The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-03
He WILL PLEADFOR
THE DOWNTRODDEN
Webster Davis Gives Up His
Office to Speak.
B0ERS' BRAVE STRUGGLE
He Has Seen It and Will Tell the
World the Story
BOERS' BRAVE STRUGGLE
ALL AMERICANS SHOULD SYMPATHlZe
When Davis Left Pretoria, Thousands, Many Of
Them Weeping, Begged Him 10 Let the
American People Know the JUS
40 &c Thai Tauco
tice of Their Cause.
(By The Associated Press.)

(ISy Inc Associated ITeSS.)
Washington, April 2.-Webster Davis,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior, who
has just returned from South Africa to-
day. announces his withdrawal from the
Department, and prepared a letter of
resignation for submission to the Presi-
dent to take effect very shortly. He will
go on the lecture platform in the inter-
est cf the Beers. Mr.. Davis says that as
a result of his visit TO the Transvaal he
feels impelled to tender his resignation
as Assistant Secretary OF the Interior.
He will at an early date deliver a lecture
in this city in the interests of the South
African Republics. Mr.. Davis feels that
this is the best way to arouse the en-
thusiasm of the American people in be-
half of those republics and awaken at
tention TO the justice OF their cause.
Mr.. Davis decided to resign because of
the acceptance of an invitation to de-
liver lecture on the South African War,
and he felt that as an official he could not
express his views with such freedom as
he could as a private citizen. The invita-
tiCn was extended by non-partisan citi-
zens of Washington, and was not inspired
in any way by persons directly connected
with Boer interests.
Mr. Davis said today:
1T is purely matter of sympathy on
my part. | went to South Africa unprej
udiced visited both armies, saw much
of the British soldiers and people, and
also much of the Beers After seeing
what l did, | made UP my mind that the
cause of the Beers was just, that the
two smallest republics in the world were
struggling against the greatest empire in
the world, for justice and independence.
The struggle seemed to me very unequal.
The whole number of Beers. including
men, women and children, is not greater
than the population of the city of Wash
ington. and yet these brave people have
the courage to put up the greatest fight
in history against an empire of four
millions. | concluded at once that my
sympathies were with those struggling
for liberty and | feel that the American
people should sympathiZe with them in
their fight for justice and independence
When l entered the train at Pretoria,
on my return home, fully 1000 men and
women. mostly women. whose husbands
gathered at the station to bid me good
bye. and as the tears rolled down many
cf their faces, they made the last request
of me that | do everything within my
power upon my return home to let the
American people know of their exact con-
dition to let them know how they had
been abused and outrageously misrepre
sented by the English. The English cor
tVer
their dispatches over the cable lines, as
they are controlled absolutely by the
British while it is impossible for in
formation regarding the situation from
the Beers standpoint to reach the Ameri-
can people. If did not. as free Ameri-
can, decide TO listen to their appeals my
conscience would burn and the faces of
those suffering people, as brave and as
noble as God ever let live in any land
would haunt me as long as | live. l am
therefore, determined to do everything in
my humble way to assist them. Their
cause is just and in God is their trust
and in the light of the past history Of the
American people who went through the
same struggle, | believe the Beers will
win
Mr. Davis was asked what course he
would have the people of this country pur-
sue in order to assist the Beers He re-
piled:
do anything and everything within
their power, and let Great Britain and
the world know that the sympathies OF
the American people are not with Great
Britain, but with the Beers and in the
interests Of humanity and civilization
We should let the world know that such
an unholy war should stop and stop at
once"
MIR. Davis denied that he brought with
him communication to this Government
from President Kruger He admitted,
however, that he had had several con-
ferences with President Mckinley, but
declined 10 make public what had passed
betWeen them.
Mr. Davis formal resignation was sent
to the White House later in the day
through his private secretary.