The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-09-28
THE Beers NOT DEFEATED
So Says Commandant Jan Krige in
His Lecture.

Last Tuesday evening Commandant
Jan Krige, a stalwart son of the
veldts, lectured at Century hall OH
the AngloBoer war. In the absence
of ex-Gov. Lind, Roger Vail ofticiat-
ed as chairman of the meeting, and
introduced the Boer speaker in a few
appropriate words in which he took
occasion to twist the tail of the British
lion ill vigorous STYLE There was
fair-sized audience which applauded
the utterances of the lecturer at fire
quent intervals during two hours. To-
ward the close of the lecture Chair
man Vail stepped to the front and
named A. B. Choate and D. Fallon
to take up a collection to pay for the
rent of the hall. The audience re-
sponded most generously.
Commandant Krlge prefaced his
lecture with short history of the
troubles that led up to the war, giving
as the chief cause, the rapacity of the
English. AS an instance of this Mr.
krige stated that in 1867 the English
stole the diamond mines of the Free
State, giving in compensation 100000
which was not equal to weeks out
put OF the mines. He gave an &c.
count of the war of 1880 and of the
defeat of the English on Maiuba hill
This contest, he said, opened the eyes
Of the Beers to England's intentions
AS an instance of the Beers lack of
prejudice he stated that some of the
powder which they had purchased to
carry on the war with was purchased
from Joe Chamberlain. Later the
sending of Sir Alfred Miner rs high
commissioner of the Beers was looked
upon by them as almost a declaration
of war, for Miner was VIGOROUSLY out
of sympathy with the people Of the
Transvaal. In his account of the war
the speaker ridiculed the so-called mas
terly retreat of the British from Dun
dee. He said that so close were the
Beers at their heels that the British
officers left all their belongings behind
.l,~m. An exceedingly vivid account
was given Of the death of Wauchope,
commander of the Black Watch,
crack Highland regiment, which was
almost annihilated by the Beers. He
said the laundering English generals,
Methuen and Butler, always sent tho
Scotch and Irish to the front. rs they
were the best fighters in the British
service, and kept the Tommy Atkinses
in the rear. He declared the Beers
were in no sense defeated. The condi-
tions in South Africa today are better
than they were twenty-four months
ago. England, said the speaker now
has 100000 troops fighting about 49,
600 Beers in the Transvaal, but despite
her large army the Beers are holding
their own and England is at her wits
ends.
The speaker facetiously referred to
the Punishment proclamations Of Gen
eral Kitchener and war reports Of the
other English generals at which there
was loud laughter. eff all the reports
of alleged captures of Beers were true,
South Africa would have been depopu-
lated twice over" said he.
He ridiculed the British war dis.
patches about capturing thousands of
wagons from the Boer generals, and
said the Beers use no wagons on the
M lch They carry all provisions
and ammunition on the horses they
ride.
In the course of his address lie re-
ferred to the charge Of bigotry brought
against the Beers by the British. He
admitted that Jews and Catholics were
Disseminated against to some extent
but that Paul Kruger had prepared
message to the legislature recon-
mending equal liberty to all, regard
less of religious belief, Just before the
war broke out He said it came with
exceedingly bad grace from the Brit
ish to accuse others Of religious in
tolerance after the treatment of Roman
Catholics in the United Kingdom
where they are ineligible for several
offices under the crown, and where the
monarch takes an offensive oath de-
claring the Catholic doctrine damnable
and idolatrOus. The Beers never
prosecuted any one as the English
prosecuted the Irish during the penal
days. Paul Kruger opened the Jew
ish synagogue at Johannesburg, though
he firmly believed in the divinity of
Jesus Christ, which the Jews did not.
Catholic institutions OF learning were
supported by the state before the war,
and he thought that for young repub-
lies the Beers were doing pretty we'll
with all their prejudiccs and traditions
Of the past.
In conclusion Commandant Krige
declared that the Beers were fighting
for their independence, just as the
American colonies fought for theirs,
and were entitled to sympathy and
aid from all freedom-lovin people
Referring to the position taken by the.
United States in the South African
war, he said the hands Of the national
administration were tied down by
reason of ties existing between Amer
lea and Great Britain. Otherwise the