The Washington times., 1901-11-19
BRITISH IMPRESS
AMERICAN BOYS.
SEIZED AS SUBJECTS OF THE KING.
Transport Muleteers Inveiglcd Into
SiSnin. Papers and Forced to
Serve in Battle Against
the Beers.

A remarkable story of the employment
Of American boys as muieteers on board
the transports carrying horses and mules
from New Orleans to the British forces
in South Africa, and the subsequent I'M
| pressing of the lads into the English
| army for service against the Beers, was
related at the State Department yesterday
morning by father who was seeking mis-
sons release from the obnoxious condi-
tions which he is informed exist.
The visitor was Frank Porter, of Lo-
gansport. Ind. He told of the apprehen-
sions which he felt for the safety of his
son, Lemon Porter. a boy of fifteen years,
who left New Orleans on October Is on
transport bound for Cape Town
/ Asks Assistance of State Department.
Mr.. Porter presented no afidavits or
! legal representations of any sort to the
Department. but asked for the employ
rept of its official machinery in securing
the boys custody upon his arrival at the
South African port The transport on
which young Porter shipped as mule
teer is due at Cape Town and the State
Department sent telegram to the United
States Consul General there to appre-
bend the boy when he came ashore and
send him back to the United States at
Mr.. Porter's expense.
Though Mr.. Porter did not specify any
direct charge as the basis of a formal
complaint, his representations to the De-
partment involve charges of bad faith
against the British Government. He ex
planned that according to information re-
ceived by him, a wholesale trade in ship
ping boys to South Africa is being car
ried on by an employment agency in ST.
Louis.
The boys are shipped as transport
muieteers. and just before reaching Cape
Town, Mr. Porter is informed, they are
told that they cannot go ashore unless
they sign the ships papers as British
subjects. Only too glad to get on any
land, the boys sign, and Mr.. Porter's III
formants say that they are Immediately
impressed into the British military serv-
vice as subjects of the King.
Boys Secured I'm st. Louis.
Mr.. Porter said that he had made an
investigation of the matter and had re-
celved letters fIom young Americans who
shipped from New Orleans on British ami
NAL transports, who asserted that many
boys under seventeen years old were be-
ing secured for this service by the st.
Louis employment agency. This agency,
Mr. Porter said. was given a commission
OF SO for every boy employed by it for the
British Government. He believes that
hundreds of American minors have been
forced to go into the British military
service through the method referred to.
His Investigations have convinced him
that for the past eighteen months trans
ports have sailed from New Orleans for
Cape Town at the rate Of one week,
each carrying an average of eighty Amer
leans shipped as muleteers.
Complaints From Mr. stowe.
James G. Stowe, until recently United
States Consul General at Cape Town
made frequent complaints to the State
Department in regard TO the shipment of
Americans at New Orleans as muleteers
on British animal transports. Mr.. Stowe
said that these men became destitute at
Cape Town and besieged the consulate
general with requests for money to return
home Many of them became desperate
and enlisted in the British army. Mr..
Stowe said in one of his letters that he
had spent much of his private means to
help his distressed fellew-cCuntrymen.