Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-26
CESSATION =
HOS. .t|T|ES
LONDON FILLED WITH RUMoRS
OF PEACE MESSAGES LOOK
ING TO END OF WAR,
ENGLAND INVADED BY
AMERICAN MILLIONAIRES.
Col. Mahon Drove Five Camels To
Death-Baden-P Powell Hero of
the Day-Buys 10000 Flags.

London, May 26.-{Copyrighted 1900,
by the Associated Press. 1.-The outlook
for peace, how soon will it come and the
means by which it will be procured are
the foremost topics of the hour here.
The air is full of rumors about messages
from President Kruger, the Boer dele
gates, and other formal steps looking to
cessation of hostilities: but these, so
far. have proved to be without any foun-
daton. According to the opinion of one
of the highest officials of the foreign
office there is popular misconception
regarding the Importance of these inn
aginary appeals. This authority is in
clined to believe that the most submis-
sive telegram President Kruger could
compose would not alter the situation in
the slightest
Peace" he declared, "can only be ac-
complShed after the Transvaal has un-
dergone the same process as the Free
State"
The cases are. or will be in few days,
analogous. The most forcible illustra-
tion Of my meaning can be gathered by
supposing President Steyn now sued. or
had sued. for peace What difference
could such an action make to us?
Neither Kruger's word nor Steyn's word
are any guarantee that their people will
submit. Kruger might surrender, Pre-
toria might be in our hands. vet, in other
parts of the Transvaal we might have a
recurrence of such thing as the siege
of Wepener, or widespread uprisings
which would necessitate the presence of
thousands of troops.
A thorough occupation having now be-
come the object of the war, it cannot
terminate until disarmament is COM
p>1N nlx a{nI all
forces. When the Beers want peace,
they must tell Lord Roberts, and take to
him their arms. This may, perhaps, oc-
cur at the instigation of President kru-
ger, but the only Importance we could
now attach to any Of his appeals or
utterances is the extent with which they
will be observed among his own people.
My personal opinion is that 1t will be
found that the extent is small, though
this fact should not delay peace. or, more
properly, pacificat ton. Lord Roberts
should be able to subdue the Transvaal
almost as easily as he did the Free
State. If. as l hear is likely. bodies of
Beers will take to the hills lot of them
will be kept there till they are tired.
With the bulk of the population dis
armed. these guerrilla bands are not
likely to be a serious factor.
II fail to see how matters will be alter
ed even if a foreign power, says the Unit
ed States consented to transmit the un-
conditional surrender Of our foes. ] can
not see that it would be worth the paper
it is written on. though the action would
take is too hypothetical for me to fore
cast it,
Others who have given the matter
study echoed these ideas, while a we'll
known member of the diplomatic corps
told a representative of the Associated
Press that he thought it most improba-
BILE that any nation would transmit even
unconditional offers from the Beers, or
that such method of attempting to stop
the war would do tho Roars any good,
except as salving their pride.