Evening journal., 1902-06-02
Announcement Came As a
Surprise in London
BOERS NO LONGER A NATION
Unlikely That "OOm Paul Kruger
Will be Permitted to Return 10
The iraRSYaal

London, June 2.--Peace has been de-
clared after nearly two years and eight
months OF war which tried the Brit
ish empire to its utmost and wiped the
Beers from the list of nations.
The war has come to an end with
Lord Kitchener's announcement from
Pretoria that he. Lord Miner and the
Boer delegates had signed terms Of
surrender" This announcement had
been anticipated for several days, and
It was definitely forecasted in these dis
patches, but its receipt yesterday after
noon took the nation by surprise, as
everybody had confidently believed
that the house Of commons would hear
the first news today. The edge Of the
anticipation with which Great Britain
awaited the promised statement in the
house of commons from Mr.. Balfour,
the government leader, was still fur
ther dulled by the following message
from King Edward to his people, which
was issued after midnight.
"The king has received the welcome
news Of the cessation Of hostillties in
South Africa with infinite satisfaction,
and his majesty trusts that peace may
speedily be followed by the restoration
OF prosperity in his new dominions, and
4 that the feelings necessarily ongender-
ed by war will give place GO earnest
cooperation on the part Of his majs-
| tvs South African subjects in promot-
! ing the welfare of their commen coun-
try"
According to despatch to the Daily
Express from Utrecht, Holland, Mr.
Kruger was informed shortly after 3
o'clock last night that peace nad been
declared. He had been asleep. MY
God" he said, "it is impossible" Mr.
Kruger and his encourage, the despatch
continues, hope to be permitted to re-
turn to the Transvaal. This, however
is quite unlikely.
The news which Great Britain was
so anxiously awaiting came character
istically on an entirely pacific and un-
interesting Sunday afternoon, when
London presents a deserted appear
ance
At about one o'clock yesterday after
noon the war office received the fol-
lowing despatch from Lord Kitchener,
dated Pretoria, Saturday, May 81, Ills
! p. NJ: "a document concerning terms
of surrender was signed here this even
/ ing at half-past 10 o'clock by all the
the Boer representatives. as well as by
Lord Miner and myself"
In the clubs, the hotels and the news
paper Offices, which we're almost all
deserted, the momentous news was
ticked out on the tape Then, like
\ wldfre, at about 6 o'clock, London
awakened to the fact that the South AZ
rican war was over. The inhabitants
Of the East End fiocked TO the Man
sion House, the Mecca Of the bolster
ously patriotic, just in time to see the
lord mayor of London. Sir Joseph G.
Dimsdale, come to a balcony and am
nounce that terms of surrender had
been signed in South Africa. Amid
many cheers the lord mayor made a
short speech, in which he expressed
his hope that London would show its
appreciation of the good news by be-
having itself decently and in an orderly
manner. let us" said the lord may
or, in conclusion, now pray for a long
and happy peace"
At this statement the assembled
crowd yelled Justify, and, at the in
stance of the lord mayor, gave hearty
cheers for King Edward, followed by
others for the men who had died in
South Africa since the war COM
menced.