The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-20
Says He Expects No Aid
From Foreign Countries.
is GLAD OF SYMPATHY
Willing to Make Peace at Any
Time,
But Only on Basis of Absolute
Independence.

New York, March 2O.-A dispatch to
the Herald from Pretoria. dated Febru-
AIRY 10, says:
Your correspondent has just had an
interview with President Kruger. He
shows but little evidence in his coun-
tenance of the tremendous strain he is
undergoing.
This war was forced upon US by
England, which was misled by Cecil
Rhodes and the millionaires who want
the country" he said 1.-The Beers
yielded as far as possible, until they
saw that nothing but complete suTen-
Ger Of their independence would satisfy
England.
Having been forced into the war, the
Beers will conquer or die. I expect no
aid from other nations, but we are glad
Of sympathy and friendship. The
Transvaal is willing to make peace at
any time. but we want no more con-
ventions. Only absolute independence
is possible. We do not want more ter
ritory, but are content with our present
frontier, if we are permitted to live
peacefully This is all we ask.
THE Transvaal will stipulate in the
peace terms that Natal and Cape Col
ony Dutch now fighting with the Beers
shall be regarded as belHgerents and
suffer no loss of property. 1 learned
that some of these men had been cap
tured and We're being tried at Cape
Town charged with treason This gov
ernment cabled to Lord Salisbury, stat
ing that if such men were not treated
as prisoners of war, we would make re-
prisals on British prisoners held here.
Lord Salisbury replied, lodging the real
point and threatening if we injured
single British prisoner, to hold me per
SOnally responsible. L suppose he meant
the British would hang me. Such
threats are contemplate and can not
prevent me from performing my duty
to my country. The Transvaal govern
ment replied today informing LORD Sal
isbury that they despise his threats.
1T is too early to prophesy the end
of the war or its duration The Beers
are in Gods hand and He viii not let
us perish. Our total hghtInS strength
is but forty thousand, but with Gods
aid we can prevail [ have two hun
dred blood relatives fighting, and would
rather see them all perish than yield
to England'S unhOly aggression. II IS
liberty or death. have protected Brit
ish property in the Transvaal and shall
continue to do so.
Convey to the American people my
esteem We feel that every American
should be with US in this struggle for
liberty"
NOT QUITE COLLAPSED.
London. March 2O.-The war office has
had no news confirming the report of
the relief of Mafeking, but George
Wyndham, parliamentary under secre-
tary for war, replying to a private in
quiry in the lobby of the house of COM
mons, smilingly said:
Il think it is all right"
The Free Staters seemingly have not
quite collapsed. They are in consider
able force around Smithfield though
much dispirited.
A British spy from Rouxville reports
that Commandant Olivier and a COM
mandO are going to krOOnStadt The
agents he left behind are using desper-
ate means to raise recruits, comman-
dering British Beers under penalty of
death.
Kroonstadt. where the Beers are con-
centrating, is 1877 miles from Bloemfon-
tein It is surrounded by a country of
hills and jungles.
Gen.Gatacre is now resting at Spring
fontein, preliminary to joining Lord
Gen. Buffers hill work before Lady
smith has given him an experience
which is about to be used in forcing the
Biggarsburg range. It is believed that
$4,000 of his 10000 men are about to en-
gage Gen. Botha's force and the next
news Of fighting will probably come
from Natal
The leaders of the Afrikander Bund
are circulating d petition in Cape Col
ony asking the imperial government
not to take away the independence of
the Beers.
Thirty two thousand additional troops
FOR South Africa are now at sea.
The Lorenzo Marques correspondent
OF the Times telegraphing Monday,
March 19, says:
Last night the Portuguese authori-
ties hurriedly dispatched by special
train a force of infantry to reinforce
the garrison on the Transvaal border
STOPS REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS
Cape Town. March '2O.-sir Alfred Nil