The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-02

will at an early date deliver q. lecture
in this city in the interests 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 re-
publies.
Mr.. Davis decided to resign because
of the acceptance of an invitation to
deliver a lecture on 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
non-partisan citizens Of Washington
and was not inspired i'll any way by
persons directly connected with Boer
interests
Mr.. Davis said today:
1T is purely a matter of sympathy on
my part. I went to South Africa un-
prejudiced, visited both armies, saw
much of the British soldiers and people
and also much of the Beers. After see
ing what did / 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 struggle seemed
to me very unequal The whole number
of Beers including men, women and
children is not greater than the popula-
tion of the city of Washington, and yet
these brave people have the courage to
put up the greatest fight in history
lions
Il concluded at once that my sympa-
thies were with those struggling for lib
erty and 1 feel that the American peo-
pie should SympathiZe with them in
their fight for justice and independence.
when entered the train at Pretoria
on my return home, fully 1000 men and
women, mostly women, whose husbands
and fathers and sons were at the front
gathered at the station to bid me good
bye and as the tears rolled down many
of their faces, they made the last re-
quest Of me that do everything within
my power upon my return home to let
the American people know of their ex-
act condition; to let them know how
they had been abused and outrageously
misrepresented by the English. The
/ English correspondents have no trouble
in getting their dispatches over the ca
bic lines as they are controlled abso-
| lutely by the British, while it is i'm
/ possible for information regarding the
/ situation from the Beers standpoint to
/ reach the American people. If I did
/ not as 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 I live.
'T 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 same struggle,
1 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.
I He replied:
DO everything and anything within
I their power. and let Great Britain and
the world know that the sympathies
| of the American people are not with
Great Britain but with the Beers and
! in the interests of humanity and civ
| ilization. We should let the world know
that such an unholy war should stop
| and stop at once.s
Mr.. Davis since his return to this
country has had numerous invitations
to deliver lectures but has so far de-
cidsd to accept only that extended by
| the citizens of Washington. This lee
ture probably will De delivered nexi
Sunday night. Mr. Davis denied thai
he brought with him a communication
| to this government from Presideni
Kruger. He admitted, however. thai
he had several conferences with Presi-
dent Mckinley, but declined to make
public what had passed between them
When asked as to whether he woulC
go on the stump during this campaign
in the interests of the Republican party
Mr. Davis said that he did not care t
look into the future.