Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-08
THE b0ER CAPITAL
NOT A PARTICULAR COLLECTION
OF BRICKS AND MORTAR
KRUGER DEFINES THE TERM.
Seat Of Government at Present is In
Railway Car-Burghers Will
Fight to the Last.

London. June SIS a. m.-The enecu-
tive officers Of the Transvaal govern
ment are in a railway car. which Is
shunted on a switch at
President Kruger caused the interior OF
the coach to be reconstructed some time
ago with a view to the contingencies
that have now arrived. d
A correspondent of the Daily Express,
who went from Lourenco MARQUES to see
President Kruger, was received yester-
day. The president sat smoking a long
pipe. He looked worried, but his bear
ing was quiet and determined. He did
not make the least objection to being in
terviewed.
The correspondent was equipped for
the interview by cables from London.
YES" said President Kruger. 'it Is
quite true that the British have occupied
Pretoria. This. however, does not end
the war. The burghers are fully deter
mined to fight to the last. They will
never surrender so long as 500 armed
men remain in the country. I feel en-
couraged by the fine work Steyn and
De Wet are doing in the Free State"
The correspondent suggested that the
war was over. inasmuch as the capital
had been taken.
The capital!' exclaimed Mr.. Kruger,
with energy. what is a capital? 1t does
not consist of any particular collection
OF bricks n mortar. The capital of the
republic. the seat of government, is here
in this car. There is no magic about any
special site. Our country is invaded, it
is true, but it is not conquered. The gov-
eminent is still effective"
Referring to the reasons why he left
Pretoria, Mr.. Kruger said:
Il was not foolish enough to be taken
prisoner. I provided this means of loco
motion precisely for the same reason as
our burghers supply themselves with
horses when they take the field.
1T is necessary that I should be able
to move quickly from place to place.
That is ALL. BY and by this car will
take me back to Pretoria. For the pres
ent it enables me to keep away from
Pretoria, where l could be of no SER
vice and where I SHOULD only play nto
the hands of the enemy"
"They say. Mr.. Kruger" remarked the
correspondent. that you have brought
with you gold to the value of 22,oOo.-
OOO."
1T is not true" replied the president.
Whatever monetary resources I may
have with me are simply those we re-
quire for state purposes. At the same
time. I am not going to tell you where
our treasure is. Let Roberts find it If he
cam"
They also say in London, Mr.. Kru-
ger, that you contemplate taking refuge
on a Dutch man-of-war at Lourenco
Marques" u
THAT again is a lie!' retorted the
president with vehemence. 1T known of
no such Dutch war vessel. I am not
contemplating refuge anywhere. "a I shall
not cave my country. There will be no
need of my doing anything of the kind"
The correspondent-"Then, sir, there
is much surprise at your leaving Mrs.
Kruger behind"
President kruger-"But why? Mrs.
kruger is quite safe in Pretoria. She
would only be put to personal neon
veniences here. All communication be-
tween US is stopped. of course. but she
Will await my return with calmness and
courage. She is a brave woman. 1 am
mere awaiting further information, We
are surrounded by faithful %burghers and
are quite SAFE"
Secretary of State Deitz remarked.
You may depend upon it that the war
Is not yet over. Guerilla warfare will
continue over an enormous area. We
intend to fight to the bitter end. and
snaiI roDaply retire upon Lydenburg,
"here we con hold out for many months.
YES observed Mr.. Kruger, ut is
only now that the real struggle has he
gum. l fear that there will still be much
bloodshed but the ault is that of the
British government" Then raising his
voice to In almost passionate height
Mr.. Kruger exclaimed:
The time has passed for us to talk.
we nave done plenty Of that; but it has
done us no good. The only thing left
for us to do is to keep on fighting.
The correspondent who secured the in
tervieW ~telegraphed it direct from Ma
cadorp station yesterday when the wires
were working as usual to Lourenco Mar
ques.
The Daily Express Is commenting upon
the Interview, refers to the Inundated
denance or the chief of the ransvaalers."
Nine hundred British prisoners arriv-
ed Tuesday at Nooitgedacht. They
were penned in a barbed wire field OF
four acres on the open veldt. According
to a dispatch from Lourenco Marques,
dated yesterday. Lord Roberts is re-
ported to have intercepted two trains full
leaving the vicinity of Pretoria. Tele-
grams from the British side are exceed
ingly scanty Two brief ones, received
from Pretoria, say that Mrs. Kruger is
still occupying the presidency mansion
and that a number of engines and cars
have been secured. s...J
The British under General DeIisle
captured a machine gun and FUSED the
Beers heavy loss. the British casualties
being slight. Boer officials removed
$500. 900 in gold from the national bank
.June 4. but did not touch the cash hold
ings of the other banks. ~.
Some of the Beers are surrendering
voluntarily and the townspeople of Pre-
toria are described as showing consider
able enthusiasm over the British arrival.
Mr.. Provost Batesby, in a dispatch to
the Morning Post from Pretoria. dated
mpne 5, says:
The Beers pledged themselves to 20
British officers not to take the British
prisoners away if these officers would
control them and prevent an outbreak
Nevertheless they began their removal.
After 900 had been taken British shells
struck a train that was loadinr and the
Beers d~esisted and retired.
The British officers at Daspoort refus-
ed to leave their quarters and made the