Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-09-11
KRUGER STILL A POWER.
His Work For His Country Goes on
In Holland.


His Work For His Country Goes on
In Holland.
A correspondent Of the Philadelphia
Record, writing from Hilversum, Hol-
land, under date of August 20, gives an
interesting description of President
Kruger's mode of life at that place.
He says:
1t is so difficult to find Hilversum on
the map of Holland that one might
easily infer it is small place CONNER
cially; but from a social viewpoint 1t Is
one of the most important places in
Holland. Here, as at The Hague, the
rich Hollanders have their homes and
Hilversum is a very attractive summer
resort. 1t is so distinctly Dutch, how
ever, that one has difficulty in find
ing an inhabitant who speaks English.
Casa Cara is the name Of the house
where the president lives. 1t Is on the
Trompenburg road, and quite distance
from Hilversum. 1t is, in fact, board
ing house where the president of the
South American republic has taken up
his headquarters and where, with his
cabinet, he conducts the affairs of the
South American republic.
If anyone has the idea that President
Kruger is out of the political running
since his establishment in Europe he
would be quickly disabused by a visit
to Hilversum, especially If he had my
good fortune and was admitted to con-
versation with the president and his
council. The little country house which
harbors the Transvaal leaders Is the
centre of a widespread political activi-
ty, whose ramifications take in Eng
land, Central Europe, South America
and even America.
Seated in his study at Hilversum,
with his big Bible and his briarwood
pipe in front of him, the old man is in
touch with the Boer cause, and the
Boer interests all over the world. Work
| ing in the next room Is the cabinet,
which, under the president directs the
and even the general movements of the
war. The chief Of service, Mynheer c.
van Boeschoten, with his assistants, F..
J. Box and P. A. van Veen, as we'll rs
the former chief Of police of Johannes
burg, Mynheer Bredell, control a min
utely organized system of information,
and direction which makes Hilversum
for the moment as active and important
a diplomatic centre as any in the
world.
With the aid also Of the bureau IN
Brussels, of which DR.. Leyds retains
the control, there has been established
between the president and the generals
In the field a series CT means Of commu-
nication which keeps the English war
office in perpetual astonishment. Re-
peatedly has come from Hilversum
news Of English disaster which 1t had
been decided in London to stif1e: re-
peatedly the English have been disa-
greeably surprised to discover from
Boer tactics in the field that Generals
Botha or Dewet must have had private
knowledge of secret decisions of the
munications to English generals.
The Cabinet" at Hilversum Is, in
fact, a wonderfully organized secret
service bureau, reminding one in it's eff
ficiency and general methods Of that
established at Washington during the
war of secession. Nothing escapes it.
It's emissaries, bearing dispatches from
the president, penetrate into the heart
of the country, and its spies and agents
in the Transvaal reach Hilversum from
the scene of action by ways which defy
all the preventive measures the Eng
lish can adopt. While the writer was
with President Kruger there arrived
Mr.. Beerans and Mr.. Pameyer, two i'm
portant functionaries, bringing import
ant communications from the front.
How did they get through? The Por-
tuguese are supposed, probably with
reason, to be in the pay of the English;
why do they not stop the Transvaal
agents? That is one Of the secrets of
the cabinet; but one thing certain, that
they do not.
An important part Of the work of the
cabinet is that performed in England
itself by the judicial manipulation of
political undercurrentS there. BOer
agents, working by all kinds of secret
means, under special direction of DR..