Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-03-31

| my best But JOuDertS best meant all
that long years of training in the Ger
man school OF war could teach him.
rounded out by long service in the field
against the natives and the English =,
In the death of General Joubert the
Beers have sustained a loss fully as
severe in its moral effect as the sur
render of General Cronje. General Jou-
bert seems to have had the entire conf
dence of the soldiers of the allied repub-
lies, and his demise at the moment when
the final struggle Is about to begin can
not but have discouraging effect on the
burghers-especially on the faint
hearted ones. and there undoubtedly are
many of them in the Free State ranks.
All the morning papers print singularly
kind editorials concerning General Jou-
bert. They praise his military skill, up
lold his chivalrous conduct, and regret
that so strong and moderate a mind
should be absent from the final settle
nent of the dispute.
New York, March 29.-The World to-
day prints special interview with
President Kruger of the South African
, republic, obtained by its correspondent
at Pretoria on Feb. Z. Mr.. Kruger said:
II sent message to The World saying
that the losses in war would stagger
humanity
THE British laughed at me and said
they would only take month to con-
puer US.
Did those $50 dead at Spion kop and
those hundreds who were killed in other
battles please the British?
Are they laughing now?
when you came through London did
you see much laughter?"
The correspondent told Mr.. Kruger Of
the scenes in front of the London war
bulletin boards-the weeping relatives
and the sorrowing friends. The presi-
dent continued: Yes, that is only one
side Of the picture. Here we have the
same scenes, only our casualties are not
SO great.
Every home in South Africa has been
desolated, and the war has only begun.
Wait until the war is ended and those
who will suffer on account Of 1t will be
numbered by the hundreds Of thousands.
Did Chamberlain and Milner and the
capitalists who were back Of them think
Of those things before they drove US to
the wall? Are the tears of widows and
orphans to pay for the gold fields?"
The president asked concerning the
opinion of the American people on the
subject of the war, and remarked: Tell
the Americans that appreciate their
expressions Of sympathy. am greatly
pleased to hear that committee have been
formed to raise funds for our Red Cross"
When asked concerning the progress of
the war, Mr.. Kruger said: my burgh-
ers are fighting bravely, and they will
continue to do so until Great Britain ask
for peace or withdraws her soldiers.
Even as your forefathers fought against
great odds in the Revolutionary war so
are we struggling. and even as God was
with your people, SO is he with US.
Il and my burghers are willing to end
the war tomorrow If Great Britain will
say that we are thereafter wholly inde-
pendent and il she will guarantee that
those Cape Colonists who have Joined
our army shall not be moested. and that
them.
I'VE always asked that we be left
alone, and that Is what we desire now.
We crossed the frontier into Natal and
Cape Colony because the farmers who
owned the land asked to be taken under
our protection. II England will end the
var and promise to give us our indepen.
!ence We will return the land thus taken
ut we want to be free"