Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-10
VALIANT FOR LIBERTY
Struggles Of the South African Republic for
Independence.
PERSISTENT A~GGREssloNS OF THE BRITISH
story of the Courage and F%ortitude of
the Dutch Pioneers of the Trans
vnnI-Present Controversy
with the British.
.RSIsrsNT AGGsEssloNS OF THE BRITISH

The southern end OF the Dark Continent
Is reported TO be in that feverish condition
which usually precedes actual war. Dis
patches furnish fuel for the advocates OF
war, as we'll as for the promoters OF peace,
but as yet affairs have not reached the eX-
ploding point. Great Britain ls pressing its
claims on the Transvaal republic with all
the arts of diplomacy and the pressure Of
superior power. The little land-locked re-
public, boldly, II not deHantly, resists the
demands, and yet yields a little at a time.
Perhaps the sturdy burgherB will yield
some more-enough to avert the dread al
tentative OF war. The proposed conference,
which both parties appear to have agreed
to. may be a play for time; It may prove
a sincere effort TO effect a settlement salts
factory to both parties. Time alone Will
determine.
Questions mt take.
The vital question involved is the right
OF the British government to interfere In the
Internal affairs of the Transvaal. Ever since
the ~farcical jameson raid, British citizens
in the Transvaal have appealed again and
again to the home government for relief
from what they termed the tyranny and
exactions OF the burghers. They have by
far the largest financial interest in the
Transvaal, and yet had no voice in It's
government. They could not become cleo
tors without renouncing British citizen
ship. Notifications Of the franchise were
enacted about a year ago, but they were
not satisfactory to the outlanders. Re-
Gently President Kruger agreed that his
government would. grant a fve-year fran
chise. That was the minimum OF the Brit
ish demands. But in return FOR this grant
President Kruger insisted that Great Britain
should agree not to interfere In the In
ternal affairs of the republic In the future.
'The request was promptly denied. Thus
the issue was brought down to the question
whether the South African republic has a
right to Independent existence. The Beers
believe that they are n nation. In the
London convention of 1884 the British gov
eminent conceded that the Boer state
should be called a republic-its official
name being the South African Republic.
The only Limitation upon Its absolute in
dependence to be found in that convention
was the stipulation that the republic will
conclude no treaty or engagement with any
state or nation, other than the Orange Free
State, nor with any native tribe to the
eastward or westward Of the republic, until
the same has been approved by her majesty,
the queen" That meant sovereign rights
in all things excepting the conclusion OF
treaties with foreign powers. In all other
matters It's independence was clearly ac-
knowledged W treaty.
STRUGGLE for Liberty.
The situation may be likened to that pre-
ceding the outbreak Of the revolutionary
war in America in 1875, except that the
Beers are much better prepared than the
Americans were at that time. The British
government In 1776 was directly response
BILE for the war, but the chartered COM
panies, the Rhodesians and the adventures
in collision with Joe Chamberlain, are re-
sponsible for the conditions prevalent IN
South Africa. The republic stands In the
way of the plans Of Great Britain In south
Africa. 1t Is an obstruction to the expan-
sion Of the British empire. Right and
Justice have no part in the game.
A more determined people than the Beers
has never lived. They are fully prepared
for war-better than they ever will be again
and the conditions are more favorable 10
success. They can place 3 5000 troops In
the field within forty-eight hours, and 10000
more in less than a month, to say nothing
of their kinsmen from all over South Africa
who will rally to their aid. They are more
over, the best marksmen In the world. In
hunting on the open plains the wild beasts
which harry their focks they have learned
to shoot accurately at long distances. 1t Is
nothing unusual for one OF them to bring
down a springbok at 800 or a buffalo at
1000 yards. and they showed in their bat
ties with the British that their aim was not
affected by the circumstance that the game
was shooting back. An Englishman VINO
has lived long In the Transvaal says or the
sturdy burghers: "They may not be such
dead shots as their fathers were. but, In
the event OF war, II we pursue the same
tactics as OF old, a large proportion OF them
will kill or wound their man. / have no
doubt Of the issue. but 1t might cost us
more than a Waterloo. The Beers would,
OF course. follow their old style-never fight
in the open and always on the defensive.
They will show nothing II they can help 1t
but the muzzle OF the rifle. and the chance
of hitting them is about equal to that OF
hitting a half-crown piece 200 YARDS OF.
And, OF course, we shall commit the usual
folly OF presenting our men In comparatively
close order and attempting to rush these
positions"
Military organization of the Beers.
An exhaustive article In the Militaerlsches
Wochenblatt, q Berlin weekly devoted to
military affairs, may be taken as semi
~ofhcial, and II gives interesting facts con-
corning military affairs in the two great
Boer republics-the Transvaal and the
Orange Free State.
Though In regard to organization, arms,
and tactics great similarity exists between
the military OF the two states, separate
statements are necessary TO give a compre-
henslve Idea of strength, formation, and ca
pacity OF the military ut Is scarcely correct
TO say army Of each state, because In times
OF peace they are absolutely independent OF
each other.
Common to both states Is the most perfect
and relentless execution OF compulsory serv-
ice In case OF war. This 10 more 80 the case
than In Germany, which is saying a good
deal. In the Transvaal this duty exists from
the sixteenth to the eixtieth year Of age, and
In the Orange Free State from the eigh-
teenth to the sixtieth. On account OF the
early physical development OF the Beers,
even what, according to American ideas.
would be considered youth, furnishes a USE
full material for soldiers. Similar to this the
older men are good soldiers, because their
more or less nomadic life as hunters and
cattle raisers assures them q degree OF
reasoning" unknown elsewhere. Hence, in
the case OF the two states, 1t Is really a
people In arms.
Every Man Trained.
In the Transvaal a distinction exists be-
tween organized standing troops, volunteer
corps, and militia. The first named soldiery
consists chiefly OF what is technically known
as state artillery" According to the law
NJ national defanea NJ 1898 this corps is 10 he