Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-03-12
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FROM A BoER STANDPOINT.


The consul general OF the Orange
Free State, in New York. has Issued a
statement OF the South African sltua-
ton, which purports TO give the Boer
view Of It. The essence OF 1t Is that
there Is no doubt Of the final success
OF the two republics The Beers are
determined to fight until the general
situation Is strong enough to make
diplomatic steps certain"
The statement does not seem 20 be
borne out by the latest adyIces from
that region, but It Is possible that the
world at large IL not In possession Of
the information the consul has lie
may have other channels OF news than
the censured press dispatches. He
claims that the Boer forces in the field
number $4,000 men, admirably fitted for
guerilla warfare Dewet, he says, In
one week captured s925,0O0 In gold and
10000 khaki uniforms-enough to last
the army four years ana also over
100000 cattle and horses and GO0O
prisoners. The Boer forces. he contln-
ues, are divided into commanders OF
200 TO 500 men and can ~be quickly as
sembled at short notice for vigorous
and successful attack on the British
| forces or outposts whenever desired,
and In this way have advanced to
within two days march, or 100 miles OF
| Cape Town. Most Of the burghers
| have two horses--many Of them three
enabling them TO make rapid march
es and quick retreats. They meet for
concerted action and dispense when
| that object Is accomplished, leaving no
trace Of their whereabouts, save the
spectacle Of a solitary horseman or two
disappearing in the distance. They
| have an abundance Of provisions, guns
and ammunition and when short Of any
Of these important elements II Is only
necessary for them TO capture a Brit
ish outpost or provision train and help
themselves to what they need This
supplying of ammunition, food and
even horses to their opponents is a
hardship not relshed by the British
In the beginning Of the war the Beers
were armed with Mauser rifles using
plain bullets, but many OF them now
through necessity have Lee-Metford
| rifles using a dum-dum bullet, all Of
which have been captured from the
| British and bear the arrow mark Of
| WoOlwich From the above 1t can be
readily understood the consul thinks,
why the Beers can continue the war
Indefinitely regardless Of the number
| Of British troops sent against them.
The Beers fight without pay and prac-
tlcally carry on the war by obtaining
most Of their supplies from the British,
They move about over the entire ooun-
try almost without hindrance, avoiding
the large towns They have no cities,
towns nor outposts to protect as they
had during the first six months OF the
war,
| Inc COnSuldT sldltHleht hiViuuVS ivy
assurance that Kruger Is in excellent
health, and that the probability OF his
visit to the United States is still an
open question.
The consul general, In all probability
takes too hopeful view OF the sltua-
ton. The raid into Cape Colony, what
ever were the objects II it, seems TO
have been a failure. General Botha Is
said to be negotiating for surrender,
and that does not augur well for the
cause Of the Burghers. II, as Mr.
Pierce thinks, the independence Of the
republics will yet be saved, that, as
near as human eye can see, must be as
| by A miracle