Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-12-27
KRUGER STILL HOPING
Boer Leader Has Not Abandoned Belief
in European Intervention.
NO POPULAR DEMONSTRATION YET
English Methods OF Warfare Character
lied as Barbarous I'm the Extreme
Claim Made That the Usages of Civil
lied Warfare are Ignored.

LONDON. Dec. 22.-William T.
Stead has just returned from The
Hague. where he had long confer
ence with Mr.. Kruger and ascertained
at first hand the views Of Mr.. Kruger
and his counselors as to the present
situation and future prospects. Mr..
Stead has written the following for
the Associated Press:
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 demands for arbitration. Until
the last government refuses absolutely
to say word in support of the prin-
ciples which they solemnly laid down
at The Hague conference Mr.. Kruger
will not partake in popular demonstra-
tions. 1t is recognized that if he cared
to do so he could shake the continent.
The popular enthusiasm for him is un-
paralleled since Garibaldi's visit to
London, but until his diplomatic mis-
sion is exhausted an appeal to the
people cannot even be taken into con-
sideration. Mr.. Kruger is emphatic in
disclaiming any desire to involve 9TH
er nations in war in behalf of the
Beers. What he asks is that the gov
ernments, which at The Hague declared
their intention to use their efforts to
secure amicable settlement of disputes
by means of mediation and arbitration,
should make a 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, de-
stroying dams, cutting trees, devastat-
ing fields and creating famine. They
are unable to capture DeWet, but they
are making prisoners of women and
children, who are not treated with Or
dinary decency. Hundreds of women
have been confined in prison Krall,
near Port Elizabeth, with only one
chair, and several of them are expect
ing to become Mothers
'Mr. Kruger AYERS that the provi-
sfons of the convention at The Hague
and the laws and usages of war are
trampled under foot and he wants to
know whether the signatories of this
convention have anything to say on
the subject.
"The man on horseback at this mo-
ment is not Mr.. Kruger, but President
Steyn. He, Delarey and Dewet are
masters of the situation, having a
better disciplined and more effective
force than that which followed the
vierkleur (flag) at the outbreak of the
war. They have plenty Of ammuni-
ton and replenish their store continu-
ally from the British conveys. They
have taken enough Lee-Metford rifles
to arm all the burghers now in the
field. l cannot put their position bet
ter than in the words of one of Mr..
Kruger's counselors. England is our
accused. England is the sole witness
against US. England is the Judge.
England is the executIoner and Eng
land hopes to profit by our death. We
appealed for arbitration before the
war. We are fighting for arbitration
today. We have the right to expect
the sympathies of the civilized world