The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-05
A LETTER WRITER
IN SOUTH AFRICA.
The Desperate Measures Necessary to
get Press Privileges Within the
English Lines.
By Charles Edward Schulz.

Lam beginning TO think that my trip
VIII have to be recorded as a failure,
owing to the many spokes put in my
wheel by the various officials, who
should be most willing to grant their
permission for me to get to the front,
l in .order5to procure true pictures of the
various events connected with the, pres
ent war, the reproduction of which are
of such interest to the public
When 1 requested permission to get
to the front the Army people fooled me
completely, but requested me to stay
there on the chance of getting up to
t5eneral French. They told me they
had wired him, but received no reply.
1 got discouraged, and sent a long wire
to Lord Roberts direct. I had a reply
from his military secretary, stating
that they were to issue a pass, so I
thought that was all right. When I
Went to see the commandant he said
he could not let me have this pass IN
less he heard from General French
that he would have me, so he sent an
other wire.
waited another day or two-no wire
came, so I wired General French my
Self-no anSWer-so I sent another;
still no reply. The commandant adj
vised me to go to NaauWpoort and see
the comnandant there.
When I arrived there I only found a
| few tin huts and tin hotel-the place
| run OF yoh1cerS-no room for me. The
| walting-rooms at the station were
Al14O Offices, SO 0aQ TO
| look around for a place to sleep. I put
! up with as soft a place as l could find
l on the dusty ground, with nothing but
| my waterproof for cover (some one
| took fancy to my overcoat at Dur
| ban) and my camera for a head-rest.
| 1 went to sleep.
Next day saw commandment who told
| me General French had removed to
Modder River and General Clements
| was at Rensburg, but could not send
| me to the latter without his permits
| sion AT the same time he would wire,
| and requested that I should again look
him up in the afternoon. Went back
| ana found there was no reply, but was
| requested to call later on. L did so,
| and met with the same result.
| Next day saw the commandant, and
he told me l could not go up to the
| front without a pass signed at the head
| oftlce at Capetown. / should have felt
| most embarrassed to have any of my
| friends see me after this trip. You
out tramp dressed in dirty khaki. Oh
the pleasures of photography!
Got into Capetown Sunday night, and
went to see the commandant there.
explained my business and requested g
pass. He stated he could not grant
same. 1 next applied to the officer il
charge of communications. He told
me to apply to the Press Censor ct Pos
| Office did so, and he thinks he car
grant my request and get me up witt
General Clements at Rensburg. HI
wired him accordingly and told me tt
| call to-day. You can rest assured
was there on time, but found no reply
He wired him again, and I am to Sc
him tomorrow, so hope my efforts viii
be rewarded with some luck. 1t ha
not been for want of trying that hav
not met with greater progress.
Just saw the Press Censor. He state
that there are no objections to my go
| ing to the front, and that shall re
ceive my pass tomorrow.
Meanwhile I have been gathering
some statistics, not the least interest
ing being some postal data.
Quite apart from the enormous rou
tine work contingent upon the letter
from and to 100000 soldiers and sailor
in South Africa, there has been a.
enormous increase in the ordinary Worl
of the CapetOWn Post Office on accoun
of the number of refugees from al
| parts of the Transvaal to that town.
The Capetown Post Office is a mag
nificent building, one of the finest i
that or any other colony. 1t stands i
Adderley street, and has a most i'm
posing architectural front of whit
stone columns. It is excellently or
staff, who, however, have been sadl
overworked for the last five months.
Some idea may be formed of the bull
of letters for johannesburg alone fror
the fact that the officials had to sol
the letters addressed to 5000 Johannes
burg private boxes and to redirect
very large number of them. For thi
| purpose it was necessary to utilize te
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