The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-27
FAvORs THE ENGLISH.
Ex-ConsuI Roberts OF Biddeferd ssyi
Boers Are To Blame For the War.
rsercrAL TO THE rnzssl

fsfEcrAL 10 THE rREss.1
Biddeford, October d. --Colonei Frank
W. Roberts Of Biddeford, who during
the last Cleveland Standardization was
United States consul at Cape Town,
South Africa, delivered an interesting
lecture In the Second Congregational
church tonight, ct the solicitation Of
many prominent citizens who desired TO
learn bis views on the war now In prog
rsss In the Transvaal.
Colonel Roberts first outlined the his
tory Of South Africa, described its seen
cry and industries and the habits and
traits Of It's people. Coming to consid-
Grafton OF the cause Of the war, he placed
the entire blame on the Bosrs.
He said the English followed the Beers
to the Transvaal only for the purpose of
protesting them from the natives.
against whom the Beers were unabls 70
cope. without the English protection
the Beers would have been swept from
thsDiaoe OF the earth.
All the English desired, In the recent
crisis. he said, was TO maintain suzerain-
ty over the land, but Paul Kruger stepped
In and would not permit It When the
gold mines were opened, 10 years ago, the
country became In vaded BY q vast multi
tude, which the Beers believed would
shortly depart. But these people re
NAMED, and because they remained,
developed the natural resources OF tn,
country and filed the depleted Boer treas
ury. Kruger and his countrymen wanted
to fight No diplomatic move or inter
vention of another country would have
prevented the war. The Duton Unborn
hatred for the English had asserted itself.
and war was inevitable.
Colonel Roberts declared that the war
lie practically between representatives Of
the 18th aud 10th centuries on one sids,
and representatives of the 10th ana nth
centuries on the other. As showing the
ignorance of Kruger. he related an incl
dent which occurred while he was in that
country. Captain Slocum. who mad 9
the trip across the Atlantic ocean In q
small sloop, visitsd the South African
coutry, aud called on President Kruger.
In the course OF the interview Captain
Slocum SAID be had half complsted his
trip around the world. Through his in
terpreter Kruger replied: "You mean
across, instead Of around the world"
Captain SIocum reiterated his former
statement, and attempted to explain that
he earth 10 round, whereupon Kruger re-
piled. pointing to Bible: ~ don't find
anything about 1t in that book.
Kruger is but Q fair represeL tattve Of
the Boer type of civilization. Although
great In numbers, the Beers pay only q
small part Of the taxes In their country;
the English pay about 10 per cent of the
total tax. Yet the Beers insist upon
dictatorship over the Eng
lish. Colonel Roberts alluded to the
Bosrs' plan Of placing with Dutch firm
the exclusive right to handle and sell dy-
Mantle, Of which explosive great guam
titles have to be used IN the mining oper-
atoms.
He said that the Beers are unwilling
and OF little use In developing the natural
resources Of their country, and they set
themselves against growth of civiliza-
ton. Kruger is 80 blind that he doesn't
realize he Is Fastening the formation Of
q great United South Africa.
In the present crisis the Beers have
been stubborn and unyielding, whereas
If they had shown a willingness to make
the slightest concession, the war could
have been avertsd. England was ready
for peaceful settlement. but the Beers
forced the war.
The Transvaal Is not a republic, b e
added. but tyranny, and Kruger its
big boss, AMI big tyrant. The Beers ar Q
not fighting for their freedom. but
against the freedom OF others. They
stand aghast at the transformation about
them. but cannot prevail against the
onward tendency OF civilization"