The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-06
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS BACK.
Discusses His Experiences ms n Cor
respondent in south AfrIca.

Discusses His Experiences ms n Cor
respondent in south Africa.
NEW YORK, Aug. 5.-Richard Harding
Davis returned yesterday from the Trans
vaal, where for two months he was in the
midst OF hostilities as newspaper CORE
spondent. He made the return trip on the
American liner New York. When he came
ashore he said to reporter:
Some Of the British say that I am
renegade. Well. whatever they may say.
it is true tina. went over to the Beers
after had endured English censorship as
long as l could.
''Ths reason l left the British is best
given in the following bit of history: In
one OF the engagements which took place
on the march of the British to Pretoria
detachment Of English soldiers became sep
arated from the main force. There was a
slight fog afoat and when these men re-
turned to the main column their comrades
mistook them for Beers and firing into
them killed several. II was simply the
result Of bad generalship- Accordingly.
wrote the account of the engagement just
as 1t occurred. / said that the English
troops had through mistake shot down
their own kinsmen. The military censor
read the despatch and said that he could
not pass 1t.
why mott? asked. Is It not true?'
True, yes, was the answer, but /
cannot pass 1t. You must say instead that
the bullets came dangerously near these
men, Well, had -to-teeth talk
with the man and finally got the despatch
through.
This was only one instance And, for
fact. as long as l stayed with the British
could not get my dispatches through
without either having them haggled or
wholly cut to pieces.
There was funny story running
through the British lines one day about
Boer barbarism. and our young Consul,
Adelbert s. Hay, played a picturesque as
well as diplomatic role in it. Noy, the
Beers were wont to coat the ends of their
bullets with kind OF grease to prevent
them splitting in the gun barrel; after a
certain time this grease took on an emer
aid color. 1t appears that some British
soldiers charced to find few bullets from
the Boer rifles, without using surgeons
instrument, and on sight of the green
grease they thought that the bullets were
poisoned. With remarkable rapidity it
was noised about that the Beers were
such barbarians as to use poisoned bullets.
Mr.. Hay, our new Consul at Pretoria,
tents when such a bullet was on exhibit
tion- Having looked at the pfojectile
long time and smelled it carefully. he
said:
why, these fell by mistake into a
pudding. They ars only favored with win
tergreen.' and. so saying. he licked OFF the
green with apparent relish. That disposed
of that story Of Boer barbarism.
II have no fault to find with the English
hos Of s.t,
has been considerable complaint. On the
contrary. I thought that the organization
OF the English army. especially in respect
to its caring for the wounded, was exeep
tionally good AS soon as a man dropped
he was picked up by an ambulance corps
and whisked OFF to hospital in only few
minutes.
''As for the organization of the Boer
army. why. there was no such thing. They
only fought when they felt like it, and then
it was only bravery that won the victories
AS matter of course. when they were OPP
posed by several times their own number.
they were simply overpowered With the
removal OF Cronje by capture and exile,
and that of Joubert by death. the Boer
army was pruned Of good deal Of dead
wood. These men were all right for times
OF peace, but they were too old. too slow
footed and slow minded for war. The COM
manders who followed them were of diff
ferent timber / speak now Of De Wet and
Botha. General De Wet is a man OF re-
markable force and has the power to in
spire his troops with his own courage.
Botha is also an excellent general.
Nevertheless. even at the present time
there is considerable jealousy between the
officers. which initiates greatly against the
success Of the army. 1t is not true that
the Boer army is differed throughout by
Europeans. There are few Frenchmen
and Germans in positions OF command, but
their presence there is of no great i'm
portance. The Beers under them do not
half the time obey their orders.
The English at the present time have
all they can do to hold their own in the
Transyaal. General Roberts is now at
Pretoria with 5000 men, and 1t takes
most of his waking hours to keep his lines
of communication open with the ocean.
The whole situation closely resembles
what would happen If the English should
take Albany with A few thousand troops
and all the people of New York. having
taken refuge in the Adirondacks. should
make daily sorties to the southwark and
tear up the tracks of the New York Cen
trail and West Shore Railroads.
1T is my humble opinion that the Beers
are better fixed today than they were in
the beginning. They have provisions to
last them for the next two years, and
plenty of fresh air and exercise They
can keep the British guessing all the
time in the meanwhile. Yes. sir. Eng
land reeds all the troops she has in
Africa for the squabble there. She is
afraid to transfer a single soldier from
the Transgaal to China.
Il am sorry my English friends have
taken such an aversion to me; very sorry
Consequently l have made no attempt 10
try to solicit return of their favor. In
this connection, I might say that my name
was once proposed for membership in the
Garrick Club. of London. The friend who
had submitted my name, however. came
TO me and said that there had been some
unpleasant talk about me among the mem
bers. and perhaps l would not find my
new surroundings among them excessively
congenial Accordingly | asked that my
name be dropped. and it was.
II left South Africa June and landed
at Naples. As a consequence OF the ex-
posure l endured while in South Africa.
found myself suffering severely with sciat-
lea. In order TO obtain relief went TO the
bath at Aix-Ies Bains. From there went
To Paris and took the ship at ChsrbourS-
Now I didn't avoid going to London ne
cause l feared criticism or the cold shout
Ter o.. wet blanket II mad left an old
coat in London l would have gone over
and got it. As it was. there was no need
for me to go TO London, and | didn't"
Reed and barrett.