Arizona republican., 1899-12-27

nCunclnS Lne beginning of the armed conflict between Great Britain and the Transvaal, he especially warned her majesty's subjects, and others with a pa~ticuiar stress upon the word 'oth- ers'-to avoid engaging in the service of the Transvaal, adding that anyone caught disobeying the commands con- tained in the decree will be punished with the utmost severity. The word ''others" clearly applies to citizens Of foreign countries who may join the Boer flag.
 Moreover, the view taken by Sir Al fred in this proclamation, is to a cer- tain extent confirmed by the attitude of the United States government and of the other foreign powers. Not one of them has recognized until now the Transvaal as an independent sovereign state, or as anything else than state vassal to and dependent upon Great Britain. Therefore, they cannot con- slider the Transvaal at the present mo- ment as anything else than a mere re- bellious vassal, and cannot regard the Boers as bona fide belligerents.
 Had the United States admitted the pretension of the Transvaal to be re- garded as a fulI-hedged belligerent, it could not under the provisions of the laws governing the maintenance of neutrality have permitted England to continue thepurchase of mules, of canned provisions, etc, in this country. At the same time it would not inter fere with the enlistment here of msn for service with the Boers, unless ap- pealed to by the English authorities ar ir n +r,o iei- of endorsements for the rebels during the Cuban insurrection, until appealed to by the Spanish government.
 But were the English diplomatic and consular authorities here to ask the United States authorities to put a stop to the operations of those who are re- cruiting men for service in the Trans vaal against the British forces, the American tribunals would have no other course open to them than to com- ply with the deTcand, as was done in the case of that American skipper, who at the instance of the Spanish govern ment, was sentenced at Philadelphia or Baltimore-I forget which-to Q long term of imprisonment for organizing an expedition to convey assistance to the rebels in Cuba. It may be ramem- bered that he was in prison serving time at the moment when the war be- tween this country and Spain broke out
 Were Sir Redvers Butler a more con- ciliatory and indulgent man than he is known to be, and in consequence there of reluctant to adopt harsh measures to the alien allies of the Boers, as well as disposed to treat them as prisoners of war, he would be virtually debarred from allowing his feelings to influence him in the matter by the knowledge that any such concession would be in terpreted in Europe in the light of a recognition by England that the Boers are full-hedged belligerents of mere ly ''rebellious vassals."
 That would furnish powers such as. for instance, France and Russia, which are notoriously unfriendly to England in present difficulties in South Afri- ca, with the pretext for which they are longing, to recognize themselves the belligerency of the Boers, and ipse facto the latter's pretensions to be an independent sovereign state. None of the foreign powers have as yet ventur ed to take such a step, aware that it would be regarded as just as much of a hostile act by Great Britain as if Ger many were at the present moment to recognize Aguinaldo's republic in the Philippines. But if Sir Rcdvers ac- cords to non-British foreigners found fighting in the Boer ranks the treat ment of bona fide prisoners of war; and treats them as belligerents, there will be every excuse for France or any other CT fn at itGa aIf nf the opportunity to recognize the bellig- erency of the Boers, and of all fighting under their flag, and to call for an inn mediate enforcement Of the law of neu- trality against England as well as against the TransvaaL
 As long as neither the belligerercy nor the independence of the Transvaal are recognized, and it retains it's pre- sent status of a mere ''rebelious vas sal" the laws of neutrality are merely binding upon the powers in so far as their preventing any assistance either in the form of men, war material or supplies of any kind from reaching the Transvaal or the Free State.
 In fact, England would have just as much valid cause for obtaining dam ages from a power that had violated
 
 States when it obtained S15.090, GOO from Great Britain as the penalty for hay ing permitted confederate cruisers, such as the Alabama, to be fitted out by private firms in English ports And while England is free to bring into South Africa all the war supplies she needs via DeIagoa Bay and Lourenzo Marquez, that is to say, through Por- tuSuese territory without impeiiment, Portugal could not permit the Boers to enjoy any such advantage without eX- posing herself to heavy claims for dam ages, and even reprisaIs. on the part of England. On the other hand, if the European powers recognize the bellig- erency of the Boers, and consequently the independence of the Transvaal, the situation is altered in this sense, that the laws of neutrality extend to the English, who would no longer be able to make use of Portuguese seaports, or to purchase military muIee and canned meats for their forces here in the Unit ed States.