THE TRANSVAAL.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 437, 20 May 1899, Page 2

THE TRANSVAAL.

[UNITED I'RESS association]. (BY ELECTRIC TELEGBArn—copyright). Capetown, May 17. Skven Englishmen and one Dane were arrested at Johannesburg on Monday night, and conveyed to Pretoria, on a charge of enlisting men for service against the Transvaal. It is alleged that '2.000 are already enrolled. London, May 17. The correspondent of the Daily News at Johannesburg states that the conspiracy is a sporadic out-growth, caused by the oppression of the Boer Government, and the offenders are proverbial rolling-stones. ' The St. James' Gazette considers the outburst strengthens the case for a compromise between the two countries.

Gther newspapers suspect that the whole affair has its real authorship in the Boors themselves, and is desired as a lever to prevent the Imperial Government bringing pressure to bear to secure reforms.

No private information with regard to the arrests and the alleged conspiracy has been received in London except by diggers and by the Mining Standard, a Boer newspaper organ. b May 18. The Times ridicules the assertions of the Boer Government, referring to their version as a " cock and bull story." Pretoria, May 18. The men accused of enrolling men iu Johannesburg for service against the Transvaal appeared before the Court to-day, and were remanded for a fortnight. The prisoners present a loafer-like appearance, and are regarded locally as insignificant persons. The Boer Government asserts that 2000 men have been enrolled, and that it was intended to train them in the Natal force, so that they might subsequently return and seize the fort at Johannesburg and hold it until British troops arrived. The Government allege that one of the prisoners claims to have been acting under direct instructions from the British War Office.

(Received May 19, 9 50 a.m.). London, May 18. Mr Chamberlain's despatch to the Transvaal Government in reference to the franchise, the law courts and the dynamite monopoly was somewhat peremptory. [g Dr. Leyds, diplomatic representative of the Transvaal in Europe, visited Paris and saw M. Delcasse, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in reference to affairs in the Transraal. M. Delcasse's reply showed that Franca had become more closely identified with Britain. Pretoria, May 18. The excitement at Pretoria over the arrests at Johnannesburg is subsiding. London, May 18. The Continental Press relaises the Transvaal affair as trivial.