The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-13
THE MINES OF THE RAND.
Reasons for thinking the Beers wni
spare Them.
lsnturdAy Rexiew.l


We fear that the safety Of the mines
10 Of grea ter intsrest to Europe than
that OF the prisoners. Will the Beers
wreck the mines. and II they have the
wish, have they the poWerf This is . quss.
ticn on which the most enthusiastic
unAnimity prevails amongst the nations
Of Europe. The Germans and the French
are quite clear on the point. and work
together IN the most fraternal harmony.
The war IL wicked: England 10 \ bully
but the mines must be saved. Il was all
very well to sxecrate England when 10
looked "a II the Beers were going to
drive the "rooineks" into the sea. Bus
now that the Beers are threatening In
the manner Of desperate men, the tramp
Of o ur trcops 10 as welcome to the mag
ina tion OF the French and German share
10 the ear Ct the timid householder. The
destruction Of privsts property, except
Tor the purposes Of military defense. Ia
CONTRARY to the usnges Of civilized war.
and 10 Invariably held to lie the subject
Of peoRniary com pensaiion. This, OF
COURSE, has been duly pointed out 20 Mr.
Kruger, who csnnot have needed the
warning, fer has he not long bill
against ne for damage during the jane
son rsidf Bat dispatch to Mr.. Kruger
Is not enough, for he might easily incite
his isnorant and sxasperated burghsrs to
acts of wanton destruction. Every
burghsr In the Transyaal must be CLEARLY
told In bis own lang uage that II ally dam
age IL done to the mines, be viii tavs TO
pay his share Of the camsgss By taxation.
Mr.. Cham herlain Is about 70 issue . pro.
ola nation tn this effect, which will, VS.
hope, calm the approximations OF the
shareholders, and imprss prudence upon
the Beers. Grant that MIR. Kruger 10 so
malicious and short-sighted as TO order
an sttnck uIon the mines, the anxiety
IS to the injury that might be done has
always seemed to us to be exaggerated.
seriously to damage . developed mine
pre- erty. 10 hear the alafmists talk, q
ka dir with pioksxs In one hand ana a
parcel Of dynamite In the other, could de
stroy untold millions. This IL cot the
opinion Of the experts. Shafts that haze
taken many years to constxuot cannot be
seriously damaged In n day by attempts
organized or unorg 8 nlzsd. As to machin
cry, any attack, to be really effective,
must be well and deliberately planned,
ard must be exeouted.py those who know
what they are about. We rather fancy
that In the immediate iuture the Beers
will be- otherwise engaged than In plan
ming and carrying out wanton mischief.
IL an organized ATTEMPT were made We do
not cay that few m,llion pounds worth
of damage might not be done. But we
do say that IN proportion to toe capital
value OF the properties on the Rand any
Immediate daamge that could b done
would be o mere Tea bite. More serious
would be the Injury consequent on . de.
lay involving the suspension OF mining
operations for some two or three years;
for 1t would take fully that time to re-
place the machinery destroyed. The share.
holders would In that way lose heavily;
still nj ore 80 the miners and their fami
lies, includinx some 10000 refugees, de-
pend ant ON the working Of the mines for
thsir daily living. Thus the csmpersa-
tion that Mr.. Kruger personally would
have to pay would be nythinE but n
aeE-bite. Mr.. Kruger may have realized on
all his interests In the land Of the Trans
wal. though 1t is stated that this lie not
the case. Anyway he has not yet made
certain OF his retreat, aud II no falls into
our hands, his treatment, 80 he must
occasionally retisct, will entirely depend
on how far he respects the custom and
practice OF civilized warfare.