The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-22

STILL DAS haPE.
Idea of Arbitration Not
Given Up.
Kruger's Refusal to Attend Popular
Demonstrations.
Nothing Decided AS To
American Visit.
Mr.. Stead's Conference With
B0er Leader.

London, December e1.-Mr. William
T.. Stead has returned from The Hague,
where he has had o long conference
with Mr.. Kruger, and has ascertained al
first hand the views of Mr.. Kruger and
his counsellors as to the present stu
alton and future prospects.
MIR. Stead has written the following
letter for the Associated Pressi
First of all nothing Is decided about
his visit to America at present.
president Kruger has not abandoned
all hope OF securing the support OF the
governments OF the civilized world In
his demand for arbitration. Until the
last government refuses absolutely to say
o word In support OF the principles
which they solemnly laid Ecown at The
Hague conference mir. Kruger will not
partake in popular demonstrations, 1t
10 recognized that IL he cared TO do so,
he could shake the continent. The popu-
lar enthusiasm for him IL unparalleled
since GarihaIdi's visit to London, but,
until his diplomatic mission is exhaust
ed an appeal to the peoples cannot even
by taken into consideration. Mr.. Kruger
Is emphatic in disolaiming any desire TO
the Beers.
"What he asks 10 that the governments
which at The Hague declared their de-
termination to uss their efforts to secnre
Amicable settlement of disputes by means
OF mediation and arbitration, should
make q united effort to bring the verdict
OF the civilized world to bear on Great
britain,
The English Mr.. Kruger said,
are waging this war In South Africa
like savages. They are burning homes,
destroy ing dams, cutting trees devastat-
ing fields and creating famine. They are
unable to canture DeWet and they are
making prisoners of women and chill
dren, WHIP are not treated with ordinary
decency. Hundreds of women have been
confined In a prison-kraal near Port
Elizabeth, with only one chair, and ssy-
eral of them are expecting to be moth
ers'
"Mr. Kruger AYERS that the provisions
OF The Hague convention and the laws
and usages of war are tramuled under
foot ana he wants to know whether the
signatories OF this convention have any
thing to say on the subjscs.
'rne man on horseback at this moment
ia not MIR. Kruger, but President Steyn.
He, DE La Rey and De Wet ara masters
of the situation. They have plenty of
ammunition and replenish their stores
continually from the British conveys.
They have taken enough ee-Metford
rifles to arm all the burghers now in the
field. 1 cannot put their position better
than in the words of one Of MIR. Kruger
counsellors:
England is our aoouser. England
is the sole witness against US. England
is the judge. England Is the executioner,
and England hopes to profit By our
death. We appealed for arbitration before
the war. We are lighting for arbitration
today
''it may interest Americans to know
that Mr.. Kruger's appeal to the civilized
world would be received everywhere
with unanimous enthusiasm, wers 1t
not for the deep-rooted distrust and
| jealousy OF the dynasties OF Hapsburg and
| hohen2ollern against the president OF
re public. III he were king, the courts
would have been open every where, but
the central European monRrchies dread
the popular enthusiasm excited by the
heroic figure of the republican president
pleading for justics This feeling, it is
well to note, Is not shared by Russia.
1.-The Bosrs will not listen to any pro-
posals for q compromise. They are
unanimous. Falling Independence or
arbitration, they win prefer to die fight
Ing"