Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-05-29
PEACE NOT SO SURE
SERIOUS HITCH IN THE NEGo.
TIATloNs AT PRETORIA.

Boer Delegates Not Satisfied With
Terms-London Press Still Certain
of Amicable Settlement OF Long
Strife-Cabinet to Meet.
Pretoria, May 27.-The prevalence
throughout South Africa of an optimist.
ic feeling regarding the peace negotia-
lions is hardly based on solid facts.
The protraction of the conference at
Vereeniging is not necessarily a
favorable sign. The delegates to the
conference, although they have aban-
doned their hopes of securing indie
pendence, still have many points of
difference with the government, while
an obstinate minority still regards the
resumption of hostilities as the best
outcome of the present situation, and
at any moment the points of difference
may be accumulated into refusal to
continue the negotiations. 1t is most
unlikely that those who are in favor
of peace will throw up the sponge 50
long as a decent minority is DESTROYS
of continuing the struggle, and all
these dissonant elements must be
taken into account before 1t is posi-
BILE to give any sort of prediction as
to che issue of the present negotia-
lions.
The Hague, May Pit is said in
Boer circles here that the peace pro-
posals made to thes conference at
Vereeniging, Transvaal, includes the
condition that the Beers in the field
be allowed to consult with the Boer
delegates in Europe before definite
settlement is reached. 1t is declared
also, upon the same authority, that
the British government refused May
% to accede to this request.
London, May 27.-The Daily Mail
says the cabinet council, to be held to-
| day, will decide upon points of details,
mostly of a financial nature, which
have been raised by the Beers in the
peace negotiations. Great Britain's
decision in the matter will then be
communicated to the Vereeniging con-
| ference by the delegates at Pretoria,
says the paper, and. being the best OBJ
| tainable terms, they will almost GER
| tainly be accepted. The results
/
| Thursday or Friday of this week,
| probably on Friday, the day upon
] which King Edwards birth is cele-
| brated. Peace is quite certain, says
the Daily Mail, and the delegates at
Pretoria are only engaged in endeav-
oring to gid the pill for the Vereen-
| lying convention to follow.
Just before parliament rose, after
midnight last night, rumor reached
| the Hobbies that hitch had occurred
in the peace negotiations. Nothing
| official concerning this rumor could
be ascertained, but the dispatch to
the Associated Press from Pretoria
in which it was said that the preva
lence throughout South Africa of the
optimistic feeling in regard to the
peace negotiations was hardly based
upon solid facts, may be regarded as
an indication that such hitch has oc
Cured. Little information from Pre-
toria has recently been able to pass
the censor there.
That the government yesterday
fully anticipated speedy conclusion
1 of peace is believed to be shown by
the postponement from yesterday un
i til Friday or later of the budget bill
in the committee stage, with the view
as was frankly admitted on the gov
eminent side of the house, of enabling
J the budget to be recast in the event
that peace is secured.
The tax on grain has proved so un
popular throughout the country ant
has had such an unexpected effect il
reuniting the liberal party with mos
effective election cry. there is little
doubt the government will welcome
an excuse to drop 1t.