The Portland daily press., 1899-07-06
DOM PAUL AND THE LION.
Ex-consul Roberts ON the Demands Of
the Uitlanders I'm the Transvaal.


Biddeford, July 2.-Frank w. Roberts,
the predecessor at Cape Town of the pres.
emit United States Consul, has been liv-
ing here since his return from South AT.
RIGA several months ago. His sympathies
in the Transval crisis are strongly with
the Uitlanders and he thinks President
Kruger will eventually concede their de-
mands
when went to South Africa for the
first Time" he said, 'I was prepared to
believe that the English were trying to
work sharp, greedy game in the Trans
wal, and my sentiments were against
them. But 1 have changed my mind
since then. 1t does not take long stay
in South Africa to convince one that
this trouble is not to be laid to British
greed. 1t is rather the Beers attitude
| toward Englishmen and English capital
that Is responsible.
'The Beers steadfastly refuse to grant
the elective franchise to the English resi-
dents, to whose enterprise and invest
ments the prosperity of the whole country
is due. 1t is true the Beers have rendered
great and lasting service to South Afri-
Capitalization by winning the fairest
and most fertile portion of that PARKWAY
land from the savage race which occu-
pied 1t before them. They are greatly to
be admired, too, for the determination
and bravery they have shown in defsnss
of their independence. But 1t is English
capital that has developed the wonderful
ly rich gold and coal mines of the
Transvaal and 1t is gold mining that has
built up the thriving cities of Johannes
burg and Pretoria. The thousands of
English subjects who have gone to live
among the Beers merely ask for the same
rights of suffrage as are granted to
Dutchmen or other aliens who live among
the English on English soil. 1t is the
| persistent denial of this right that is the
cause of the trouble which has for years
xisted between the Transvaal govern
ment and the English.
"To my thinking, Eng land has shown
much forbearAnce hitherto In dealing
with the Transvaal. But / believe the
| limit Of her patience has come and she
means business at last. For long time
| the English have borne the burdens
| h capped upon them by Dom Paul and the
| big syndicate of Holland Dutchmen who
control things. Excessive taxation has
pushed English capital to the wall. Mil
lions of English money invested in gold
mines in the Iransvaal are Idle because
of the exactions of the Boer authorities.
| 1.-The dynamite tax or tariff about
which so much is heard nowadays has
been the EnRlishmen's special grievance
for years. 1t was at the root of the
Jameson iasco and is the principal cause
| OF the present distur hance. The last time
l called on President Kruger, or .Kruer,
as the Dutchmen pronounce 1t, with the
e. silent, he was discussing this tariff.
l had gone to his coy story land -a-half
house in Pretoria, when the two stone
lions that Barney Barnato gave him
guard tho doorway, and whenll entered /
learned that he was in consultation with
| a committee OF the Volksraad They
were considering monster petition
which had just been submitted by the
Uitlanders for removal of the heavy dyn-
amite tax.
"Although my visit had been arranged
previously had to walt more than an hour
before the committee departed and was
ushered into the plainly furnished parlor
where Dom Paul receives all his guests
After had finished my official srrand,
ventured. through the interpreter, to ex-
press the hope that President Kruger
would some time honor the United states
with visit. His answer was character
istic. lie said;
Il have always thought of America
as the friend OF the Transyaal. / have
felt that there is peculiar bond of sym
pathy between that republic and this one,
and / have nothing but the kindliesr
feelings and highest esteem for the great
nation across the seas. But shall never
have the pleasure OF visiting your coun.
try, for not only does my age prevent it,
but must watch the lion.'
The lion seems TO be quite calm
now,' ] suggested.
Yes, he replied. 1T Is covered with
Sleeps clothing, but one can see the claws
IN der the edges. 1t is those have to
| watch
"The events of the last few years show
how faithfully Dom Paul has kept his
watch. Unless misapprehend the stu
alton, however, the rscent visit of Sir Al.
fred Miner as High Commissioner
showed him the British lion In a more
alarming attitude than before England
sent her best representative in Sir Alfred
Miner. he Is regarded as one OF the
most scholarly aud conservative diplo-
mats in the service Of Great Britain. He
knows his Kruger, too, and his report OF
the conditions In the 1ransvaai could
not fail to carry great weight with the
imperial authorities
"Of course, Kruger understands this
thoroughly. The crafty old Beer may re-
sist to the last ditch Of diplomacy, but,