The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-03
WILL THE BOERs YIELD or FIGHT /,


According to our dispatches yesterday
President Kruger of the Transvaal Re-
public regards war with Great Britain
as practically certain. The Beers are ex-
pecting war and are prepared for 1t. And
strange as 1t may seem the opinion pre-
walls among them that If war comes they
will be victorious. They have great faith
in their ability to overcome any army
Great Britain can send against them.
There is no doubt that they are brave
people, and will fight as long as they
have a fighting chance, but they have
neither the men nor the war material to
cope successfully with Great Britain.
They have some show of justice on their
side. Their ancestors left Cape Colony
because they did not like the treatment
they received from the British, and they
founded an agricultural state in the Trans
vaal. 1t is true they would have been
destroyed by the savages of the country
if the British had not come to their as
slstance and protected Them but they do
not appear to remember services of that
sort. The country was annexed by Great
Britain, and in 1881, by treaty, was given
its independence in all local matters-the
understanding being that Great Britain
should exercise the right of suzerainty.
For number or years after that treaty
the Beers had peace, though they were at
all times a little restless on account of the
British claim Of suzerainty. In 1886, how
ever, a change began to take place. Dia-
monds and gold were discovered in the
Transvaal, and outsiders began to enter
the country by the thousands. They ac-
cumulated property and built towns and
villages. The Beers saw that they would
soon be outnumbered, and the control OF
their country would pass out of their
hands. Therefore they enacted laws deny
ing to the immigrants. or outlanders as
they are called, all political power This ac-
ton of the Beers is the main cause of
trouble between the British and the Beers.
The most of the outlanders are British
subjects. Some of them are Americans
! and Germans. They pay about three
fourths of the taxes. own the greater part
| of the property. and are majority of the
population. Naturally they were dssat-
ished with the treatment they received
! rom Nut DpCAos AlAtS dBHNdlGO 70 tue
| latter to be permitted to become citizens
after certain number of years of resi-
dence. Their appeal was denied. Then
they called on Great Britain to enforce
| their rights for them under the treaty of
1881. To that call Great Britain respond
| ed. She insists that the outlanders shall
have the rights of citizens.
ra,,t tbera is apother raasoy, v,,h,, csroa.
| Britain is preparing 90 enforce her right
| Of suzerainty in the Transvaal. The Beers
are suspected Of an ambition to drive
! Great Britain out OF South Africa. Their
| plan is alleged to be to form a great re-
| public out of the five South African states
the states of Cape Colony Natal, Orange
| Free state, Rodesa ana Transvaal. A
| portion OF the population of each is
composed of Beers, and the governments
Of three of them are hostile to Great Bril-
tain. These are Cape Colony, Transvaal
and the Orange Free state. The other two,
Rodesia and Natal. are loyal to Great
Britain. they having a very small Boer
| population.
If the Beers should get control of South
| Africa It is believed that Great Britain's
| grip on India would be loosened. If she
should get into a war with a foreign pow
er the Suez canal would, in all probab bill
ty. be closed. 1t would be an easy matter
to close it. A vessel sunk across the chan
mel would close Il, for a time at least
Great Britain must have a route to India
in order 20 hold that possession II the
suez canal were closed she would have
90 depend ton the route around the cape
That Is one great reason why 1t is neoes-
sary that she shall retain possession OF
South Africa. 1t is apparent. therefore
that the issue between Great Britain ana
the Transvaal is one Of vital Importance
: 20 Great Britain.