The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-08
BoERS WILL FIGHT 1T OUT.
KRUGER SAYS THEY WILL CON-
TINUE TO TIE END.

That Is the Present Boer Capital.
Feels That His Wife Is Safe in
Pretoria-RemovaI of British Pris-
oners-BOers Carried on Much
Treasure From Pretoria.
London, June s, a. m.-The executive
officers of the Transvaal government are
in a military car. which is shunted on a
switch at Machadodorp station. Prest-
dent Kruger caused the interior of the
coach TO be constructed some time ago
with the view to contingencies that have
now arrived.
A correspondent of the Daily Express who
went from Lorenzo Marques to see Presi-
dent Kruger, was received yesterday.
The President sat smoking a long pipe.
He looked worried. but his bearing was
quiet and determined. He did not make
the least objection to being interviewed.
The correspondent was equipped for the
interview by cables from London.
Yes" said President Kruger. at is
quite true that the British have occupied
Pretoria This. however, does not end the
war. The burghers are fully determined
to fight to the last. They will never sur
render so long as 500 armed men remain
in the country. l feel deeply encouraged
by the fine work Steyn and DeWet are
doing III the Free State"
The correspondent suggested that the
war was over, inasmuch as the capital
had been taken.
THE capitalr' exclaimed President Kru-
ger, with energy. What is capital?
1t does not consist of any particular col
lection of bricks and mortar. The capital
of the republic. the seat of government,
is here in this car. There is no magic
about any special site. Our country is in
vaded, 1t is true, but it is not conquered.
The government is still effective"
Why Hc Left Pretoria.
Referring to the reasons why he left
Pretoria, Mr.. Kruger said
II was not foolish enough to be taken
prisoner. l provided this means of loco
motion precisely for the same reason as
our burghers supply themselves with
horses when they take the field.
1T is necessary that l should be able
to move quickly from place to place. That
is all. BY and by this car, will take me
back to Pretoria. For the present it ena-
bles me to keep away from Pretoria,
where l could be of no service and where
should only play into the hands of the
eGeny."
They say, Mr.. Kruger" remarked the
correspondent. that you have brought
with you gold to the value of f. 100000"
1T is not true" replied the President.
Whatever monetary resources l may
have with me are simply those which we
require for state purposes. At the same
time l am not going to tell you where our
treasure is Let Lord Roberts find it If
he can
They also say in England, Mr.. Kruger,
that you contemplate @kiug refuge on a
Dutch rnarsof-wnr a Lorenzo Marques"
That, again, is a lie" retorted the
President, with vehemence. II know of no
Dutch war vessel. l am not contemplat l.
ing taking refuge anywhere. l shall not
leave my country. There will be no need
for me to do anything of the kind"
The correspondent: Then. sir, there is
much surprise at your having left Mrs.
Kruger behind"
President Kruger: But why? Mrs.
Kruger is quite safe in Pretoria. She
would only be put to personal inconven-
ience here. All Communication between
us Is stopped. of course; but she will await
my return with calmness and courage. She
is a brave woman. ] am here awaiting
further information. We are surrounded
by faithful burghers and are quite safe
War Is Not Yet Over.
State Secretary Reitz remarked:
You may depend upon it that the war
is not yet over. Guerilla warfare will con-
tinue over an enormous area. We intend
to fight to the bitter end and shall prob
ably retire upon Lydenburg, where we can
hold out for many months"
Yes" observed Mr.. Kruger at is only
now that the real struggle has begun.
fear that there will still be much blood
shed. but the fault is that of the British
government"
Then, raising his voice to an almost pas
sionate height. Mr.. Kruger exclaimed:
THE time has passed for us to talk,
We have done plenty of that. but 1t has
done us no good. There is nothing left
for us to do but to keep on fighting, to
keep on fighting.
The correspondent who secured the in
tervew telegraphed It direct from Macha-
dodorp station yesterday when the wires
were working as usual to Lorenzo Mar
ques.
Nine hundred British prisoners arrived
Tuesday at Nooltgedacht. They are pen
ned in a barbed wire enclosure of four
acres on the open veldt.
According to dispatch from Lorenzo
Marques, dated yesterday, Lord Roberts
Is reported to have intercepted two trains
fun leaving the vicinity of Pretoria.
Situation at Pretoria.
kilograms from the British side are ex-
ceedingly scanty. Two brief ones re-
ceived from Pretoria say that Mrs Kru-
ger Is still occupying the presidency, and
that a number of engines and cars have
been secured.
The British. under Maj DeLisle, cap
tured a machine gun, and caused the
Beers heavy loss, the British casualties
being slight.
Boer officials removed 100000 In gold
from the national bank June 4, but dill
not touch the cash holdings OF the other
banks.
Some OF the Beers are surrendering vol
UNFAIRLY and the townspeople Of Pretoria
are described as showing considerable
enthusiasm over the British arrival. Mr..
Provost Battersby in a dispatch to the
Morning Post from Pretoria, dated June
8, says:
THE Beers pledged themselves to
twenty British officers not to take the
British prisoners away if these Officers
would control them and prevent an OUT
break. Nevertheless they began their re-
moval. After 800 had been taken, British
shells struck a train that was loading and
the Beers desisted and retired.
The British officers at Daspoort re-
fused TO leave their quarters and made
the Boer commandant a prisoner, releas-
irg him at midnight on condition that he
would cancel the order for the removal OF
the prisoners. The Pretoria forts were
founG without guns. All the artillery had
been gotten away"
Another dispatch says:
Sixteen hundred British prisoners were
removed. After The government had taken
away most OF the stores the burghers