Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-05
RHODES WAS DEFIANT
Diamond King and Colonel Kekewich
Almost at Blows.
THEIR DIFFERENCE rs TO POLICY
lmperious Telegram to Roberts
Demanding Relief of City.
GEN. FRENCH APPEALED TO

| Correspondence OF the Associated Press
LONDON, March 2S.-While the fifty odd
| columns of correspondence from the front
| appearing during the last two DAYS in the
] London dailies have been chiefly devoted
| to Cronje's surrender and Ladysmith's re-
lief. other subjects no less interesting be-
cause less epoch making have been dealt
with in the letters of those not fortunate
| enough to have been present at the greater
| occasions.
| The troubles between Cecil Rhodes and
Col. Kekewich are now being fully told.
| 1t appears that the relations between the
| empire maker and the colonel command
| ing at Kimberley reached such pass that
| Mr.. Rhodes ordered the army officer out of
| the house. The dispute is told in detail bv
| the Kimberley correspondent of the Daily
| Telegraph, who writes:
| When Mr.. Rhodes saw the danger TO
which the town and its inhabitants were ex-
posed he came to the conclusion that tho
| time had arrived for the facts in the case 10
| be placed on record He accordingly called
| the mayor and a few leading citizens to-
| gether and in consultation with theEl drew
| up the following representation. which was
| duly forwarded to Col. Keke witch, accom-
| panied by the request that he would trans
nit it by Photograph to the higher military
| authorities:
Call for Immediate Relief.
| KIMBERLEY. February 1o.-On behalf
| OF the inhabitants of this town We respect
| fully desire to be informed whether there is
| an intention on your part to make an i'm
mediate effort for our relief Your troons
| have been for more than two months with
in distance of a little over twenty miles
/ from Kimberley. and if the Spyfontein hills
are too strong for them there is an easy
/ 1rnr,r f1, a..
| a population of over 5000 people has been
| besieged for 40 days, and large portion
| OF the inhabitants have been enduring great
| hardships. Scurvy is rampant among the
| natives; children. owing to the lack Of
| proper food, are dying in great numbers,
| and dysentery and typhoid are very prcva-
lent The chief foods of the whites have
| been bread and horsefiesh for a long time
| past, and of the blacks me al and malt only
| These hardships. we think YOU viii agree
| have been borne patiently and without conn
| plant by the people. During the AaSt few
| days the enemy have brought into action
| from position within three miles of a
| slX-lnch gun throwing n 1n-pound she'll,
| which is setting fire to our buildings and IL
| causing death daily among the population.
| As you are aware, the military guns here
| are totally Inadequate to cope with this
| new gun.
| THE Only weapon which gives any help is
| one of local manufacture. Under these cir
1 cGlnStances. repreSc nting this commun-
| lty, We feel that We are juStifie in asking
| whether you have any immediate intention
| of fnstructing your troops to advance to
| Our relief. We understand large reinforce
| ments have recently arrived in Cape Town,
| and We feel sure that your men at Nodder
| river have at the outside 1o.rnD Beers op-
| posed to them. You must be the Judge as
| to what number of British troops would he
| required to deal with this body of men. but
| 1t is absolutely necessary that relief should
| be afforded To this place
Col. Kekewich's Answer.
| After taking time to consider his decd
sion. the officer commanding sent Mr..
Rhodes letter, informing him that the
substance of his communication had been
| forwarded to Lord Roberts per Photograph
| to Enslin. Lord Roberts reply which was
| communicated in due course. posse sS,s no
| less historical interest than the remarkable
| communication which originated the CORE
| Spondence:
| Il beg you represent to the mayor and
| Mr.. Rhodes as strongly as you possibly can
| the disastrous and humliating effect of sur
| render after So prolonged and glorious de-
| Tense. Many days cannot possibly pass he
fore Kimberley will be relieved, We COM
| mence active operations tomorrow. Future
| military operations depend in large meas
| ure your maintaining your position a
| very short time longer
| Mr.. Rhodes was much annoyed at the
suggestion that the thought of surrender
] had ever occurred either to himself or to
| those associated with him in the rerresen-
| tations which had been made, and ] have
1 reason to believe that when Lords Roberts
| and Kitchener arrived in Kimberley he took
! an early opportunity OF disabusing their
minds of so mischievous an impression.
| Strained Relations From First.
1T is to be regretted that the relations
| between Mr.. Rhodes and Colonel Kskewich
| should have been almost from the begin
| ming of the siege. for reasons which il is
| impossible to discuss, almost uniformly
unsatisfactory. Colonel Kskewich treated
Mr. Rhodes as a simple. civilian. On his
part, Mr.. Rhodes was intoerant of mill
tary routine, Il little too inclined to px-
press his opinions bluntly and brusqueIy;
still the fact remains that harmonious re-
lationS with the head of the de Beers COM
pany were absolutely essential to the
smooth operation of the military staff with
speaking terms when the siege was raised,
and their accidental meeting shortly after
General French's arrival gave rise to a
most stormy scene Colonel Kekewich, it
appears, told Mr.. Rhodes that he had come
to see the general about arresting the edi-
tor of the Diamond Fields Advertiser. Mr.
Rhodes replied warmly: Then you had
better arrest me, for / agree with every
word he has written, and ought to go
to prison together This led to a lively
passage at arms, which ended with Mr..
Rhodes ordering Colonel Kekewich TO leave
the house. Subsequently Mr. Rhodes ex-
planned the reason of the article to General
French, who was quite satisfied, and de-
clined point blank to act upon Colonel
Kekewich's irate suggestion"
To Open an Alley.
The health officer having certified that the