The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-10
WHITE FLAG DISHONORED
And Not by the Beers But by the
British Themselves.
Mr.. DAVIS TELLS OF WHAT He HAS SEEN
He Declares the Beers Most Heroic People
and That They Are Animated by the
Spirit That BIazed in the
American Colonies.
(By The Associated Press. }


Washington, April 9.-Hon. Webster
Davis addressed an immense audience
at the Grand Opera House last night
on the war in South Africa.
He said that the Beers were among
the noblest and most heroic people on
earth and that no people had endured
more in the cause of liberty and equal
ity than they. Then after telling of
England's infamous measures TO Sc
cure from the Beers the diamond
fields of Kimberley Mr.. Davis spoke
in part as follows:
when gold was discovered in the
Transvaal the British Government deter
mined to seek a pretext for obtaining con-
troll Of the richest gold fields in the world,
as it had before secured the richest dia-
mond fields. That this is the real cause
for the present war no one can doubt who
will but listen to the frequent remark
made by Englishmen in South Africa, as
well as in England, that the gold mines
in the Transvaal are worth fighting for
and we are going to keep on fighting until
we get them
mo fiimsier pretext for robbery and
murder ever emanated from the wicked
est Cabinet in Europe in its palmest
days than the British demand for five
year franchise in the South African Re-
public. If this demand were granted not
an Englishlnan in the Transvaal would
renounce allegiance to the Queen and
swear eternal allegiance to the Govern
ment of the South African Republic as
against the British Government. The
idea was to obtain the power to control
the Government of the Republic and at
the same time remain British subjects.
KRUGER FORCED INTO WAR.
1.-THE simple truth of the matter is that
the British Government forced President
Kruger into a quarrel after he had done
everything in his power to avoid it.
THE Beers have been greatly abused
by the British because it is alleged they
began the war. That great civilized ma
tion of 400 900, 900 of people are complain
ing because the people of the two little
Republics, who do not number, all told,
more than 900, 900 people, including men,
women and children, insisted upon issu-
ing their utimatum and then proceeded
to give battle before the British hosts
should arrive.
zone Boer to ten British. And yet the
Beers were not trained soldiers; only
simple, plain farmers, precisely the same
kind of people that Abraham Lincoln
loved.
1--WE have seen many charges made by
British officers and British newspaper
correspondents that the Beers have fire.
quently outraged the white flag and the
Red Cross flag. Upon investigation, not
only among the Beers themselves, but
among the 1000 British prisoners, includ-
ing the officers, who were at Pretoria
when we were there, we learned that
these charges were absolutely unfounded.
On the contrary we did learn that this
was a set up job to deceive, not only the
people of Great Britain at home, but to
deceive the peoples of other civilized
countries. The truth is, | defy contra
diction that the British soldiers them
selves are the parties who violated many
of the rules of civilized warfare, and fire.
quently ignored the white flag and also
the Red Cross flag 1t was my fortune
to witness some of these scenes myself
On top of Spion's Kop, when that wonder
full battle was almost over, young Boerl
soldier--not more than IL years of age
was passing by wounded British soldier,
and the British soldier asked him for a
drink of water; as the tender hearted
Boer lad was kneeling down by his side
to let him drink water from his own
canteen, that British soldier thrust a
bayonet into the poor boys side. And
/ myself talked with him, and, kneeling
by him. shed tears when he died.
BRITISH FIRE ON A WHITE FLAG.
During the battle of Dundee there was
a lull in the firing for time, on account
of the Beers seeing a buggy approaching
them rapidly and floating white flag.
All awaited it's arrival. At distance
of about six hundred yards from them the
buggy stopped, wheeled about, dropped
the white flag, and that innocent looking
buggy was suddenly transformed into a
murderous Maxim gun, which felled near
ly dozen Beers. I talked with the 1
men who captured that flag and saw it
myself. 1t was a white flag with small
black stripe through the centre, but at
short distance away it seemed perfectly
white; that flag is now in the possession
of Col Blake, the brave American SOL
der who commands the Irish brigade
which is composed almost entirely of
Irish Americans, and no drawer men are
IN the Boer army, SAID General JOubert !
to me-
Mr.. Davis described the storming of
Spion's Kop by the Beers, after the Brit
ish had occupied it, and his own visit to
the battle field seven days later.
"When the fight began" he said, "a
giant Boer, in the prime of strength and
manhood, was seen carrying small Boer
flag; in short time he fell to rise no
more Then an old white haired veteran
picked up the fallen banner and, waving
it, urged his comrades on. With flowing
hair and flashing eyes the old man rushed
on, but suddenly a shell laid him low;
ere the little flag touched the ground,
however, bare footed lad, only thirteen
years of age, who had been fighting in his
shirt sleeves, leaped like panther to
the old mans side, and, snatching the
FAC from his crandfathe neryeleSs