The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10
ATALK WITH PAULKRUGER
N TRANsTAIL PRECEDENT IN
TERVIEHED M FRzNk HARRIS.
His Op'nion OF English Joursaiists-why
Hs would Not GO 60 E~nEIsnd-PIaIn
Talk About His Country's Grtevapces.

HIs OnintOn OF English IOurnnllata-w hV
Hs would Not GO 60 EnEisnd-PIaIr
Talk About HIs Country's Grievsue.s
from The saturday Revte,r.
In the 1rst ARTICLE Of this series, published
last week, | told how Chief Justice Kotze went
with me to President Kruger Ia order 10 pre.ep,
me. On our way the Chief Justice (aifsctionatel,
called Chief" by all who know him in South
Africa) talked freely about tho President for
whose person he cherishes n warm admiration,
He summed up the matter in a few pregnant
phrases. "Krnger's great qualities OF heart
and cha ~racter.' lie said, "%entltlo him to be 70.
gard ed as the father OF his people. He Ia ths
greatest man whom the Beers have yet produced
and. although l stood against him for the
Presidentship in 1902 .. / was not sorry when he
was reelected, and | have since supported him
loyalty. my Judgment being in agreement with
then gave I'VE s ssns'S hints un ss TO o. R Pow .b mns G ,raSi
this democratio ruler. Kruger loyes tho
truth" he said you need not be afraid to
runs counter TO bis mo-! cherished convictions
and snnoys and anGcrs him. He will hear you
the more OF, you for your outspokenness." l
c1nla not help showing a certain amount OF in;
mH,sn"ni'ty' fou mako him out to be a great
Al any rate. IL is possible to approach him
Kotae, quietly; and shall be astoni.hesdi II he 70
does not make n better aud deeper IMPRESSION
Words IN INN" my soH we se' drew w s ab before MIeh nh aheso
tenti9us but comfortable one;storied house
Witch is krnEer,s dwelling. The only slsn 81
taIy Boer-hslf policeman. half s~oldier-armed
with his rifle. As this official, saluted tho
turned to the. left into the large room
which serves the President NJ once rs sit
resemblance to the parlors Of Western AmSTi.
characteristic persist in defiance Of circum-
stances. Here, In the centre OF the room, was
books and one or two presentation copies richly
bound; here before a window the usual cluster
SaMsI the ru sus s9eYr a N ctal a,sS OF t Samuel 1p and md
Ruth. and under them tho chairs. stif backed
aud standing at mathemattcal distances, likeso
many drilled soldiers. The effect was pitiable
AS I looked about me, perpetually discover
anoes, President KRUGER came into the room
with a sort OF business,like haste. He walked
strength than elasticity, the result Of age. /
suppose the President is over seventyl; for the
been noted for speed Of foot as well as
i fSr . strength; %Fns 81 s himself Ssi,. T f iP srs
superiority of the white over the black races,
even in physique. loves to tell of how he once
ran. against three Zulu runners and beat the
self over eighty miles in the twenty, four hours,
as an extraordinary feat. kruger stands now
shhEnt 8 feet 8 inches; In youth he was. prob,
duly, hUout D tctb " inCnes- his bnOuluerS HTc
very broad; his frame at once square and deep.
His great size and length Of BODY render him hin
too. dummy bags under his eyes suggested an
advanced state of kidney disease, and his skin
ss .ns andhe %aisSy ta ,bs s,i psisor b tnas tens ss 81
strong, though slow: Bs was clad in a suit
al dow, the front. apparently by drippings Of
soup. Tho clothes. were Of the same cut and
odfst preacher. but far dirtier and more untldy.
Even the shirt the President wore seemed
His hand-clasp was perfunctory; he was evil
IDENTITY glad TO get the business Of presentation
in hand. after motioning the Chief and myself
to two seats opposite him., He then kicked open
;n Large rGe, iPit 70 7 !, that si 90 w Ssfw Z end U.s. ana ana g w nari
that the interview might begin: The Chief.
wwscwv was good e ns,EFa,bI to isis; ;s,S R me in
thai, he had brought me to him as an
English Journalist who wished to tell the
many English Journalistic, qrowled the old
about the Transvaal and It's inhabitants. They
all cay that Jameson came to protect the women
haT a white woman Or White child. and
when they can't send lies enough from Johannes
i replied that 1t was rather unfair to Judge
all English journalists by a few, and that 1t
faces by America and German had aroused a
considerable amount of lingo feeling in Eng
land; which these Journalists were trying to
said lutte for the English people if they required
on. "how careful the Boer is OF white women
and chile When we were discussing an at.
tack OH johannesburg after the raid, the first
thing we considered was how to get all the wo-
men and children out Of the town II the inhabi-
before we even considered our ultimatum. Tell
I %pssSa 40 .n q l hhEii set, "soP Fdsa OF" OF the ins' Beers %als Il haE IN:
deed, they can now digest truths as well as les,
Kruger Could state a case pretty forci6iy. His
indignant tones. too. added weight to his. pow
s Gs sh %Srq Mercy ne to ~s men on ea rsheot WIsh arms mnf in
mics might believe that We could be trusted to
understand ali that when they have lad time
the kindness with which your burghers treated
tho Wounded and everything; but just now
because YOU hold the Reform Committee men
to trial and mako the circumstances of their
able amounts. because, all their interests
R SS,ns to IN break SEH"n tSeiP bail 'Nf ionG iss an Sfr' see
the country, and yet they are forced to
seems 10 Enelishmen oppressive, and appears to
e gsmssSn and if Ii. G ssnsE"osi'y you showed to
Tho President slubbornly debated every point.
Justice" he said, would keep the men close
prisoners; they were rebels. and knew OF
Jameson's plot, and fostered IL; they themselves
had taken up arms against the Government, and
only laid them down under compulsion; it was
kindness and generous treatment TO let such
men. out on bail, however restricted" and SO
forth.
And when l objected that these charges had
yet to be proved against the prisoners he scotfed
hairsplitting. We have got the rifles OF the
Johannesburger here in Pretoria" and he
they are marked as Jameson's rides were
marked, Il. y. A, and yet we are blamed for
treating conspirators and rebels and raiders
better than such men were ever treated before,
better than the English ever treated their
enemies"
The words came without a check or correc-
tion in an indignant torrent; understood why
people praised Krnger's preaching; the man Is
q born orator. And his case was very strong. l
could find nothing OF weight TO oppose 10 his
arguments, and so | changed front slightly:
PLEASE do not take what | say M Intended for
blame. All Englishmen now must believe in
your magnanimity. l only wanted 1t to be flaw
less, perfect"