The Portland daily press., 1900-01-26
.IF THE Beers SAY TRUE"
An Enslish Prisoner at Pretoria
Changes Iris Views ON the War.

Changes TITS Views on the War.
(From The London TRUTH
Tie experiences Of an officer who is I'm
prisoned at Pretoria. dear Lady Betty
must intsren uany, and It, therefore,
seems to be excusabls 10 publish extracts
from a correspondence which was Intend
cd sole Y for private circulation:
" My hopes Of distinguishing
myself ara extingushei, for, as you VIII
no doubt have heard, IL was my mis'or-
tune to be among the first who were cap
turei. fortune has played me viiIsin'
Gus trick. IL was the chance Of q life
time In q service which so seldom finds
employment except against unarmed or
alarmed savages was looking for
ward to q series OF promotions, to having
opportunities Of distinguishing myself In
action, and even to earning the Victoria
Cross It 10 q far CRY from tho Victoria
Cross TO Pretoria jail 1 had
heard much of Boer brutality, and was
con vince that should have to undergo
a terrible ordeal. As regards that mat
ter, have 20 far bean sgreeasly sur
prised. The majority Of the Bosrs seem
to be rough, kind-hearted men, VINO are
very, and sincerely, relisious-minded,
who are devoted 20 their Independence,
and who are convinced that the cause for
which they are fighting 10 just and has
the approval of the goos Of war. Some
Of them have treated me with ths utmost
kindness, most OF them have been cour-
tsous In their behavior, and only:a few
have dore anything Of which I GOULD ress.
onably complain.
"Ths rough civillty OF the battlefield is
ofts, more genuine and more appreciated
than is 1.-THE polished politepess of the
drawing room.
- Our arrival at Pretoria was In
painful. No words however
skillfully arranged, could meke you real
izs how humilisting It was to be marched
between the dense crowds which lined
the way from the railway station.
Though my eyes were fixed on the ground
l could fesl their stare. Now aud again a
laugh or bitter word reached my ears,
but, with those exceptions, the attitude
Of the crowd was above reproach. One
ruffian, whose accent made IL obvious
kuht ne WAS IN hukllbumons oes
jssringly, Rule Britannica which raised
a laugh among those beside him. but that
uubecomirg exhibition was instantly re-
septed by several who were around.
The lie In jail IL monotonous;
1t must DO very much the life prisoner
for bad debt led formerly In the Fleet
only, 90 far, there 10 no prospect OF any
Of us dying Of starvation, how ever little
money We may have at our disposal. All
We know Of the events which have &C.
CURED since our capture We have to learn
from new prisoners who join us In batch
Is from tire to time. i hate
had many conversations with Boer OH
c,als and visitors, and they oil assert
that they have no dislike for England or
for the English, but they declare that
they are prepared to risk determination
rather than ts handed over to the tender
mercies of Rhodes and Of the Uitlandsrs
"Ihe latter element, they insist, 10
mostly composed Of the rih-ran OF the
world-sspecially Of Great Britan-many
OF the Uitlsnders beng outeasts who have
no sense Of right or wrong, VINO Outrage
every decenoy, who disgrace whhtster
nationality they belong to. and who
would render the Transvaal uninhabita-
BILE were they to obtain control over Its
dsstinies. Tbs stories the Beers tell OF
the Uiflanders certainly do not present
the iattsr In a favorable light. II half
the things the Beers say are true. the
straitiaced middle-olas4 public at home
should be Mortified that no better solu.
ton to the difficulty was found than to
spill blood and to spend treasure to pro-
mote the interests of such rUfbans. The
severely morel men AMI women who OBJ
jsct to music hall lounges In London are
contributing their blood and money not
only to psIpt situate nut to aocentuats far
more reprehensible things In Johannes-
burg-if what the Boer say Is true.
We have one outlook which Is
somewhat disturbiDg When the war
works. Is way Ito the neishborhood OF
Pretoria the Tabble here may become I'M
mana geabls, In which case the events OF
the Commun IN Paris may be reproduced
do not like to dwell upon that pros.
peot"