The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 14, 1900, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXVII—-NO. 104. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS. BRITAIN REJECTS PEACE OVERTURES, ROBERTS CLOSES IN ON BLOEMFONTEIN News of the Entry of Lord Rob- erts” Army Into the Free State Capital Is Expected at Any Hour. Rumors of the Relief of Mafeking Not Con. | firmed and Serious Conditions Exist at That Beleaguered Town. ONDON, March 14.—News of Lord Roberts’ entering Bloemfontein is now ex- any hour. pected ROBERTS’ LOSSES ON WAY TO BLOEMFONTEIN FRANCE'S ATTITUDE REGARDING INTERVENTION General Frenoch on Monday evening FEARFUL SUFFERING AT BESIEGED MAFEKING ROBERTS’ RAPID ADVANCE | OVER SCORCHING PLAINS | m pl oy~ was marked by cers stubbo of ground rd Roberts against the center At the pe since crossing int where Colonel the across r Grove to this place | the most severe engag the Modder nly contested Free State, Roberts scorching | river. every fleeing at dusk, when hrew most of his troops f their weakened line. Broadwood turned the Boer left he found himseif un- der the fire of t r nine-pounder. The ad- | occupied the and a half miles to the south of it. He nable to capture the railway statiom, the rolling stock found there. cavalry brigade and n on Bloemfontein waiting for the the . Beer in the isted the % T a Wisundersta ted the foremost tremeh . > B - . . . . e the trench was recaptured with taxes ery ur returned LOOK TO AMERICA TO TAKE INITIATIVE March 13. —Montague n late to- v soon after his an hour’s conversation with Mr. e Assistant Secretary of State, assured me that he hoped for & solution of the great problem now I cannot, of course, now give of that conversation. I ex- ee Mr. Hill again on Friday next will probably go to the State again. I believe that Ger- ance and Russia would.certainly movement made by the Government in the direction I think the Buropean s all look to this country to take tiative. If any European nation ould intervene it would tend to destroy armony of the continent. powers have interests in Africa and their motives would be questioned, United States would have nothing to gain except the preservation of two sister republics and no selfish interest could be tmputed.” ——— JOUBERT AT PRETORIA. PRETORIA, Saturday, March 10 (via Lourenzo Marques March 12).—General Joubert has arrived here to consult with the Government. Rumors of peace over- tures are in the air. All attention is di- rected to the British advance on Bloem- fontein. ——- — GERMANY’'S LATEST STAND. BERLIN, March 13.—It is semi-officially announced that when the Orange Free State and the Transvaal addressed to a but reserves werc | o DAL S S S e S okt S i T SR S DS D AR A y for the | Most of | but | j A i T o o T o ] e of Mr. Wyndham. e e . SR = a request for friendly mediation the Ger- | man Government replied that .it would | willingly participate provided the essen- tial condition of sSuch mediation were present, namely, the certainty that both belligerents desired it. | METHUEN TAKES POSHOF. ‘ LONDON, March 14.—The Daily Mail | has the following dispatch from Kimber- | ley, dated Tuesday, March 13: | *Lord Methuen occupied Poshof on Sun- day without opposition. He left a gar- rison there and returned here. The rail- way and telegraph lines have been re- paired thirty miles northward to Slyp | Klip. It 1s understood that the line be- | tween Fourteen Streams and Vryburg is ]nut badly damaged.” ! i | TROUBLE BETWEEN CHIEFS LEBOMBO, March 5, via Lourenzo Mar- ques, March 12.—Trouble is expected be- | tween Chief Ogelequana and Chief Um- | bogaz, in British Zululand. The Boers are anxious that the chiefs should net gqtar- | rei, and they are preparing to support the former, as is also the Swazi Queen. The Zulu King, however, upholds Umbogaz. The women at Plet Rief laager are la- menting over tbe heavy Boer loss around Ladysmith. —— MAFEKING'S RUMORED RELIEF. LONDON, March 13.—In the lobbles in the House of Commons rumors that Mafe- king had been relieved were in circulation this evening, but they still lack confirma- tion. —— GENERAL WHITE EMBARKS. DURBAN, March 12.—General Sir George Stewart White has arrived here and em- barked upon the transport for East Lon- number of the large and small states |don. "MAJOR GENERAL FRENCH, Commanding the Cavalry Division This gallant officer has had a large share in the successes of the British arms in South Africa. He commanded the British troops at the battle of Laagte, 1 Kimberley, and now gains new laurels at Bloemfontein State. Of late he has been at the head of the cavalry in the advance of Lord Roberts’ forces. SALISBURY’S REPLY DECLARED A DISGRACE TO GREAT BRITAIN LONDON, March 13.—In the House of Commons to-day Henry Labouchere, advanced Liberal protested against Lord Salisbury’s reply to Presidents Kruger and Steyh. It was, he said, not only a crime, but a blunder. The terms of peace proposed were an iniquity and a disgrace to Great Britain. Tur- key, he declared, might just as well have insisted on blotting out Greece .as an independent 'country. Greece insulted Turkey and compelled her to go to war. Thomas Gibson Bowles, Conservative, said that the last telegram from Presidents Kruger Steyn was even more insulting than the one which began the war. i The House at a late hour adopted the votes of money and men embraced in the army proposals | the British Government by the Presidents (@Ot 00000 0000000900000 0000Vt P00 0430000000000+ o : t of Lord Roberts’ Army. agts dash for the relief of being the first td emter the capital of the Free B A e S e e o S e o o B Sk B S R e R e e e ~and B R O R e S e e LD S S D P f‘.—o—o—o—.—e‘ | that God who lighted the unextinguishable fire of,love of fresdom In the hearts of. ourselves, and in our bellef that he will mot forsake us and that ‘he will. accomplish -his work- in us SALISBURY’S BLUNT REPLY | TO KRUGER AND STEYN| T . and In our descendants. TLONDON, March 13.—A parliamentary | We hesitated to make this declaration earlier to your Excellency, as we feared ghat as long paper containing the telegrams sent to 1o ¥ou R e | 83 long as our forces held defemsive positions of the South African Republic and the | far within her’ Majesty’s = colontes, .such a Orange Free State and Great Britaln's l declaration might hurt the feelings and homor reply thereto was issued this afterncon. | of the British pecple. But as the prestize of It first gives the telegram sent by the two | the PEritish empire may considered to be Presidents to the Marquis of Salisbury, as follows: BLOEMFONTEIN. March 5.—The blood and tears of thousands who have suffered by this war, and the prospect of all moral and econom- fe ruin wherewith South Africa is now threat- our forces had occupled, that difficulty is over, and we can no longer hesitate to clearly inform your ment and people, In the sight of fighting and on what conditions we are ready to restore peace. The Marguls ‘of Salisbury to the President of the South African Republic and the Free State: Foreign Offics, March I1L—I have the honor 2 : secure | yyrence. A discussion had been proceeding for and . mafutain the some months between her Majesty’s Govern- of both republics as soverelsn international | ment and the South African repubiic. of which states and to obtaln the assurance that those | ¢n. object was to obtain redress for certain of her Majesty's subjects who have taken | very gerious grievances under whieh the Brit- part with us In this war shall suffer 00 Rarm | jsn residents in South Africa were suffering. whatever In perscn o property. Om thess con- | In the course of these negotiations the South ditions, but on these conditions alone, are we | African republic had, to the knowledge of her now, as in the past, degirous of gseeing | Majesty’s Government, made considerable peace re-establisted In South Africs; while, If | grmaments, and the latter had. consequently her Majesty's Government is determined to | taken steps to provide corresponding reinforce- destroy the independence of the republics, there | ments of the British garrisons at Cape Town is nothing left to us and to our people but to | and in Natal. No infringement of the rights persevere to the end In the course already be- | guaranteed by the conventions-had, up to that In spite of the overwhelming pre-eminence | Suddenly, at two notice, the South Af- ot the British empire. we have confidence' in” rican regublic, after issuing an insulting uits., B e e e S S R R R R R S e R R R R S Sr Sy ar ey | BLOEMFONTEIN, CAPITAL OF THE ORANGE FREE STATE The view shows the market square, a prominent feature of all South African towns. On the ri t is the City Hall and the princi Do let the Presidency, the Parliament building and the leading hotel. - i principal Dopper church in the place, and on the f In Sending the Peace Proposal to England the United States Avoided the Possibility of an Affront. Premier Salisbury Promptly Replies De- clining to Accept the Good Offices of President McKinley. Special Dispatch to The Call. ALL HEADQUARTERS, WELLINGTON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, Mareh 13.—While the United States has not formally proposed to Great Britain that it be allowed to use its good offices to bring about a cessation of hostilities and to restore peace in South Africa. it has transmitted to London a request made by the Boer Governme: . It is evident to the authoritles from the reply do so. It is evident to the authorities from the reply made by Lerd Sai aln will reply to the request of the Pretoria officlals denying it. As the T States in transmitting the request did not urge that it be approved. and as " not Indicated that it proposes to urge Great Eritain to permit the use of | good offices, it has been saved from an affront such as it might have received had it adopted the recommendation ef pro-Boer agitators in the United States and with- out solicitation on the part of Great Britain urged that it accept the President’s good offices. In his dispatch ‘to the State Department serting forth the appeal of President Kruger to both the United States and Great Britain, Comsul Hay referred to a conversation he had had with the Boer authorities relative to the exercise of the good offices of the United States. It was apparently the idea of the Boer Government that after the-acceptance of Great Britain of Its request and the good offices of the United States be employed to end the war, there could be a discussion of terms, for they were not formally presented in the dispateh for- warded on Sunday by Mr. Hay. As stated, however, it is understood by the officlals here that the Boers would b2 glad to negotiate with Great Eritain for peace on the basis of their complete independence, which, however. Lord Salisbury has declined to consider. It had been apparent to the officiais acquainted with the temper of the British officials that the British Government would not at this time accept peace: that such negotiations would be confined to the military commanders of the hos- tile armies when the British were besleging Pretoria. Montagu White, the unofficial representative of the Boer Government here, had not expected that the Brit Governmient would hearken to the appeals of the Transvaal. He states, howev that the Boers are not beaten by any means yet, and they will contest the advance of the British strenuously and will strong- ly resist their capture of Pretoria :At the meeting of the Cabinet to-day Secretary Hay laid before the Presi- .-dent and his colleagues the dispatches he had received from the American Con- sul. It was at first reported that the United States had declined to use Its . §ood offices. This was true to the extent that it would not do so unless it were to be invited by Great Britain as well as the Transvaal: The Cabinet has -approved the action’of the President and Secretary of State in transmitting the information and a Cabinet official with whom I talked regarding the matter said that it was the bellef of the officials attending the meeting that the British Gov- ernment would not consent to permit the United States to medlate. LONDON, March 12—The United States Charge d'Affalres Henry White, saw Lord Salisbury at the Foreign Office this evening and received a formal reply from the British Government declining regard to peace with those alread cabled. the good offices of the United States in ts understood that the reasons of the Premier are identical Her Majesty inlo iy in- vaded by the two republics. Slege was laid ta _thres towns within the British frontier. a | large portion of two colonies were overrun. with great destruction of property and life. and the republics ciaimed to treat the imhabitants of D O AR SR 3 B e o e e e S R R Y ) extensive portions of her Majesty’s dominions as if those dominions had been annexed to one or the other of them. In anticipation of these | operations the South African repubiic had been accumulating for many years past military stores on an enormious scale, which, by their character. could only have been Intended for use against Great Britain. Your Honor makes some observations of a negative character upon the object with which these preparations were made. 1 do not think it necessary to discuss the guestion you have raised. But the result of these preparations, carried on with great secrecy, has been that the British empire has been compelled to con- } 4 front an invasion which has entalled upon th empire a costly war and the loss of theusand of precious lives. This great calamity has bee: the peralty Great Britain has suffered for h Ing of recent years acquiesced in the existence | of the two republice. In view of the use to which the two republics have put the position | which was given them. and the calamities their ungrovoked acts haye inflicted on her Majesty's | dominions, her Majesty's Government can only answer to your Honors’ tplegram by saying that | they are not prepared to assent to the inde- | pendence either of the South African republic | or the Orange Free State. | The correspondence was read In both | houses of Parliament to-day and the con- | cluding paragraph of the British Pre- | mier’s reply elicited prolonged cheers. w2 o it BRABANT'S SUCCESS. | ALIWAL NORTH, Cape Colony, by cou- | rier to Burghersdorp, via Stormberg Junc- | tion, March 13.—General Brabant's forces | arrived here on Sunday. The Boers had retired the previous night, taking up 2 Position four miles beyond the Orange | River, where General Brabant attacked | and drove them back, securing the posi- tion after a sharp engagement. ¢ FRENCH AT BLOEMFONTEIN. ‘. CAPE TOWN, March 13—General | French has arrived at Bloemfontein. This dispatch may mean that G«nenx‘ French has entered Bloemfontein, or merely that he Is in the environs, thus be- latedly confirming Lord Roberts’ advices to the War Office yesterday. BARKLEY EAST REOCCUPIED. HERSCHEL, Cape Colony, March 12— The Cape Mounted Police have recccupied Barkley East. MORAL REFORM WAVE STRIKES' NEW YORK Concert Halls Raided and Their Pro- prietors Placed Under Arrest. NEW YORK, March 13—The police to- {in session, has the streets and arrested the proprietors. The Iatter were taken to a pelice statiom and soon released cn $600 bai The arrests were the resul agi- tation against disorderly Tesorts whiel has lately stirred the city. The crusads began with the suppression of the play “Sapho.” as presented by Olga Nether- sole’s company. Anthony Comstock seon afterward raided numerous gambling places. Rev. Dr. Parkhurst wrote a sharp letter to District Attorney Gardiner, call- ing his attention to the open drinking places frequented by women. Mr. Gardiner wrote an equally pointed letter to Chief of Police Devery and t night the principal rt visited and the persons in charge of them arrested. The Grand Jury, which is still indicted the keepers of ten gambling houses. The poolrooms and policy shops have been closed pending the abatement of the storm. An anti-policy bill of sweeping. char- acter has reached such a stage in the State Legislature that its passage i3 be- lieved to be certain and the bill repeal ing the Horton ng law, under which prize fights are held, was reported to the tate Senate to-day, having passed the House. REAR ADMIRAL KEMPFF ACCEPTS A NEW POST Leaves Mare Island to Become Sece ond in Command of the Asiatic Station. WASHINGTON, March 13—Rear Ad< miral Kempff. commandant of the Mare Island Navy Yard, to-day telegraphed to the Navy Department his acceptance of the offer of second in command of the Asiatic station. As a matter of faet, Rear Admiral Kempff's command will very, nearly approach an independent statioms, Rear Admiral Remey, the nominal come mandant of the entire naval force on the fatic station, Is expected to remain fm he Philipptnes, while Rear Admiral Kempff will have a separate squadron crulsing on the Chinese and Japaness coasts. The re-establishment of the force on the China station may be a significant fact in view of the repeated hints from European sources of hostilities on so large a scale that they threaten to involve Asta. Rear Admiral C. S. Cotton probably will made temporary commandant of Mars Island yard. The cruiser Philadeiphia will sail to- morrow for Acapulco en route to Central American ports. Admiral Kautz will re- main on the Iowa, which will go to Puges Sound for repairs, PRESIDENT NEED NOT PRODUCE AFFIDAVITS Representative Lentz Again Fails ta Drag Mr. McKinley Into the Wardner Investigation. WASHINGTON, March 13—Thers was a spirited controversy to-day at the out- set of the Coeur d’jlene investigaticn be- fore the House Committee on Military Af- | fairs when Representative Lentz called attention to telegrams given out by the War Department in which ecapitalists asked for protection to their interests In the mining country. He said that in view of these publications the country ought to Have the afidavits presented by Sena- tors.Carter and Heitfeld to the President, in which prominent officials of the mining and labor organizations declared martial law was unneccessary in the Coeur d@"Alene district. The committee finally went into executive session on Lentz's proposition and decided not to call upon the President for the affidavits. At the open hearing the cross-examina- tion of L. J. Simpkins developed many incidents of the disorder, but in the main the witness held to the detaily given on his direct examination. AR Pers Henri Didon Dead.