The San Francisco call. [volume], October 13, 1899, Page 3, Image 3

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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BOERS DECLARE WAR AND COMMENCE
MOST AGGRESSIVE ACTS:
JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 12.— War was declared
yesterday. The formal declaration occurred at
10 o'clock this rooming.
VRYBURG, Cape Colony, Oct. 12.— A body of
Boers have cut the border fence, advanced to
ti)e railway and cut the telegraph wires. Two
thousand Boers are now occupying the railroad
line.
LONDON. Oct. 13.— When the Cabinet
meets at noon to-day it is evident
the Boer advance will be in full
swing. Judging from present ap
pearances the Boers are preparing
for a simultaneous invasion at five sepa
rate points— Lalngs Neck, Kimberly, Vry
burg, Mafeking and Lobastsi. Therefore.
It is almost impossible to guess the plan
of campaign. A dispatch from Durban,
dated Thursday morning at S o'clock, an
nounces that the Boers seized Albertina
station and demanded the keys, which
were delivered to them by the station
master, who reached Ladysmith on a
trolley car. The excitement at Ladysmith
Is increasing and the troops are ready to
act at a moment's notice.
It is now definitely known that the Brit
ish Government sent no final proposals to
Pretoria. The Transvaal's ultimatum fore
stalled that Intention.
News received thus far shows that
no shot has yet been fired. The evacuated
district between Charlestown and New
castle, Natal, has an area of -■"•' 1 square
miles, and consists chiefly of hilly moor
land, sparsely populated.
The Jacobsdal command of the Free
State Boers is marching on the Modder
River.
There is no abatement in the anti-Eng
lish feeling on the Continent. The Times'
Berlin correspondent declares that the
German nation as a whole is unfriendly to
England and that there would be re
joicing on all sides if England should suf
fer disaster, just is the people were
ready to rejoice had America suffered de
feat at the hands of Spain.
Advices from Vienna report that at an
anti-Semitic meeting there Burgomaster
Lueger included both the United States
and England in a charge of ruthlessness
and thirst for gold, especially criticizing
America In her economic dings with
Europe, lierr Lueger. in the course of
his speech, paid homage to the patriotism
and love of liberty displayed by the Boers.
The Daily Mail's correspondent at Lo
bs tsi, telegraphing on Wednesday, says:
"The Boers are on the border preparing
to cross at 3 o'clock to-day. A messenger
sent to the Beors -king them to spare
the women and children has been de
tained.
The home preparations for war are
growing apace. The reservists are re
sponding more actively to the proclama
tion ordering their mobilization and the
Government has engaged more transports.
The morning papers are cussing at
some length the authority of the docu
ments which have recently emanated
from President Kruger's Government. Dr.
Leyds, tho European representative of the
South African Republic, is generally cred-
ited with the authorship of the ultima
tum.
The Daily Mail says: "Certainly neither
President Kruger nor State Secretary
Reitz drafted the message to the New
York World, and it is more probable that
Mr. Smuts (State Attorney) is the author
of this and the ultimatum."
f-*:-bident Kruger is credited with de
clining to quit Pretoria, declaring that,
"like a faithful captain, he will remain on
the bridge whether the ship rides safely
Ino the harbor or goes down into the
■
Harry Escombe, former Prime Miniser
of Natal, was among the last to leave
Charlestown; He still doubts whether the
Boers will really move, into Natal.
Conyngham Greene, when bidding fare
well to the Transvaai Government, men
tioned the case of the Englishman Rob
ertson, who ls imprisoned at Pretoria on
a charge of aUempting to raise recruits
at Johannesburg for the Natal Light
Horse. His friends re seriously con
cerned for his safety and have appealed
to the American Consul on his Desalt.
NON-COMBATANTS
MUST LEAVE MAFEKING
MAFEKING. Cape Colony. Oct. 13.— As
Colonel Baden-Powell's Movement From Mafeking.
View of Mafeklne and the country east to the Transvaal border, some nine or ten miles distant, across which, near Ottoshoop and Roolgrond, Boers to the number of 3500 are said to be in "laager" prepar
ing for a raid. The troops ln the foreground are Colonel Baden-Powell's forces, which left Mafeking yesterday for a more favorable position nearer the frontier. _he road they are on is the same by which
the Jameson raiders left Mafeking for Johannisburg in J896. The border line runs to the southeast, between the last two hills shown on the right.
| the Boers in strong force threaten this
! place the situation is so serious that all
j non-combatants have been notified that
they will be taken away at the expense
j of the Imperial Government and housed
jat Cape Town. A railroad train carrying
| 300 women and children was escorted by
; a detachment of Colonel Baden-Powell's
I force as far south as Vryburg, where the
Cape railway becomes responsible for the
' safety of the passengers.
LONDON, Oct. 13.— Albertina, which a
dispatch from Durban reported as having
been seized on Thursday h,v the Boers, is
a station in the Free State on the Harri
smith line. Harrlsmith is equipped and
officered entirely by Natal troops. Dur
ban advices received here say that the
Royal Irish Fuslleers have arrived there
and that military headquarters are being
removed to Ladysmith, whither General
Sir George Stewart White. General Sir
Archibald Hunter and General Symonds,
with their staffs, have already gone.
MAFEKING PREPARES
FOR AN ATTACK
CAPE TOWN. Oct. 12.— Advices from
Mafeking say that precaution has been
taken against attack and all the streets
are barricaded. According to these ad
vices the Boers Intend to shell the town
before delivering their attack. They are
said to possess twelve guns. Every man
in Mafeking is carrying a rifle and the
military authorities are confident that
they will be able to repel attack, but they
lack the force necessary to follow a Boer
retreat. The convent sisters and many
ladles have elected to stay and nurse the
wounded and houses have been converted
into hospitals. The searchlight on the
fort ls kept working across the veldt.
Three Boer spies have been arrested In
| the town. Railway communication to
I the southward is practically at the mercy
; of the Boers, over 200 miles of the line
being within easy striking distance of
the enterprising commandos.
Sad scenes occurred at the railway sta
tion on the departure of the women and
children by train. It is thought that even
should the main line be blown up at any
polnt the damage can be repaired within
a few hours.
BADEN-POWELL'S FORCE
TAKES DEFENSIVE GROUND
LONDON. Oct. 12.— A dispatch from
Mafeking under to-day's date says that
Colonel Baden-Powell has just sent a
strong British force from Mafeking to
ward the border with field guns and am
bulances, presumably with a view of oc
cupying advantageous defensive high
ground.
Dispatches from Duban. Natal, confirm
the report that the Orange Free State
authorities seized the Natal train that
was leaving Ladysmith yesterday morn
ing for Harrismith. They also stopped a
train due to leave Harrismith in the aft
ernoon. All the rolling stock has been
ordered down the country out of reach of
seizure.
It is understood that telegraphic com
munication with the Transvaal ceased
punctually at 5 o'clock yesterday after
noon (Transvaal time). *
MAKES COMMON CAUSE
WITH THE TRANSVAAL
LONDON, Oct. 13.— 1n reply to the for
mal inquiry of Sir Alfred Milner. Governor
of Cape Colony and British High Commis
sioner in South Africa, President Steyn of
the Orange Free State announces that
the State will make common cause with
the Transvaal.
CAPE TOWN. Oct. 12.— 1t is learned
here that the Free State traders have been
heavily commandeered and have refused
to Import more goods, and It Is expected
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13. 1899.
Field Cornet Bringing in a Commando.
(From a Sketch Made for Black and White.)
that the Boers will shortly find difficulty
in obtaining coffee and sugar. The tele
graph wires have Deen cut at Marlbogo,
forty miles south of Mafeking.
BIG ADVANCE IN
ATLANTIC FREIGHT RATES
NEW YORK, Oct. . 12.— According to
Dcean freight agents in the Produce Ex
change, Atlantic freight rates have ad
vanced on ah average of five shillings a
ton. This Increase is due to the fact that
the English Government has chartered
more than eighty steamers. More than
one-half of these were used In the Atlan
tic trade. Agents say that they will not
know what boats have been taken until
the steamships are ready to leave the
other side. Then they will be notified that
the vessels have been taken. Within the
last few weeks ocean freight rates are
said to have advanced 25 to 30 per cent.
HALIFAX RESERVES
TO GO TO THE CAPE
HALIFAX, N. S., Oct. 12.— The military
authorities here are active in view of the
Transvaal situation. Lord Seymour has
Issued an order for all the reserve men
In and about Halifax to be prepared to
shoulder guns and go to the Cape if neces
sary. To-day the whole reserve force
here was notified of the War Depart
ment's Instructions. The order to the re
serves was that they may be required to
go to the Cape. There are several hun
dred reserves in Halifax.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN
SENT FROM MAFEKING
CAPE TOWN, Oct. 12.— At G;10 Wednes
day evening three carriages containing i
women and children, but not a single j
white man except sick ministers, were i
dispatched from Mafeking- The prepara
tions for the defense of Mafeking are ex
cellent. It is reported by natives at Mafe
king that they were robbed of money by
the Boers at Malmani.
The news of the ultimatum created no
excitement ' at Mafeking. A transport
rider suspected of carrying details daily
across the border has been arrested there.
STRICT NEUTRALITY
OF THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON, Oct. Although ;
urged to tender the mediation of the !
United States to aid Great Britain in her .
operations against the Boers, and again .
to assist President Kruger's forces ln op- j
posing the British, President McKlnley \
has decided to maintain strict neutrality '
ln the South African war. The official !
announcement of this as the attitude of
the United States was made by the State
Department to-day. This announcement
was undoubtedly prepared by Secretary
Hay after consultation with the President
and his Cabinet, and forwarded to Wash
ington for publication by the State De
partment. Appended is the statement is
sued by the State Department:
The President has received a large number of
petitions signed by many citizens of distinction
requesting him to tender the mediation of the
United States to settle the difficulties existing
between the Government of Great Britain and
that of the Transvaal. He has received other
petitions on the same subject, some of them
desiring him to make common cause with
Great Britain to redress the wrongs alleged to
have been suffered my the Outlanders, and
especially by American citizens tn the Trans
vaal, and others wishing him to assist the
Boers against alleged aggression. It Is under-
Stood that the President does not think it ex
pedient to take action In any of these direc
tions. As to taking sides with either party to
the dispute it is not to be thought of. As to
mediation, the President has received no Inti
mation from either of the countries that the
mediation of the I'-ited States would be ac
cepted, and In the absence of such intimation
from both parties there is nothing In the rules
of international usage to Justtf- an offer of
mediation in the present circumstances. It is
known that the President sincerely hopes and
desires that hostilities may be avoided, but If,
unfortunately, they ...ould come to pass, the
effort of this Government will be directed—
they are at present— to seeing that neither our
national Interests nor those fat our citizens
shall suffer unnecessary Injury.
Formal application that the United
States protect British Interests In the
Transvaal had not been made to the State
ultimatum^'' ° Ct ' 12 Followln * ,s the text of the British reply to the Boer
"Chamberlain to Milner, High Commissioner, 10-45 p. m
October 10, 1899: '
"Her Majesty's Government has received with great regret the
peremptory demands of the South African republic, conveyed in
your telegram of October 9. You will inform the Government of the
South African republic in reply that the conditions demanded by the
Government of the South African republic are such as her Majesty's
Government deems it impossible to discuss."
Department up to the close of office hours
to-day, nor had the department been in
formed that war had actually been de
clared. It is understood that Consul Ma
crum, stationed at Pretoria, Is well
equipped with instructions relative to the
course he shall pursue, both in the mat
ter providing protection for Americans
and ln looking after British Interests, and
that he will take action Immediately upon
receipt of a direction to make proper rep
resentation to the Kruger government
relative to the assumption by this Govern
ment of the protection of British Inter
ests. Mr. Macrum cabled the State De
ARMORED TRAIN
REPORTED DESTROYED
Big Loss of Life Will Result, and the
News Is Unofficially Con-
firmed.
CAPE TOWN, Oct. 13.— A
dispatch from Vryburg says an
armored train has been de-
stroyed. It is feared that much
loss of life will result. The news
has been unofficially confirmed.
The first shot of war, it is now
admitted, has been fired. Before
Kruger's ultimatum was issued
it came from a Boer patrol, who
fired on the mail train from Na-
tal. The seizure of a mail train
in the Free State at Harrismith
is also reported.
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partment inquiring as to the method to be
pursued in the matter of certification of
American citizens, and It ls presumed
that this Inquiry was prompted by a de
sire to furnish the Boer Government with
a list of Americans in the Transvaal.
Acting Secretary Adee in reply informed
him that Americans should be registered
In the consulate, and the fact of such reg
istration ought to prevent their getting
involved ln any trouble, provided, of
course, that, following the example of
their Government, they remained strictly
neutral.
3