Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-03-30

they are In Cape Town Is that there Is
no place in South Africa farther from
the firing line 1t Is said that fully
100000 people have left Johannesburg.
In the absence of fresh news from
the front, there is much interest in such
incidents as transpirc. One of the lat
est reports is that the British soldiers
have been mistaklng focks of ostriches
for troops of Beers, but the distances
have been SO great that few If any of
the valuable birds have been killed.
In some instances Individual ostriches
have come into the British camps and
made friends with the soldiers.
The quality and effectiveness of the
Boer scout service are the marvel of the
world. The first descriptions of it were
crude and underestimated its manifold
network. A letter from German otfi-
Ger with the besleging forces outside of
Ladysmith has fallen into the hands of
the British and Is published here.
"As you very we'll know" he says.
Sin many Instances the English are
practical people. and in the matters,
which concern them privately they ex-
hibit a shrewdness and an energy
which are remarkable and worthy of
high praise. 1t is the more remarkable
| that in matters with regard to the prac-
| tice of war these good qualities desert
them. In this extraordinary war the
enemy's generals have behaved in a
manner which must be incredible to
those who haye not been here to see
for themselves.
"When the government at Pretoria
had sure information from DR.. Leyds
that Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Chamber
lain had made their plans for sending
to.Natal reinforcement of some infanr
try battallons, Colonel Kohner, late Of
the Fourteenth Field artillery, and my-
self went down to the English colony
and remained there until a week after
the issue of the ultmatum by Presi-
dent Kruger. Thus we were able to
bring back useful report upon almost
every point affecting the resources, or
ganization and morale Of our future
opponents
"Although we lived nearly three
months in Ladysmith. Pfetermaritz
burg and Durham. we, strange as II
does now seem, were never recognized
or the least suspicion raised as to the
real nature OF our. business. Major
c., formerly of the French foreign
, legion, was sent npon n similar mis-
sion to Cape Town. Belng an Irish
, man, he escaped attracting the slight
, est inconvenient' notice. Truly the
, English are the most unsuspicious o
peoples under the sun"
, The herosm OF the women Of th
! Transvaal is not excelled by anythin.
In history. There is indeed deepe
| feeling among the women than amOnl
/ the men. Seven sons OF President an
| Mrs. Kruger, all the children they hav
/, living, are actively engaged in the wal
3 1t Is related that when the call wa
made to fight tile mother called ht
sons to her and with her own hand
buttoned thelr coats, 60, my sons,
, she said. Come back in victory O
I come no more"
: There are already reports of dissa
!. lsfaction among French and Germa
1 stockholders In the gold and damon
a mines. They feel that their propert
a will be heavily taxed whichever sid
Q wins, and in this they are probabl
o right. If there had been no mine
!. there would probably have been Il
war-at least not under the preseI
z circumstances, and nobody except IL
q owners see any good reason why II
z mines should not he made to pay IL
:. bills Should the Boers win the mine
8 will he taxed TO the point Of contisc
:. ton; should the British win the matte
/ will be discussed ut greater length. bv
|. John Bull will never let love for Sout
4 African mine owners counterbalan'
a his dislnclination TO increase hon
d taxes, which all le world, includiI
,e himself, knows to be too high alread,
10 CECIL HoYr.