The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-08
GROTJE THE LEON|NE
Is a Fair Type of the Boer In
Peace and War
AS FARMER AND SOLDIER
Joshua His Hero and the Bible
His Manual.
As FARMER AND SOLDIER

New York, n arch THE World says
Cronje the sos Iier has carved his niche
beside that of Leonidas; Cronie the Mar
remains to be known outside his own
brave land. TEL Sunday World has pleas
use in preseng1 .ng him to the Amerisan
people.
1t is fitting hat he, beyond all his
fighting country men, should capture the
admiration of G he world, since he more
truly represents the Boer and his aspi-
rations than an other eneral and since
his historic ten j avs defense on the Mod
der endeared Ila to the hearts of the
burghers.
They love JouH )ert, with his courtly
manners and his crafty Generalship; but
JoUbert's QuaHGG are the product of his
French ancestry and he does not appeal
to their racial iIli tincts with the force of
his subordinate, Cronje, the veritable
farrner-soldier vi 40 viii stand for ali
time as the type Of the Boer in peace and
war
Cronje is first 4 f all a farmer. His life
as a civilian is nat OF a patriarch. He
rules his own hi tie tribe with absolute
authority, in the true Biblican way, and
imposes upon it the obligations of wor-
Shipping God and filling the soil
His farm, which is near Potchefstroom,
covers 1900 acres Any Boer farm would
strike an Americ ain as crude essay in
agriculture, but Cronje's is somewhat
superior to his ne kshbors. Still, the great
or part of it is un fenced and untitled.
The homestead Is a stone building of
one story. There ire half a dozen rooms,
the contents of " sich could be replaced
foc 500. The floors throughout the dwell
ing consist of the alive earth beaten flat
and glazed with builock's blood.
There are no pict ures on the walls.
True Boer as he is, tcronje despises art in
all its forms. His eading is confined to
the Bible, which he knows by heart, and
a weekly newspaper in the Dutch tongue
published in Pretoria. That a man should
find pleasure in books or paintings or the
manifestations of Nature, is to him be-
yond understanding. He comprehends
such eccentrics under the designation
"rooineks," which is applied imparially
TO Englishmen Americans and other I'M
welcome foreigners.
He is a silent man, simple and God
fearing, inspired by a passionate determi-
nation that his race shall be free, not
alone from alien dominion. but also from
the influences of modern thought and the
corruption of modern luxury. To him
the Old and New Testament are alike lit
eraI truth 1t is recorded of him that he
laughed scornfully in his beard when a
'rooinek' whom he met in Johannesburg
ventured to remark that the earth re-
ha he
around the earth.
How can that be?" demanded Cronje.
when the Bible tells US that Joshua
caused the sun to stand still that he
might slaughter his enemies?''
That settled the question.
Joshua is his favorite Biblical charac-
ter-his military and religious ideal. To
his family and dependents, and the
stranger within his gates, he loves TO
spread the story of the Hebrew leaders
bloody fights with his enemies; and in GO
ing forth against the English he is up
lifted with spiritual exaltauon that nerv-
ed Joshua to vanQuish the Philistines.
He hates politics. He does not compre-
bend the ambition that would lead an
other man TO make political capital out
of the great regard that his generalship
has won for him. In 1928 he was strong
ly urged to oppose Kruger for the Pres
id =ncy, but he refused.
Roberts is an trishman and magnifi-
cent fighter. Personal daring has had no
less to do with his advancement than
skilIful generalship
With 10,0GO men he crossed the great
mountain ranges of Afghanistan, a dis
tance of 800 miles in twenty days and
then crushed the formidable Ayoub Khan |
The empire rang with that march, and it |
was only one of the many martial feats
of the indomitable little "Bobs"
Gen. Lord Kitchener of Khartoum tlso |
achievements in arms
He is a type of the moders soldier. He |
is a student, an organizer, an engineer. !
He is as cold as ice. IN hiss a line of in |
fantry is no more than a scythe, a body |
of cavalry no more than a proiectile OF |
personal valor he may be richly capable. |
but his method Of warfare does not not |
give 1t opportunities He has a brain |
that can plan great, tedious operations, |
foreseeing difficulties and overcoming |
them in advance
2. Louter Vessels. Secretary National |
Boer Relief Association, who is now in |
New York says Of Cronje:
''Pieted Arnoldus Cronje. the General |
from the Transvaal who has fought for |
and with the people of the Orange Free |
State. may well be called the Lion of |
South Africa" He has proved his valor |
and has done his duty It is not the habit |
Of the people Of South Africa to worship /
hero. Every man stands ready to fight |
for his country.
Gen, Cronie is known by reputation in /
the Orange Free State. although his life /
has been spent beyoud the Vaal Like !
many Of our people, he Is Of Huguenot /