Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1901-03-21
Beers WILL NOT YIELD
Son Of General Erasmus De-
scribes the Situation.
JAN FIGHT ON FOR MANY YEARS.

British Hanpered by Distance From
Base of Supplies, While Burshers
Can Live on the Country-what
Terms They Would Accept.
New York, March 2o.-The Herald's
London correspondent has had an in
teresting interview with Mr.. ID. E.
Erasmus, son of General Erasmus of
Pretoria. He is just the man to tell
what the Beers may do next the CORE
spondent says. He knows the country
from end to end. His boyhood was
passed Just exactly upon the ground Of
the present scene of operations in the
Transvaal. 1t was exactly there that
his fathers property lies.
First of ALL" Mr.. Erasmus said, Il
would like to tell you that the Erasmus
who was recently captured and about
whom so much fuss has been made
here is not my father at all. but Abel
Erasmus, a native commissioner of
Leydenburg, an old man of about 20
years, who could not possibly have TAX
en- any active part in the war. General
Stesnkanp, member of the volksraad,
Is In command of the Leydenburg
forces"
Beers Can stu Fight.
"What do you say about General
Botha's refusing peace termsY was
asked
1T is certain" replied Mr.. Erasmus.
Il told you so yesterday"
But how can the Beers hold out
against the Englishf" was asked.
Mr.. Erasmus answered: $50 far they
have only met the Beers in open plains.
The English public for some unknown
reason has looked upon the war all
along as mere child's play notwith-
standing the lessons which II received
In the commencement of the war. Five
hundred Beers are quite sufficient to
harass the entire army for an indefinite
period in the district north of Pretoria"
What kind of country is that"
asked the correspondent.
1T is what is called bush veldt,'"
said Mr.. Erasmus. Regular cavalry
cannot operate there. 1t is deep sand,
which gives the poorest foothold. 0w-
ing to the fever the British can operate
but six months in the year. The Beers
from childhood have accustomed them
selves to this climate and can stop
there without much harm.
in foreign countries people who are
trying to make mischief out of the Eng
lish re~erses read In them a disgrace to
the British army. But 1 can assure
those pretended friends OF my people
that IL they had to do what the British
are now trying to accomplish they
might have done very much worse or
succeeded less well In fighting. In this
bush veldt the British will be at a
greater disadvantage than they have
ever been before"
But can the Beers get suppliesr'
was the next question.
British at Disadvantaxe.
More than they want" replied Mr..
| Erasmus. There is plenty of food for
the natives. The Beers can live upon
the country. The British will have to
bring everything with them. AS for
| horses, the Beers have their hunting
steeds. The country north is simply
stocked with ammunition today. We
can import none. but enormous stores
/
ed. Much OF that is in the north, ready
| to hand"
Mr.. Erasmus said that the report
that De Wet had disbanded his COM
mando was probably true. but that II
was merely an ordinary measure when
a leader was hard pressed. The men
had dispersed to meet again at a pre-
/ arranged date and place
He said that the rejection OF the
British terms was due primarily to
Boer distrust of Sir Alfred Miner
that the British had made a great mis-.
take in allowing him to conduct the
negotiations.
Mr.. Erasmus suggested that England
should send some impartial English.
man free from all party feeling.
''1n the district where the future
scene Of operations will be the Beers
know every inch" said Mr.. Erasmus
They have taken troops through IL
But ii took the Beers under General
Joubert nine months OF hard work "a
capture 1900 unarmed natives. l re
peat. the difficulties Of the British are
only just beginning"
| but tell me what Will De the END
There must be some end" was asked
Just this" said Mr.. Erasmus with
emphasis. 'the Beers remaining must
be either caught and exterminated OF
given independence. There was s
time. after Pretoria was taken, wher
many Beers deserted or surrendered In
the belief that they would find Their
houses and families as they left then
II they were allowed to go free, promis
ing not to fight again. The end of tn,
war was then more than possible. Ny
people were ready to give in.
Too Late For Peace.
But when the Beers returned L
their homesteads and found theii
farms burned and their families gon,
they knew not where they were ruinet
men. From that day out, it should b,
well understood, the war became on,
Of revenge and no longer one Of patriot
ism. Picture to yourself the situation
1t is perfectly simple to understand
the bitterness of the Beers.
The only satisfactory terms would
be restocking the farms and maxim,
good that which has been destroyed
Otherwise why should our men no
continue to fight? They have lost ev
esything and therefore have nothing {,
lose and everything to gain"