The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-03
PLANS OF B0ER ENJOYS.
Delegate Fischer Issues Statement
TO the American People.

TO the American People.
THE HAGUE. May 2.-The Boer peac
delegates. prior to their departure for tn
United States. decided today to make
public declaration of their purposes an
plans to the American people. Mr.. Fischer
therefore, authorized the following state
ment:
we have learned that many false
statements have been made concerning
our mission. Now that we are about to
proceed across the Atlantic we consider
that an opportune moment to speak has
arrived. We go to America to appeal
to the Government and people Of the
United States for their assistance to try
to restore peace in South Africa. Hith-
erto. our first and only appeal has been
to the people of the Netherlands. with
whom we are closely united by the ties
Of blood, and which, moreover, is a
country in which was adopted the prin-
ciple Of maintaining and securing peace
among nations by means Of mediation
or arbitration.
Our aim is to induce the nations 20
apply the principles enunciated at the
Peace Conference. Consequently, hav-
ing concluded our visit to the Neither
lands. where we have been received
with a home-like welcome and the
warmest assurances that we can rely
upon the hearty cooperation of that
country in every effort to restore
peace, We considered that we could not
do better than to proceed Immediately
to that people. who, a century ago.
passed successfully through the ordeal
which We are now undergoing. They
fought in defence of their just rights
and to obtain their freedom. That and
that alone is cur object.
Where calumny and misrepresenta-
ton have preceded US, we go prepared
to make the truth known, trusting
that our appeal to the free people of
our great sister Republic will not be in
vain. We do not go to one party or the
other. We go to the American people
in its vast entirety, constituting today
the greatest peace factor in the world,
which only awaits its lead to unani-
mously declare that this useless blood
shed shall and must cease. We go to
appeal to the American nation to help
US stop this cruel and needless killing
of those nearest and dearest to the
American people also. for American
citizens have fallen in our ranks. fight
ing for freedom.
nation to stop what is practically a
fratricidal war, whatever the results
of which will be absolutely incommen-
surate with the fearful sacrifices en-
tailed. These results could be easily
obtained by six business men peace
fully discussing the matter around a
table, provided the six he honest and
act in good faith. We go to tell the
American people that we are prepared
to place our case in their hands for
their arbitration, so satisfied are we
that we demand nothing that an i'm
partial, freedom-loving nation is not
willing to grant.
THE English press teens with false
hoods by which it seeks to throw dust
in the eyes of the American people.
we are prepared to meet these
falsehOOds by asking the United States
to judge between US. Will England
agree? If not, then all these false
hoods will not deceive Americans. for
they will realize that what England
seeks is to crush our independence as
they sought unsuccessfully thank God.
to crush American independence in the
last century.
Those who attribute other aims 10
our mission, who accuse us of having
selves instigatory thereof for their own
political and financial ends. are misled
by latter-day interviews which appear
and attribute statements to US (Which
were never made, at interviews which
were never held. the object being TO
draw US into contradictory statements
and thereby afford q clew to our OBJ
iect
We have not spoken before because
1t was not necessary. But on the eve
Of our departure for America we feel
entitled to transmit this frank declara-
ton to the American people, TO disa-
buse their minds of false statements
and to ask them to grant US "a fair
hearing while laying our cause fairly
and squarely beOre them"
The delegates, Messrs. Fischer, Wolma-
ems. and Vessels. left for Rotterdam this
fternoon. whence they will sail for New
'ork tomorrow on the Holland American
ne ship Maasdam.