Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-03

WASHINGTON, April 2.-Webster
Davis, Assistant Secretary of the In
terror, to-day rendered his resignation.
He will go on the lecture platform in
the interest of the Beers
In an authorized statement given
out to-day, Nh. Davis says that as a
result of his visit to the Transvaal,
he feels impelled to tender his resig-
nation as Assistant Secretary of the
Interior. He will at an early date de-
liver a lecture in this city in the in
terests of the South African republics.
Mr.. Davis feels that this is the best
way to arouse the enthusiasm of the
American people in behalf of those
republics.
Mr.. Davis decided to resign because
of the acceptance Of an invitation to
deliver a lecture OF the South African
war, and he felt that as an official he
could not express his views with such
freedom as he could as a private citi-
zen. The invitation was extended by
1lo14 pa l1CoA AI1LSlo III w IOly
and was not inspired in any way by
persons directly connected with Boer
interests.
Mr.. Davis said today:
1T is purely a matter of sympathy
on my part. l went 10 South Africa
unprejudiced, visited both armies, saw
much of the British soldiers and peo-
pie and also much of the Beers. After
seeing what did l made up my mind
that the cause of the Beers was just,
that the two smallest republics in the
world were struggling against the
greatest empire in the world for home,
justice and independence. The strug-
gle seemed to me very unequal. The
whole number of Beers including men,
women and children, is not greater
than the population of the city of
Washington, and yet these brave peo-
pie have the courage to put up the
greatest fight in history against
an empire of four hundred millions.
l concluded at once that my sympath-
les were with those struggling for lib
erty and feel that the American peo-
pie should sympathize with them in
their fight for justice and ~independ-
niece.
When l entered the train at Pre-
toria, on my return home fully 1000
men and women, mostly women,
whose husbands and fathers and sons
were at the front, gathered at the sta
ton to bid me good bye and as the
tears rolled down many of their faces,
they made the last request of me that
l do everything within my power upon
my return home to let the American
people know of their exact condition;
to let them know how they had been
abused and outrageously misrepresent-
ed by the English. The English cor
respondents have no trouble in getting
their dispatches over the cable lines,
as they are controlled absolutely by
the British, while it is impossible for
information regarding the situation
from the Beers standpoint to reach
the American people. If l did not, as
a free American decide to listen to
their appeals my conscience would
burn and the faces of those suffering
people, as brave and as noble as God
ever let live in any land, would haunt
me as long as l live. l am therefore
determined to do everything in my
humble way to assist them. Their
cause is just and in God is their trust
and in the light of the past history
of the American people who went
through the anne struggle, l believe
the Beers will win"
Mr.. Davis was asked what course
he would have the people of this coun-
try pursue in order to assist the Beers.
He replied: do anything and every
thing within their power and let Great
Britain and the whole world know that
the sympathies of the American peo-
pie are not with Great Britain but
with the Beers and in the interests of
humanity and civilization. We
should let the world know that such
an unholy war should stop and stop
at once"
Mr.. Davis, since his return to this
country, has numerous invitations to
deliver lectures but has so far decided
TO accept only that extended by the
citizens of Washington. This lecture
probably will be delivered next Sunday
night. Mr.. Davis denied that he
brought with him a communication
from President Kruger. He admitted,
however, that he had had several con-
f~erences with President Mckinley but
declined to make public what had
passed between them. When asked as
to whether he would go on the stump
during the campaign in the interest
of the Republican party, Mr.. Davis
said that he did not care to look into
the future and that all he had within
sight at present was his lecture in
Washington. He had no criticisms to
make in regard to the administrations
attitude concerning the wal in Africa.