Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-03-29
WILL CONQUER OR DIE
THIS DECLARATION is MADE BY
PRESIDENT KRUGER.
Beers, He Says, Expect No Aid from
Other Nations, but Are Determined
to Fight to the Last-Burghers Are
in Desperate Straits.

Notwithstanding recent reverses and
the general collapse, apparently, of the
Free State as a factor in the war, with
the rumored disheartening Of the Beers
in consequence, eminent war critics say
there is reason to believe that President
Kruger is correctly reported as saying
his people will conquer or die" From
the first there have been rumors of dis
satisfaction from the Free State, but
from the Transyaal there has not been
the slightest indication that its burghers
have ever thought of faltering or of peace
unless the latter should be upon lines
for which the determined citizens of the
South African republic took up arms.
President Kruger is reported, by way of
Paris, as saying:
Having been forced into the war, the
Beers will conquer or die. / expect no
aid from other nations, but we are glad
Of sympathy and friendship. The Trans
yaal is willing to make peace at any time,
but we want no more cons. Only abso-
lutte independence is possible. We don't
want more territory, but are content with
our present frontier, if we are permitted
to live peacefully. This is all we ask"
These statements read strangely
enough in connection with the fact that
the Free State is overrun, an army is on
its way to the relief of Mafeking, and
Butler, Methuen and Lord Roberts are
each at the head of an army ready for
the final advance upon the Transvaal.
AS to intervention, DR.. Leyds is said
to be still looking hopefully toward Amer
ica--not realizing, perhaps, that in offer
ing its friendly offices to England the
American Government has done all it can
do short of intervention by force, which
would mean war. Possibly Russia
forthcoming answer to President Kru-
gers appeal for Intervention may be more
effective as regards aid to the Beers,
but unless the continental powers are
prepared for forcible Intervention there
is no aid in sight for "Oom" Paul and
his people outside their own strength
and valor. That the sturdy president OF
the Transvaal contemplates this possibil-
ity is probable. From present indica-
tons the world is likely to witness he
roic but pathetic and useless struggle
before the South African republic, like
the Orange Free State, has a new capital
and new ruler
The British inhabitants of the Trans
vaal, whose rights as non-combatants
have hitherto been respected, are now ex-
periencing the hardships of war. Presi-
dent Kruger has Communicated all able
bodied men in the State, no matter of
what nationality. The British citizens
who remained in Pretoria or elsewhere
in the Transvaal, perhaps with the idea
of being on the winning side, no matter
what might happen. are beginning to
discover the difficulty of endeavoring to
serve two masters. Under penalty Of
death, they have been ordered to proceed
to Kroonstad and help to repel the in
vaders. This is interpreted in London
to mean that the Beers are in desperate
straits. The British say that even the
unyielding president Of the most uncom-
promising party among the Beers of
South Africa is beginning to recognize
the hopelessness of the struggle