Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-21
Possible Eject of Overzealous Friends
of the Beers.
QUESTION OF SUITABLE CREDENTIALS
Politicians May Embanass ENJOYS
for Partisan Purposes.
CONSERVATISM is BES T

There Is danger that the Boer ENJOYS
may be made the victims of selfish parti-
san aims. The belief is expressed that
there is deliberate purpose on the part
of persons opposed to the administration,
who want to make the most of the alleged
pro-British sympathy of Secretary Hay. to
make the visit of the Boer ENJOYS a source
of embarrassment to the President and his
Secretary of State. AT best this govern
ment is going to be somewhat embarrassed
to make an easy course between offense to
either party to the South African war in
dealing with this delegation. and this may
be greatly increased through the political
element who seem disposed to appropriate
the Beers to their own particular purposes.
Necessarily the ultra proBoer politicians
are active in their efforts to attract as
much public sympathy for the object of the
ENJOYS visit, and on account of the exist
ing political conditions just at this time
the most demonstratve sympathiZers with
the Beers are to be found among those
who are opposed to the administration,
either on general principles or because of
the adopted inSular policy.
The Committee of Escort.
1t may be natural and very proper that
Mr. Sulzer. who has been most aggressive
in trying to compel official expressions of
sympathy WIN lue b0eTS, SIlCulti pe DIT Tie
head of the committee to meet the dele
gates and escort them to Washington. but
there is a feeling that it would have been
as well if two or three conservative public
men had been among the committee of es-
cort and it is particularly desirable that
Mr.. SulZer should rot retain possession of
them during their stay at the national cap
ital If those who profess affection for
the Beers really have their interests at
heart, it will be much better to let them
attend to their own business with the Sec
rotary of State or the President or such
other officials as they have come to see
than the chaperOnage so strict as to absorb
the delegation into the political issues of
the hour. The movement appears to have
started out in fair way to defeat what
ever object the visit of the Beers may have
and to convert the delegation to partisan
use entirely at variance with their own in
tereSts 1t is supposed to be the purpose of
the ENJOYS to approach the authorities at
Washington with as much dignity as pos
Sble, and the success of their mission can
not be promoted by intimate association
with elements hostile to the administration.
1t is felt that the Boer Sympathizers could
best serve the cause by trying to promote as
far as possible a feeling of friendlness and
confidence between ENJOYS and the admin
istration. even at the sacrifice of some
CHEAP political capital.
If the Beers get to the State Department
with suitable credentials there is very fair
prospect row Of their receiving such official
recognition their credentials call for. 1t
is understood that Lord Pauncefote, who is
a man of most liberal intelligence and
wisest diplomacy, fully understands the
delicacy of the position in which the State
Department is placed through the matter
of the full independent sovereignty of the
Transvaal having for a number of years
been open question with the United
States and that he is. therefore. not dis
posed to be too punctilious as to the recep-
ton given the Beers by the State Depart
r1ent
Possible Effect of OverzealOus Friends
1t is quite within the range of possibility.
however. for the overZealous friends Of the
Transvaal Republic to render it impracti-
cable for the President and Secretary of
State to give the ENJOYS any sort of official
recognition. The suggestion that Mr.. Sui
ger will escort the Beers to the White
House to call on the President. as their pre-
limnary Introduction to official Washing
ton, is quite in conflict with any purpose to
secure for them recognition through the
State Department. The department has had
no information in advance of the character
of credentials carried by the ENJOYS but
such informality a call on the President
to be introduced by committee of escort,
would probably be construed by the Secre-
tary of State rendering superfluous any
more formal recognition by the department.
1t is feared that their cause has already
been prejudiced by their entry to the city
with red fire and a band of music. which Is
not the usual way of approaching a dipo-
matte mission. There appears to be great
danger of their being sacrificed to the en-
thusiasm of their sympathizers.