The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-12
Beers WILL FIGHT on.
Commander Snyman Intimafes
That DE Wet Il a Traitor.

New York. Feb. 12.-Charles y. Pierce.
the Orange Free State consul. has given
out a statement by w. d. Snyman,
commander on General Christian De
Vets staff, in reply to a published let
ter purporting to have been written to
General DeWet by his brother. PieI De
Wet. This letter urged General DeWet
to surrender to the British forces. Com
mandant Snyman says:
Il notice that the British censor is
very ready to transmit this letter al
most in its entirety, although any news
favorable to the Beers is very rightly
curtailed. Next let US consider the re-
latf0nship between the brothers. T..
DeWet was assistant conmandant gen
eral of the Orange Free state and took
Sand river when outfianked by General
French that General DeWet gave in
structions for as to leave our positions
and fall back on Kroonstads when =
DeWet and I rode from the general to
carry out orders to start the conveys
with guns and ammunition, / then
gathered from him Up. DeWet) that he
was against proceeding any further
than Kroonstad, and instead of going
to the appointed place he branched off
with his commando to his farm near
Lindley, which was the last time saw
him.
we were then ordered to concern
trate our forces at ROOF KOpjes and nat
urally p DeWet received similar in
structi0ns; we heard runors that he
was communicating with Lord ROBERTS
to surrender. ruu0rs which were report
ed by his burghers General DeWet
then ordered his brother to come to the
front at once, and on his refusal dis
missed him and appointed Command
ant Rouse in his place p DeWet then
with his staff, four in all went to
Kroonstad and surrendered
I'VE then heard that he was sent as
prisoner to Durham. Now, to my sur
prise, I learn that he is a peace COM
missioner to Lord Kitchener. Does It
not seem strange that now, when
oners to India, a man like p. DeWet,
who has held g. high position among the
Beers, should be used as a peace envoy
to help the British unless some cOnsld-
Grafton has been given or promised.
1T also seems strange that p. DeWSt
should now advise surrender, consider
ing that he was the first to cross into
the Cape Colony and persuade the colon
ials to join their brothers, and leave that
Responsible government which he NOW
advocates for the representative. The
letter also says let us educate our child
rem" here would like to remind you
that the Orange Free State with its free
compulsory education for the last Is
years. is far in advance Of the Cape Col
Ony, which has still the voluntary sy5-
tenn.
THE letter goes on to say that the
British have the c6untry and are not
likely to give it up; it does not seem 50
10000 more troops. After all what paris
OF the two countries do the British act
ually hold. Only the principal towns
along the railroad. As to the taunts In
regard to the inactivity Of the Transvaal
burghers why if Botha and his COM
mandos are doing no fighting. why Is
Kitchener keeping CO., 600 men at Pretor
ia?
II am inclined to think that this let
ter, like the book Of Mr. Paul Botha, is
of British manufacture.
knowing people as do I say here
that it does not lie in the power of Pres
ident Snynan, Gen. DeWet or any other
person to surrender Internationally:
this is a war fought by the people, not
by generals and presidents, and car.
never be ended except by unanimous
consent Of the burghers. Under present
circumstances why should the Beers
give up2 They have lost everything, all
they can now gain is their country anG
freedom. for which they are fighting and
will fight to the end