Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-25
BAD FAITH OF The BRITISH
Have Been Planning subjugation of Trans
vaal for Years,
Eugene Easton. Who Was with Boes
Army, Gives His View of
the War. IgN

Eugene Easton, special correspondent OF
the New York Journal. sent the following
cablegram to his paper from Paris yester-
day:
L arrived here today from the Transvaal.
where l was with the Beers until the bat
tie of Colenso.
There was absolutely no necessity for
the State Department in Washington to
cable to Consul General Macrum to secure
my release or fair treatment for me. The
Beers did not arrest me. but always treat
ed me well.
1t Is impossible to get news out of the
Transvaal except through English sources.
1 sent courier from Bloemfontein TO the
coast: that was the last 1 heard of him.
1t is impossible to get the truth out. The
English censor will sometimes hold a cable
gram for two weeks and then notify you
he has not sent 1t. Sometimes the censor
rewrites the dispatch and changes 1t Alto
gether OTIS censorship is nothing COM
pared TO 1t.
British army correspondents are very pa
triotic and try to explain everything in a
light favorable to British arms
British spies are everywhere. Portu-
guese territory swarms with them. They
confronted me in Italy. / met them in
Paris while my baggage was being exam
ined
The English claim that the Beers are get
ting munitions of war and foodstuffs is alb
surd. England is trying to explain her de-
feats by pretending that the rest Of the
world is helping the Beers. Every ship is
closely watched. Nothing has got In TO
the Beers, and they do not need anything.
The English have had the pick Of every
battle field and of almost every position.
1t is not correct to say that the Beers have
made merely a defensive campaign; the
Beers have been outnumbered by the En-
glish in every campaign. At the battle of
Belmont the British forces were in a ridicu-
lous majority. England had the flower OF
| her army fairly and squarely beaten
Regiment after regiment at Dundee fled
through the fog before the CALLING fire Of
the Boer riflemen. The British there de-
serted two trainloads of provisions and one
of ammunition. The officers left even their
secret documents and plan of campaign.
These / have seen, and they show that
the English had been preparing for the
war ever since the Jameson raid
/ have in my possession photographs.
documents and affidavits found in the Off
GERS camps at Dundee. after the precipi-
tate fight, which disclose the whole plan Of
campaign through Natal into the Free
State.
These documents begin in 1896: they men
ton every kopje, every spruit, railway and
pass in the mountains. Everything is care
fully outlined: details of the forts at Jo-
ha nnesburg. Pretoria and Bloemfontein are
given, with the places where foodstuffs are
stored and where fresh water is to he had.
England Is getting ald from the hafflrS.
For instance. Col Baden-Powell armed
| some of them gave them two Maxim guns
and started them on a raid through the
northwest of the Transvaal. English Off
GERS command these Kaffirs.
The English are sending agents to every
| tribe around the Boer republics, with pres
ents and promises of loot. a kaifir chief
showed me presents he had received from
English officers.
The Boer women shoot we'll against the
kaffirs; they are the bravest women on
earth. officers and agents from Rhodesia
have done everything to incite the Kaffirs
against the republics.
The Beers have arms and ammunition
enough to keep the war going indefinitely.
They waste only about one-tenth the
amount that the English waste; they are
determined that their country shall be
free. England cannot put enough troops
| into South Africa TO subjugate il. Why?
| Because the Beers are fighting for every
| thing a man holds dear They are fighting
against a machine soldier.
| L have seen Gen. JoUbert's wife load his
guns for him: have seen grandfather, son
and grandson fight side by side. The Boer
| soldier is fighting for prize worth win
ming; Tommy Atkins is fighting for a shil-
| ling day. Hence the difference.
For many weeks l was the only foreign
correspondent with the Beers.
My return on the same steamer with Mr..
Macrum was a mere coincidence.