The age-herald., 1901-04-06

patiated on the terms of the recent mani- festo issued by Presidents Steyn and De- wet. I have myself witnessed the bru- tality with which the British have waged war against us,' he said. They have act ed like savages, and on their own confess sion have been assisted by savages whom they had armed.
 They have once more merited the re- proach heaped upon their fathers by old Chatham at the time of the war of Amer ican independence. Our enemies have violated all the laws of war between civ- .ilzed nations. They have outraged lib- erty without regard to the lives of non- combatants and pilaged and burned pri- vate property. They have treated as re- bels men who were known to be citizens of the belligerent country. They have not even spared women and children, those sacred beings who are declared neutral and inviolate by all international codes They have slavishly initiated the proceedings which excited univeral in- dignation when practiced in Cuba by Spanish general for which Spain was cruelty punished
 Everything that has been said re-
 
 the English legions is far below the truth. I declare-and history will bear me out when it ceases to be falsified-that peo- pie will shudder when they learn the details of all the atrocities that we have suffered. The South African war has been on the part of the English a perpet- ua1 definance of the Geneva convention. To much greater extent than their re- fusal to accept any intervention is their defiance of The Hague convention
 Referring to General Dewet's raid into Cape Colony, MT. Kruger denies that it was ever hoped to provoke a general ris- ing. We knew perfectly well that this would be impossible he said, because of the lack of munitions and arms, as well as the difficulty of combined action over such enormous distances. But the invasion demonstrated that the Afrikanders were everywhere favorable to our cause and ready to afford the help in their power.
 President Steyn and General Dewet had, however, a different object in view, and they attained it. They were enabled to obtain plentiful supplies of food and horses. Moreover, these brave allies op- erated a diversion, which allowed Gen. eral Botha to escape from tight posi- tion in the east of the Transvaal. They compelled the English to spread their forces over the enormous distances and to recognize the fact that the Boers were masters in the field.
 ''These results are surely not to be de- spised. The English cannot be masters | of two republics. They are not even un- | disturbed at the Cape and in Natal. ''Mr. Kruger next dealt with the ques- ton of mines where work is now said to have been resumed. He declared that so long as he was master in Pretoria the mines were safeguarded and work was continued.
 ''It is only since the British occupied the country that property has deterior- ated, and that all work has ceased he said Everybody should know that as long as we could we remained faithful guardians of this international trust, | carrying our scruples so far even as to respect the mines which are the cause | of all our misfortunes.'
 Tn conclusion, MT. Kruger declared | that far from being exhausted, the Boer | commanders were able to go on fighting indefinitely. We have combatants, arms and ammunition in sufficient quantities. | It is useless to hope to reduce us by las- | stude or extermination.'
 ''He ended by expressing thanks to | Providence for the manifold complications with which the British Empire is now beset at other points of the globe, which one day will compel them to release their prey"