The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-03
WEBSTER DAVIS RESIGNS
To Enifghten tho American People
About the Situation In south Africa
His Sympathies With the Beers

Washington, April 2.-Webster Da-
Wis, assistant secretary of the interior,
to-day gave out the following state
ment:
Webster Davis will tender his resig-
nation to the president as assistant sec
rotary of the interior Davis is impell-
ed to take this step as the result of his
recent visit to South Africa, and will
avail himself of an early opportunity to
deliver public address in this city on
the subject of the war between Great
Britain and the African republics He
feels that he can best serve the pur-
pose of arousing American sympathy
for the Beers by relieving himself of
the restraint which his position as as
sistant secretary of the interior would
impose upon him. and has, therefore
decided to resign"
Mr.. Davis has decided to resign be-
cause of the acceptance of an invitation
to deliver lecture on the South Afri-
can war and he felt that as an official
he could not express his views with
such freedom as he could as a private
citizen. The. invitation was extended
by non-partisan citizens of Washington
and was not inspired in any way by
interests.
iterests
Concerning his resignation Webster
Davis said to-day: "It is purely a
matter of sympathy on my part. went
to South Africa unprejudiced, visited
both armies, saw much of the British
soldiers and people, and also much of
the Beers After seeing what I did, I
made up my mind that the cause of the
Beers was just, that the two smallest
republics in the world were struggling
against the greatest empire in the world
for home, Justice and independence
The struggle seemed to me very I'M
equal The whole number of Beers, in
Guiding men, women and children, is
not greater than the population of the
city of Washington, and yet those brave
people have the courage to put up the
greatest fight in history against an
empire of 4000O0,O00 I concluded at
once that my sympathies were with
those struggling for liberty, and I feel
that the American people should SYM
pathize with them in their fight for
Justice and independence.
When ] entered the train at Pre-
toria, on my return, fully 1000 men
and women, mostly women, whose hus-
bands and fathers and sons were at the
front, gathered at the station to bid me
good bye, and as the tears rolled down
many of their faces, they made the last |
request of me that I do everything
within my power upon my return home
to let the American people know of their |
exact condition; to let them know how
they had been abused and outrageously
fnisrepresented by the English. The
English correspondents have no trouble
in getting their dispatches over the
cable lines, as they are controlled alb
soutely by the British while it is i'm
possible for information regarding the
situation from the Beers standpoint to
reach the American people.
Had I not, a free American decided
to listen to their appeals, my conscience
would burn and the faces of those suf-
fering people, as brave and as noble as
God ever let live in any land, would
haunt me as long as l live I am,
therefore, determined to do everything
in my humble way to assist them
Their cause is just and in God is their
trust, and in the light of the past his
tory of the American people, who went
through the same struggle believe the
Beers will win
Mr. Davis was asked what course he
would have the people of this country
pursue in order to assist the Beers. He
replied:
do anything and everything within
their power, and let Great Britain and
the world know that the sympathies of
the American people are not with Great
Britain, but with the Beers, and in the
interests of humanity and civilization. !,
We should let the world know that such
an unholy war should stop, and stop at !.
once"
Mr.. Davis, since his return to this :
has had numerous invitations .
to deliver lectures, but has so far de- ,,
cided to accept only that extended by =
citizens of Washington. This lecture :
will be delivered next Sunday =
night.
Mr. Davis denied that he brought
with him a communication to this gov
from President Kruger. He
admitted, however, that he had had
several conferences with President Nc e
Kinley, but declined to make public e