The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-04-02
PRE- ETORIA IN WAR TIME
VIEWED BY An AMERICAN
Little Outward Evidence at the Capital of the Lfeor Death
Struggle johannesburg Business at StaadstII-
Interesting Letter From Within Boer Lines.

| 'tete is SupefaD0nGanCe OF Rsd Cross
workers. and 50 they remain at Pretoria.
| where they can easily be sent anywhere
| their presence is required
! AT the hotels are also to be found many
hurEherS on flying furlough from tho
| front. Here it was that l met Doctor Van
! der Nerve and Doctor Cilliers Rocr pny-
| sicians, who have charge of field amcu-
| lances at The Tugrla. Both were destitute
of The ordinary field insignia and paraphcr-
malta of Red Cross physicians. looking more
like city doctors about TO make round of
visits.
Officials at the Front.
Step into the Staathaus. however. and
plenty'o of evidences that tho Republic is at
war exists. All the Government officers
are exceedingly busy. the more SO because
more than half the customary depart mental
force has insisted going to the front;
Every man in the nation is eager for mill
tary service in the field, and il is with
great difficulty that the Government re-
tains enough men to keep the ship of state
moving.
Nearly all tn" members OF the Eolksraad
are on commando. and only four members
or the Executive Council which answers
the purpos" of Cabinet. have remained in
Pretoria. Two of these are physically in
capable of taking the field.
A tremendous burden falls upon My pei,z
the State Secretary. Along the lofty corrt-
doris "f the Staathaus the departmental
Offices are deserted, except here and there
4 Few subordinatcs. Ask for this or that
oficial. and Hes on comma ndo" is the a.
most invariable reply. / saw several clerks
hmpinS about on crutches or carrying an
arm in sling. They were wounded ..arI,-
IN the war and are now doing civil duty So
that their places in the field can be taken
10y ahlc-bodied hurghers
ihe war has now lasted four months and
lar from being conquered the Federated
i'epupi'cs are In every way stronger than
when they took the field against England
Their losses in battle have been compara
u'eiy insignificant and they still hold every
foot Of their frontier secure against the en-
cmy AS the war has progressed the ma
tional spirit has become intensified and
solidiied.
Contrary to England, the Beers counted
thc cost before they entered the war. and
consequently. are prepared to 60 whittier its
fortunes may lead them and to make anv
sacrifice '
:, we nave frekked away from the Eng
iish again and again. they say Now
mere Is no place for us to go. and We will,
mold our country or be buried in It,"
british Charge Bribery.
IL II noticeaelc, even now. that any cor
respondent or newspaper presenting the
iacts as ia conditions in South Africa is
Immediately assaulted with a charge of
being brihed by the TransyaaI ,;oycrnm,pt
This charge Of bribery. aypIied In those
who lift their voices for the Beers. de,
serves some attention here. Do Americans
Know that throushou; Cape Colony and
Natal EnSiishm.n commonly believe that
the nited States Consul. Mr. Macrum, was
Withdrawn from Pretoria beca,is. proof OF
MS having been bribcd by the Tr:nsvaal
Government was submitted to Washing
Ton: sH.r,an 30 tn they know that it is commonly
asserted ny EnEiiShmen in South Africa
that Mr. Hollis. the Consul sent UP from
Lorenzo Marquee Il temporary sub
siitnts for Mr.. Macrum. has also been
bfibcG to taVor the Beers in his representa-
tions TO the United States Governments
These reports cannot be traced to any Of
iinisi s hd, mrtish source but they are current.
trouble in believing them.
Ihe BocrS cN!Hcc no enmity toward the
EnT,iSh people as Il whole. who. they think, |
nave been inisled by the politicians Por-
traits Of Queen Victoria. hung everywhere
In the hotels. cafes and shops have not been
removed.
All: if the Queen had her way il would
be different" say the burghers. :'Thcv SAY !
Ministers keep papers containing our side OF !
il from her Is this .rue?" they ask of any |
one lately from Europe.
A great deal has been printed about the |
iooi!ng OF property of English residents |
by the Beers There is not a scintilla of |
truth in such statements beyond the iso- |
lated deprrdations which invariahly aC- |
company war. Property belonging Ia Eng |
lish and all other foreign residents is rigor- |
ouSiN 10 erect tfilS many fOrp.En |
residents now in the Transvaai have been !
called upon TO 10 special police duty for |
the purpose OF preserving public order and !
property.
This Is necessary in johannesburg whore |
the white population. mostly foreign is now
reduced TO about l2,WG, while there are
Se.G0 kafiirs, now idle through the shut
down of the mines in the city. An American
named O'Hara is Chief of the johannesburg
police.
There was no real necessity for a single |
to leave tn. Transvaal during
the war. The refugees simply rushed out
In the country panic stricken and then
spread stories which seemed 10 justify their
fears.
BOcr Strength.
I have endeavOred To ascertain the fight
ing strength Of the federated Republics.
Statements vary between 70 OOO and 100 tOa
have noticed one thing however, which
seems TO throw official light on this much
mooted matter. AS I have already said.
the Roer fighting strength consists of the
entire male population. and every male
pable OF bearing arms is given number.
In the Official lists of dead and wounded
the numbers are given. well as :ha
names ard the commandos. | noticed on
n recent list one wounded Bner numbered
S.1eS. This does not mean that there are
so many Beers now in the, field. because the
men are sent to the front without any ref
ererce to their registration number. hut
that that number and perhaps more-for
fg haf ~. ,,,Ior W. q