New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-18
ROBERT B ROOSEVELT FINDS THEM UN-
FoUNDED-CHAMBERI ATTITUDE

ROBERT 3. ROOSEVELT FINDS THEM IN
Observation-Disclosures ATTITUDE.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir VIII you allow me to answer in a few
words the letter Of Mr.. wankyn in The Trib-
une of the eth? Have we not had the gratitude
racket for England's sympathy with ms in the
spanish war worked rong enough? Were Eng
land to be attacked by Europe I would be the
nrst TO vote to stand by her With every ship and
every gun we could muster but when it comes
10 supporting her in unjust, indefensbIe
cruel useless, senseless attack upon poor lit
tie, harmless republic Of God fearing. peace low
Ing tilers Of the soil, merely to maintain Eng
lands 'paramountcy." whatever that NAV
mean another and very different question
arises.
As for the causes Of the war. I thought we
had had enough Of raking over the old ernbers
or rehashing the exploded faIsehoods OF .reas-
sorting the bald scandals in view Of the fact
that the master mind, the head centre. the
main actor in bringing about the war has boldly
and openly swept them all aside and announced
IN all its barren grossness the real reason of the
war Joseph Chamberai in his speech in
Parliament, said:
Speaking for the Government say there shall
De no second Matuba- Never again shall the
beers erect in the heart Of South Africa a cita-
del whence to proceed TO disa Election and race
amnesty Never again shall they be able 70
endanger the pararnountcy of Great Britain
Never again shall they be able TO treat an Eng
AshTnan as though he belonged 10 an inferior
race.
Nothing IN this nor in any extract that have
seen Of the wrongs Of the OutIanders Of their
pitifuI I'll treatment, Of their overtaxation of
the heartless denial OF naturalization that Eng
hshmen must have been pining for the natu-
radiation Of a British citizen IN the great and
glorious Transvaal Republic that immense ma
ton Of sixty thousand, counting men women
and children; nothing even of the awful corrup-
ton OF the Transvaal Government, so awful that
the pious Barney Barnatos OF the johannesburg
mining camp could not bear to think of it. and
felt called upon TO slaughter all those foolish
farmers who submitted 10 it and supported it.
He puts it squarely oa a claim 10 British para
1nountcy"
When asked what that impressive word para
mountcy' meant. he had previously said. Call
it suzerainty: call it Abracadabra, if you will"
7 take it that Chamberlain is better authority
than Wanklyn. that one knows what he is
talking about and the other does not but is
blindly repeating the weak shams and aban-
doned false pretences that were thought a
good enough Morgan" till the nation was in
volved in the conflict and loyalty compelled
unaninlity. just as it did in our quarrel with
Spain. when millions of our people " no saw
justice in the war supported the Government
after we were in It.
But a word 10 these revivified argu-
nents, these claims TO representation, these
charges Of ohgarchy. these assertions of
taxation and brutal III treatment by Boer au-
thorities and officials. Remember, first the Out
landers are not all British. by any means. All
but the British are substantially on the side of
the Beers some even fighting III their ranks. I
except from these a few Americans and Ger
mans whose personal interests had drawn them
into the Jameson raid-a piece Of filibustering
land piracy that even the British had 10 pretend
TO condemn. disovn and repudtate.
As TO representation, Krtiger offered TO make
the time limit five years, as II is here. He, how
ever, reserved the right 10 refuse naturalization
in individual instances. just as in England; only
ii England can be naturalZed without
the explicit consent OF the authorities. AS to
Oligarchy, that means in this connection simply
a refusal TO allow nOn-citiZens TO vote: every
citizen of the TransvaaI is represented. More
over. Britain in its House of Lords, has a true
oligarchy- Let her reform herself before she
makes attacks on others. The beam in her eye
IS very large indeed.
Overtaxation-it IS enough 70 say the tax is
~ per cent on the output Of the mines whereas
rule. Brutal III treatment by Boer of1cials-the
only case relied on is that OF man shot by
Boer policeman. This is q terrible arraignment
indeed. the BOer being promptly acquitted; only
learned that the Englishman was a murderer
who had killed his man and who resisted arrest
and shot and almost killed one Of the police
men sent to arrest him before the other shot and
killed him.
So I could answer every one OF these stale
charges If you would give space, but the
boss OF the business. the criminal author Of the
war has done il for in saying IL ls a cues
ton, and merely a question, or English para
rnountcy. II that is a justification, then they
are justified; If not. not.
New-York Feb. 10, 1900