 Do you mean to tell me that you don't know that the who organized and ep. gineered the raid organized it for their own benefit? They had decided how they would
  parties was to have certain interests in this country.
 Many reformers who were put in jail were perfectly innocent. They were Sgnos rant of the schemes of the men in the ins ner circles. There were only twelve men dn that inner circle, and they were to dis vide the Transvaaa among themselves.
 ''They and their companions found the Do H1,i inlx hat are so innocent as not to know that Rhodes. metaphorically speaking, held pistol at the heads of certain men in Eng, land and said to them: If you don't sup- port me. shall denounce you and your completely In the raid"
 At this stage according to MT Robinson. President Kruger became more excited. and shouted so loudly that people in the streets stopped to listen to the conversation MT. Kruger then said And now you are re- monstratng with me about arming It is true am arming, and it is because I see clearly that I must defend my country
 To this MT. Robinson replied: "The Brit ish public is aroused. If any attempts 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 prevent such free-booting expeditions"
 Kruger Greatly Excited
 President Kruger then approached MT. Robinson, placed a hand on his shoulder, made violent effort to suppress his excite- ment, and said: You mean well, but have lost all confidence. What happened would take place again, and I am deter- mined to guard against it."
 Later MT. Kruger said: What Is to pre- vent Rhodes and his coadjutors again en- tering some diabohcal attempt against the independence of my country?"
 Mr. Robinson proposes to publish book, giving the "True history of the Jameson raid"
 The Birmingham Mail, the organ of Joss eph Chamberlain, says:
 we understand on the highest authority that If the government is defeated in par- hament on the question of the war, the cabinet will immediately appeal to the country, all the ministers having decided to