Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-04-13
DAVIS ON BOER WAR.
TELLS DAMAGING FACTS OF ENGLISH
TREACHERY IN FIELD.

rican Policy.
WASHINGTON, April S.-"Why should
we not sympathze with the Boers"' ex-
claimed ex-Assistant Secretary OF the
Interior Webster Davis at the great pro-
Boer meeting at the Grand Opera house
tonight. "Why should not the greatest
republic in the world assist the smallest
OF republics?
us the word liberty to become OBJ
solete in our national lexicon? Must the
greatest republic of the worlds history
chain its destiny to the chariot wheels of
the British empire in her mad race for
land and gold?
"Shall the fair name of this great re-
public, whose proves on land and sea
has been the marvel of the century, be
used in Europe by British officials and
the British press as menace to other
European powers who are anxious to as
sist the Beers 10 their brave struggle for
freedom and independence?
mo people in all the worlds history
has made a more valiant effort to secure
liberty for future peoples than have the
Beers no people has endured more hard
ship for the cause of liberty
"These men have the same spirit that
prompted the farmers to face death for
liberty at Lexington Green; that nerved
the arms of Americans at Saratoga.
Bunker Hill and Brandywine; thst
warmed the hearts of Washington and
his shlvering patriots at Valley Forge;
and at New Orleans. where Jackson and
his men taught old England that easier
| Z. 10, ha vnnta1 MAINTAIN from
its base than to force the yoke of slavery
upon men determined to be free"
Mr.. Davis witnessed the battle of
Spion Kop in company with Mr.. llille-
gas, The Worlds correspondent with
the Beers, whose thrilling description of
that historic battle was printed recently.
Referring to it. MIR. Davis said:
1--WE have seen many charges made by
British officers and British newspaper
correspondents that the Beers have fire.
quently outraged the white flag and the
Red Cross flag. Upon investigation, not
only among the Beers themselves but
among the 1000 British prisoners. includ-
ing the officers. who were at Pretoria
when we were there, we learned that
these charges we're absolutely unfounded.
R"On the contrary. we did learn that
this was a set-up Job to deceive not only
the people Of Great Britain at home, but
to deceive the people of other civilized
countries.
1.-The truth is-and | defy contradic-
tion-that the British soldiers themselves
are the parties who violated many of the
rules of civilized warfare. and frequently
| ~ oil - ad
Cross flag.
sit was my fortune to witness some of
these scenes myself. On the top OF
Spion Kop. when that wonderful battle
was almost over, young Boer soldier
not more than seventeen years OF age
was passing by wounded British SOL
der, and the British soldier asked him
for drink Of water. AS the tender
hearted Boer lad was kneeling down by
his side to let him drink from his own
canteen that British soldier thrust bay
onet into the poor boys side. And
myself talked with him, and. kneeling
by him, shed tears when he died.
During the battle of Dundee there
was lul in the firing for a time on ac'
count of the Beers seeing buggy ap.
preaching them rapidly and floating a
white flag. All awaited Its arrival. Al
a distance of about six hundred yards
from them the buggy stopped, wheeled
about, dropped the white flag, and that
innocent looking buggy was suddenly
trans formed into a murderOus Maxim
gun, which felled nearly dozen Beers
81 talked with the man who captured
that flag and saw it myself 1t was 6
white flag with a small black stripe
through the centre, but short distance
away 1t seemed perfectly white. Tha
flag is now in the possession of Col
Blake, the brave American officer who
commands the Irish brigade, which i;
composed almost entirely of lrish-Amer
leans, and no drawer men are in thu
Boer army, said Gen. Joubert to me-"
England's acquisition of the diamond
fields at Kimberley Mr. Davis character
lied as a transaction without parable
s'for cupidity, dishonor and injustice.
Then followed period of peace.
"But finally this period of peace ant
rest was broken by the discovery of golC
in the Transvaal. Then it was that tn,
British government determined to seek {
pretext for obtaining control Of the rich
est gold fields in the world, as it had be
fore secured the richest diamond fields.
Wherever gold has been discovered
there the British have turned wistfu
= and longing eye. When gold was dis
: covered in Alaska only few years ag'
how quickly an effort was made to eX
tend the Canadian line far enough west
l ward to take in the gold fields
"IIow long would the people of GU
Republic stand it if foreigners from an!
country in the world were to come her
and after getting rich in our gold mine
would undertake to control our govern
ment, and failing to do so would en-
deavor to destroy it?
"No fimsier pretext for robbery an,
alLal