The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-15
u -i1|@4lt 3 |[:11 |11

nations of these characters. The tTut ;
| probably is that he is a mixture OF all
| these traits. and that seems TO be the
| view OF the present author. His character
sketch is the most satisfactory yet made
of the hoary Transvaal patriarch, and is,
on the whole, explanatory of all his public
| acts.
Mr.. Hobson had a personal interview
with Kruger. but is cautious about allow
ing the impression gained on that occasion
to influence his opinion. He points out
| the fact that there are many people who
have been associated with the President
| for years who differ widely in their esl-
mates Of his character. and that as he
says. this inscrutability is in itself a strong
! factor in the situation.
During the interview Kruger expressed
himself strongly upon the matter OF GER
tain broken promises attributed to him.
and his remarks on this occasion go Ear 10
! explain some of his actions. His idea OF
citizenship is readiness for military ser
vice. and this is a rock on which many
diplomatic negotiations between him and
Outlanders have split. The people of Jo-
| hannesburg. while willing to perform the
duties of citizens in general, are in most
cases not willing to fight on the Boer side
against England, as their own relatives
and friends would be found on the Oppo-
| site side. That is, as Mr.. Hobson notes.
| one of the most distressing features OF the
present war. Many British are forced, or
have volunteered. to fight under the Boer
flag, and owing to the mixture OF races
which has taken place in South Africa, II
| is Il contest of brother against brother, and
father against son. Naturally, President
! Kruger argues that if the johannesburg
! people cannot fulfill what is to him the
first duty of a burgher, they cannot make
good citizens.
Another alleged trait in Mr. Kruger S
character is his venality. On this point
he author is inclined to defend him, ar
| guing that certain acts which seem Venal
| are not so in reality, and that much of the
| Presidents conduct has been misrepresent-
ed. He admits, on the one hand, that
! there is considerable nepotism in the Gov
! eminent but claims in defence against
the charge of bribe- taking that certain
! perfectly legitimate land operations have
! made the President rich while his dispo-
/ sition to screen some of his INSCRIPTIONS
: friends has given rise TO lmputatlons that
| he was in the same boat with them. 1t ia
| pointed out that Joubert, who was richer
! than Kruger. and has not been accused OF
dishonesty, made his fortune in legiu-
mate way. by advances in the price OF
land. On the whole. making allowances
for certain differences In standards, the
conclusion seems to be that Dom Paul Is,
as his burghers believe him to be. person
ally honest. 1t may also be admitted that
though he is unquestionahly bigoted, he
is not a hypocrite. AS to his political
character and power, 1t is worth while TO
quote the concluding page of Mr.. Hobsou's
estimate. as it seems TO explain some
things hitherto misconstrued:
In politics as in religion, Paul Kruger is gov
erned by few simple, deepy-rooted notions. The
notion that he is iar-sighted, ioxy politician
seeking his own ends seems TO me quite unwar-
ranted and arises from the situation, which often
forces him TO give reasons and arguments Tor
actions which really based upon sentiment,
intutiye caution, set prejudices. Mr. Kruger
has continually been fighting for the independ-
ence OF his country, as he conceives X, warding
off the danger OF an overwhelming rush OF alien
influences When called upon suddenly for set
defence of his position. he has no ready dIa-
lectic but often burts out reasons which are
not the real actuating forces. His evasions and
dilatory bargaining not really a conscious
statecraft so much a rude instructive fence
which has been successful against a politician
like Mr.. Chamberlain. because the latter, 10y a
Characteristic fallacy, supposes his antagonist TO
be the same manner Of man as himself At
the same time. able men that know him well
tell Mr.. Kruger is powerful thinker. who
drives right down to the bedrock Of an issue.
has keen nose for fallacy in argument, and is
even willing to admit error when it Is clear
" pointed out to him. There is. however. one
weakness in his position which deserves notice.
He reads nothing except the Bible neither books
nor newspapers, though extracts from the lat
ter read to him. The result is that he has
to depend on the friends around him for all his
knowledge of the larger world. Even regards
the most material facts which reach his mind
there is thus 4 constant danger Of unfair
lection and Misrepresentation. Mr. Kruger IS not
the self-suficing man he is sometimes painted
Dominated by certain passions and experiences,
he is never shaken by threats or by violence,
but he is very amenabe 10 the influence OF
friends. This. too is characteristic of his
race which England has toolishly ignored. The
concessions which seemed 10 them to have been
wrested by threats Of force really made
under the urgent pressure Of friendly representa-
tions. of Mr.. Krugers actual power it is hard
to judge. The Boer is a suspicious man. and.
until England's open menaces closed all discus
sion and hushed all dissensions. he not pro-
pared to give absolute discretion, even to the
President. The dynamite vote and the proposed
concession Of a ive-yeaT franchise evoked 4 storm
Of indignation which by no means spared the
President. Many persons, indeed, insisted to me
that Mr.. Kruger and his Government could in
have forced the adoption Of a five-yeaT fran
chise But ! not convinced Of this. There
is no strong man in or out of the Rad who
could really stand up against the President, or
could rally a powerful party against him in a
national emergency. Beers do not like the no.
ton Of dictatorship and are strenuous in their
insstence on extreme forms of democracy. But
my conviction is that Ringers power in a grave
emergency like that which the country has en-
tered is that OF virtual dictator; that his hold
upon the minds of the great ma 0rity i such
that they have acquiesced IN almost any de-
cision, and have endorsed however reluctantly.
almost any concessions lac might have made To
this extent the 1rsnsyaal may be regarded as q
one-man State; but il must ever be kept in
mind that this power Of Mr.. Kruger is due TO
an abnormal stress Of circumstances; that il is
not created by his sole will and authority but
is the haf-consciouS recognition by the people
that he is the true repository OF the ancient
Boer spirit and traditions. and that he will fight
with all his mind and all his might ior the in
dependence Of his country.
As TO the other forces in Transvaal pol
itics, the author says that Kruger dwarfs
them all. Joubert he calls brave soldier,
but by nature man of peace. He con-
siders Dr. Leyds the evil genius of the
Transvaal. who, with his notions of an
unqualified Dutch supremacy, has done
much TO bring about the present condition
of things. OF Transvaal diplomats and pol
iticians in general Mr.. Hobson acutely re-
marks:
South Africa is constantly engaged in fitting
square pegs into round holes.
Comment is unnecessary.
A queer feature of the situation, accord
ing TO this author, Is the respect and
generation which Beers have for Queen
Victoria. He quotes one Of them as say
ing just before the war:
The Queen she Is good aud piOus woman, who
means no evil 10 us; 1t is only that yerdomde
kimbcrlan that has led asiray the British people.
In dealing with the alleged police out
RACES and laxity of law in johannesburg.
Mr.. Hobson denies many OF the stories
which have been printed on the English |
side of the question. and throws discredit |
on others. He claims that the Boer po-
lice. while they may be a little lax. are
no more so than in many American and |