New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-28
TRAVELLERS AS CoNTRABAND.

The back door of the Transvaal is being
closed. That is the purpOrt of late news from
Lisbon. The Portuguese Government has for
hidden further passage of travellers across its
territory from LOurenCO Marques to the Trans
vaal That is an extreme step II has not been
generally expected. Nevertheless it appears to
be justifiable on principles of international law.
Whether it has been taken by Portugal through
her own volition or under suggestion pressure
from Great Britain does not, of course, appear.
But even at this late date it will materially aid
the British cause by infiicting upon the BOer
States one of the heaviest of blows
Deagoa Bay has since some time before the
outbreak of the war been the avenue of entry,
not only of munitions Of war of all kinds for
the Transvaal, but of mercenary troops for the
Transvaal army These latter have been hired
by thousands in various European countries, by
the secret service agents whom the Transvaal
employs, and whom it supplies plentfully
with money extOrted or flched from the peck
cts of other people. (These terms are used adj
visedly. What taxation without repre-
sentation but extortion, before the war? And
since the war began, what Is it but robbery to
confiscate the money and the property of non
combatants? To finance war out of the peck
cts of nOn-combatantS whether of the other side
or of neutrals is shrewd business but shady
morals.) They have hocked to Delagoa Bay
under all sorts of DISCUSSES merchants, hospi-
tai nurses pleasure seekers, and what not-have
gone straight up to Koomat Poort and little
later have turned up at the front, as soldiers of
fortune under the Boer flag.
Portugal, we have said, has n legal right to
stop such work. We are not sure that she is
under compulson to do So provided she gives
the same privilege to both combatants. If a
neutral Power chooses to open its territory to
the troops of both belligerents 1t may do so.
But in doing so it runs great risks Of trouble TO
itself, for which reason such a course Is seldom
pursued. The customary rule, which a Power
has an undoubted right TO follow is to prohibit
trespass upon its soil by troops of either bel
ligerent and that rule is properly to be extend
ed 10 the exclusion Of al travellers who are
intending to become soldiers upon reaching bel
ligerent territory. And that these Delagoa Bay
tourists have had such intention is quite obvi-
Gus. When thousands of adventures have thus
focked TO the Transvaal in time of war, on no
known peaceful errand. and the Transvaal Gov
eminent has Immediately begun to boast of the
thousands of foreign soldiers who are serving
in its army, prima facie case is pretty we'll
made out
A fuller appreciation of the case may perhaps
be gained if we suppose that thousands of men
from Great Britain and her colonies had, at the
outbreak of the war, focked to Beira and
thence across TO Buluwayo and that then we
had heard of the formation OF large British
army at Buluwayo, to march down upon the
Transvaal from the north. Should we not have
been justified in reckoning that the Beira tour
lists were British soldiers In disguise? And
would there not have been a protest from the
friends of the Transvaal against such use Of
Portuguese territory? The British have, so far
as we are Informed. made no such use of Beira.
The TransYaai has, according to Its own con-