The Washington times., 1901-10-24
BOERS TO CONFER HERE.
General Pearson Will Meet Van
der HOagt in This City.
south African Matters of the Grsvest
Importance to He Discussed in
Camera-A Critical Moment In the
wearisome Conflict Approaching.

An important conference in regard to
| the South African situation is to be held
in this city tonight. the effects of which
! will be far reaching. The prospect for in
| tervention In behalf of the South African
Republics is understood to be now bright
er than ever before. and 1t is believed that
| the meeting to take place here will be
| fraught with the greatest results. The
conference will be held between Cornelius
w. Van der Hoagt the Boer representa-
tive at Washington. and Gen. Samuel
Pearson, adjutant to the Boer General,
| Botha
| The latter has just returned from Hol-
land, after a highly important confer
| ence with the South African authorities
| now in that country. He bears message
to Mr.. Van der Hoagt from President
| Kruger.
| General Pearson will arrive this after
! noon from New York where he has been
/ for only a few days since returning from
+! Holland. He endeavored to arrange a
conference in New York with Mr. Won der
| Hoagt, but 1t could not be arranged He
then determined to come to Washington.
He will remain here until il is necessary
for him to go to New Orleans. where he
| has secured a temporary injunction pre-
venting the expectation of mules for the
use of the English army in South Africa.
After seeing this matter safely through
the courts he will return to this city,
where his stay will probably be indefinite.
| At the conference tonight matters af-
| fecting the liberty Of the Beers viii be
considered. The situation in South At
! rica. according to the statement of Mr..
Won der Hoagt, is now more promising
I.h nd hsa
lieves that the independence of the Beers
Will be obtained at no distant date. The
various questions to be discussed, al
though their Importance IS well known.
could not be learned, and will be kept
secret until the time arrives for the Boer
| representatives in this country to act.
General Pearson has no errand either
with President Roosevelt or the American
State Department The time is not yet
ripe for the question to be again forcibly
brought to the attention of this Govern
ment 1t is possible that the time for
such action is much nearer now than it
has ever been before. 1t is not the inten-
| tion of the representatives of the South
African Republic to embarrass this Gov
ernment, and any move calculated TO
bring about such contingency will be
carefully avoided.
| General Pearson IS one of the most in
teresting personalities brought into the
| public eye by the hostilities in South Afri-
ca. An Afrikander himself, he has sac
riticed everything for the cause which he
represents, and which he has served since
the outbreak of the war. His wife and
children are now prisoners in camp of
detention in South Africa, and a few days
ago he became the father of q baby born
u prisoner of war. He has been informed
recently that his family is receiving bet
rgE q at he md. Of fna Iyriffs
than formerly.
In addition to being on the staff of
General BOtha as adjutant. General Pear
son had rendered active service to his
country. often at the peril of his life He
Is in this country now with a reward of
$4,000 on his head, and this sum will be
gladly paid by the British for his deliver
ance into their hands, dead or alive.
General Pearson has had complete
charge of the destruction of railroads in
South Africa, and it is due to his efforts
that so much annoyance has been caused
the English army. When he started upon
this work he received from President
Kruger general instructions, with direc-
tiOns to act upon his own resources. He
followed his Instructions to the letter.
His destruction of important railroads
upon which the British army depended for
transportation was the cause Of the re-
ward being offered for him. The situa-
tion soon became so critical as TO make
ii necessary for him TO fly from the
country. At this time he was commits
sary general of the Boer army. He es-
capped over the border into Portuguese
territory, closely pursued by 5000 British
troops. and barely reached the vessel in
time The ship upon which he took pas
sage flew the German nag and he was
safe.
After going to Europe, he came to this
country, and became engaged in an EN-
deayor to break up the transportation of
mules and horses from this country TO
South Africa for the use of the English
army. He went to New Orleans, the
principal point of shipment. and secured
an injunction restraining the English
agents from making further shipments.
The case IS now pending. and VIII soon
come up in the New Orleans courts. After
attending to this matter, General Pear
son went to Holland. where he has held
important consultations with the BoeF
thorities gathered there.
MIR. Won der Hoagt said last night that
the prospects in South Africa Tor Boer
successes are bright. The Boer force is
about 1900 men in the field, and al
though the British have about 200000 a
large portion of the troops Is necessary
to hold the towns and mines in the pos
session OF the English.