Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-22
TO REPRESENT Beers
Arrival of Montagu White Of the
South African Republic.
IT IS said BE WANTS MEDIATION
Believes the United States Could
Stop the War.
WAS MOBBED IN LONDON

Mr. Montagu White. who was, until re-
Gently consul general of the South African
republic IN London, is now in this city, 1t
Is under stood. to obtain recognition as the
diplomatic representative of the Transvaal
republic to the United States. If this is his
purpose ne has not yet put it into effect to
the extent of a personal call at the State
Department, which is naturally a neces-
sary preliminary step to that end Until
he has presented his credentials and indi
Gated his official desires to the Secretary of
State that officer declines to give any init
nation as TO the probable course of the
government in that respect
Consul or Diplomat.
IL is not altogether clear as to whether
Mr. White Is accredited to the United
States in a diplomatic or in a consular ca
pacfty While there might be no hesitation
In recognizing his right to act as the con-
sular representative of the Transvaal re-
public there is considerable doubt as to
his official reception by this government as
the duly accredited diplomatic representa-
tive of President Kruger. The peculiar
status of the BOer republic in Its relations
L. other foreign governments is responsible
for the doubt of the attitude of the United
States government on that point
The case of General . Beirne of New
York. who recently applied to the State
Department for recognition as the Boer
representative to the United States, affords
no precedent for action in the case of Mr..
White Secretary Hays refusal to recoS-
nize Gen. OBeirne as the representative of
q foreign government was based entirely
upon the fact that Gen o Beirne is a citi-
zen of the United States No such objeC-
ton would hold in the case of Mr.. White.
as he is full-fedged citizen of the Trans
Vaal republic The question of his recogni-
ton rests on the broad ground of the right
of the Transvaal government to -diplo-
fi.,r,i rp..r
Of the world.
MIR. Whites Career.
Mr.. White. although bern of English par
erts. has lived nearly all his life in South
Africa. Both mis- father and mother were
Cape CoIonists. He was born while they
were on d visit 10 LONDON in 1851 He was
taken back 20 the Cape when he six
months old. and educated there. being grad
uated from the Diocesan College at Cape
Town. About 1856 while engaged in bust
ness at johannesburg. he attracted the
favorable notice of Pre- Sident Kruger. and
vas appointed justice OF the peace Of one
az the eastern divisions Of the TranSvaal.
MOI long afterwIrd he was made minister
o. mines. and President Kruger Subsequent
IL sent him to London as the representative
OF the South African republic. He was
acting in that capacity Immediately after
the Jameson raid During that excitement
LIS residence in London was made SO I'M
comfortable for him that he went to Hob
land While there he was taken i'll and was
S-Ut back 10 London 10 recover his health.
Attacked by IA London Mob.
While confined To his bed. mob attacked
his house and broke nearly all the windows
with stones This incident convinced him
that London was not healthy place for
him Ia live. and soon his health would
permit him to travel he came To the United
States lie was in New York city for
nearly TWO weeks before his presence be-
came kIrwH.
The duration Of his visit to this city will
depend upon the action of this government
toward him, IL is said that Mr.. White de-
sires tu have the United States government
e>,rt its good offices To bring to end
what H. looks upon as an unnecessary and
foolish war. before the cOutending armies
lay waste the Lands of the Afrikander. 1t
i said that he firmly believes that this
may BE- done by some nation like the nited
States III such a way to not be con-
siarrpd Uuseenliy interference.