The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-18
GEN. JOUBERT,s CONFIDENCE.
Expressed 1t in &. Letter to a Friend
in Berlin

Expressed 1t in "a Letter to u Friend
in Berlin.
NEW YORK, Dec 1.-THE World prints
letter written by Gen. Joubert, COM
mander of the Boer armies, under date of
Oct. Il; to a friend in Berlin, in which
the general says:
Ever since the infamous Jameson raid
of 1896 our government was convinced
that some disreputable characters would
urge England to war. It's meaning could
not be mistaken. 1t could have for it's
sole object the humiliation of the repub-
lie. We were reasonably sure that We
would have to depend upon our own re-
sources, for we knew that although this
war would meet with the unanimous con-
demnation of all the powers in Europe
we did not expect any power of strength
to come to our rescue. England, with her
arrogance and strong navy, has so cowed
the European nations that they dare not
stop her in her despicable land-grabbing,
not even where their own interests are in
volved. Knowing this situation we de-
pended upon our own resources, improved
our means of defense and tried to keep
the English in the dark with regard to
our real intentions With this purpose in
view we admitted her disguised spies to
our ANTICIPATED forts and artillery but
were careful to conceal from them our
AA1OOSAA HS
credited these misleading reports.
Their cry To Pretoria is on a level
in intelligence with the Partisan cry in
1870, "A Berlin
Your letter lays much stress on the
numerical superiority of the English, but
in my opinion the example is a different
one. England cannot send more than S.
900 soldiers to the Transvaal without
withdrawing all her troops from the col
nTio ~ t.
but only half Of them will be available
Granting that England will have effected
TIE landing of her troops by the middle
of December, she will have lost in the
meantime at least 10000 through DEATH
casualties, desertion and captured. This
number would accordingly be reduced to
$4,000. We will try to prevent the juno
ton Of the English forces under Butler,
but even if we should not succeed the
English will not be able to get more than
$4,000 men effective against us. The rest
will be required for garrisons and protec-
ton of their bases of operations.
THE scene of the war will cover Natal
and Cape Colony, an area of say 700
kilOmeters. Our own camp Is protected
by three mountain ranges, and 500 men
are amply sufficient for it's protection.
Our means Of communication are excel
lent The outposts have command of any
facilities for destroying provisions in case
their position becomes untenable. war
Of defense, of which we need not think
for a considerable time, would present
far greater advantages than an offensive
war We are at home in the highlands
of the Transvaal and the Orange Free
State.
The British will have to contest every
step under inconceivable difficulties, and
must be prepared at every moment to
fight on two or three fronts.
Then would begin a guerrilla war,
which the English would not be able to
endure.
Already we have $4,000 men in the
field. So we do not need to calculate
upon a rising of the Beers in Cape Col
ony and Natal. Nevertheless, If the
British stir up the natives and employ
them to fight us, a rising of the whole Of
Afrikanderdom is probable