The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-17
GENERAL CRONJE
AS A FIGHTER
Way He Handled the
Jameson Raid.

While Joubert is the cunning schernsr
OF the Transvaal army, Cronie is It's
rough and burly fighter OF the two ba
Is the more representative Boer. Joubert.
possibly from his French ancestry. Ia a
man or certain polish. and can be in
direct when policy requires. Cronte IL
olunt and always to the point. His craft
Is that or the hunter. and thinly DISCUSSES
the force that awaits only the oppor-
tunity.
Something OF this Is already observable
in mis- operations around AIafeking. ia
is doing all he can 10 lure Baden-PowelI
from the intrenchments. where he can
strike man for man. He has made sew
eral assaults. He can be depended upon
TO stake everything on one desperate
fight at the first fair chance.
General CronJe is greatly admired bv
the Beers. They think JOubert is a won
derful tactician and organizer. but they
love Cronje, the silent man, OF sudden and
violent action. He Is no mans friend
His steel gray eyes peer out from under
huge, bushy brows. He never speaks
words. He never asks a favor. When
time for action comes he acts and that
with the force OF fate and with no con-
sideration for himself or his men.
That is the way he handled the jams
son raid. He saved the republic then, In
the opinion Of the republic. he Is a man
CronJe is a soldier and nothing else He
hates form. He hates politics. though a
born leader OF men. He was strongly
dency in 1895. but he would not. He will
have none OF any rule but that OF tho
rifle. He despises cities. He is a man OF
These two men. Joubert and Cronje.
hold in their hands the fate OF the BOer
republics. The one Is commander In chief.
the other is second In command. OF Jou-
bert we have heard much, OF Cronje lit
tie. The most descriptive picture OF
Cronje is from the pen OF Douglas Story.
Standard and Diggers News. IL was pub
lished in the London Daily Mail OF Octo-
Der 30. and the following is an extract:
"Wily and farseeing as Is Piet Joubert.
no man OF them all can handle troops In
the field as CronJe. He has the eye OF a
hawk for position, the nose OF Jackal
maneuvering OF Jameson was that OF an
oliver Cromwell
"Cronje was commandant at Potchef-
stroom, seventy miles TO the south Of
border. He co-operated with Malan and
Potgieter, but the conduct OF the night
lay with the cool head OF Cronje.
II rode out to the scene OF Jameson's
defeat some time after the battle. and
realized how much OF the hunter there In
still in the Boer lighting man. No mere
soldier would have herded his enemy So
patiently into a position as did CronJe
into the fatal corral at DoOrnkop.
"All through the night succeeding
Jameson's attack on Krugersdorp Cronje
kept warily hustling his enemy into the
place OF death. The brave. foOdless
troopers. heavy with sleep. were driven
like sheep into a shambles.
when the morning broke, 20 the right.
10 the left and In front Of them Boer
marksmen kept their rifles trained upon
the raiders. Escape there was none. But
the battle was won in the night hours.
while Jameson was hclplessly laundering
on in front Of his remorseless enemy.
troopers came within a hundred yards be-
fore he gave the mercy blow.
And vet there was a time in tho dark
ness when jameson almost escaped from
his hunters Cronje's son was badly
wounded in the early skirmish. For the
moment the fathers instinct overcame
the generals discretion. He bore his boy
back 20 Krugersdorp and left him with
DR.. Viljoen there. IL was fathers act.
and one strangely unlike the rough farm
er's exterior Of the man who mastered
''The lesson learned that pitiful night
dictated Cronje's courteous assurance 20
the defender OF Mafeking that the Red
Cross was safe from him and his
while CrOnle was gone somebody
blundered; and the troopers In their
flank OF the heaters into safety. But 10
was not 10 be, and long ere daylight
CTCnie was back 10 repair damage and ar
range his final battle.
THAT driZzly. misty night made Cronje
a war god among the Beers.
And yet these stOlid veldt men give
little demonstration OF their admiration.
The Beers are not a grateful nation as
the Americans with their Dewey or We
British with our Kitchener are grateful.
Days after the battle saw CrOnje riding
heavily down the Kerk STRAIT in Pre-
toria. heavy big-boned peasant upon a
shaggy. tripping pony. No man touched
ms nat 20 NM ~ Z; rev HfSoe9 nm C,.
among the Beers. Is always known as
Commandment Cronje. There Is rude
dignity about the man that compels so
by their Christian names, Slim Piet Jou-
bert, Dom Christian JOubert, Dom
jan NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. but rarely
place apart stands Commandment Cronje.
80 far as my memory carries. Cronte
was not even specifically thanked by the
Volksraad for his great services 70 the
state at Doornkop. He was a burgher:
IL was his duty 10 repel the invader: he
repealed him-and there the matter rested
failed: they refrained from comment
when he succeeded
"Cnonje. riding back 10 Pretoria. had no
guard OF honor 20 receive him. no great
honor 20 adorn him. He was plain Peas
ant Cronje. returning. heavy hearted
from his wounded sons pallet I'm Krugers-
dorp Hospital, somewhat weary In the
bones from those long hours in the steam
ing saddle, nowise elated. nowise altered
from his everyday demeanor.
CluNc NAth NttFlNtu ~ scat
in the Executive Council. and ~ now a
parsonage with a substantial state salary:
but the man Is no way changed. He was
thought 20 be n supporter OF the Presi-
dents when he Joined the Executive
Council. but neither Kruger nor Joubert
has found him amenable. He IL not OF
the race that makes the party man.
"He Is as individual az Kruger. strong
in the faith Of his own generalship as
Joubert."
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