The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-10-05
Says the British Have Acted Like Pirates
in the South African War and
Should Repent.
No Greater Disaster Could Happen to the
Empire Than to Defeat the
Gallant Burghers.

In recent interview with an Ameri-
can correspondent, William T. Stead,
the famous English author and journal
ist, declared that the war upon the
Beers is the beginning Of sorry days
for the whole British empire. He said
in part:
"Our English people have we'll learn
ed the responsibility of arson. 1t has
been taught them by their government.
Kitchener has not been able to whip
the burghers of the Transvaal, but he
has burned their farms. Our prole-
tariat will not readily forget that which
they have learned from the military
heroes Of the British people. The same
argument that has been used to jus
tify arson in South Africa will be used
to justify arson in England. There is
no other way, says Kitchener in the
Transvaal to bring the burghers to
book. There is no other way, the pro,
letariat will argue, to beat the capital
lists and secure social reformation. In
sack-cloth and ashes will England rue
the day that she embarked officially
upon the criminal career of our inter-
national arson.
"Our situation is like that of France
in the second empire. We have had
in South Africa the same swash-buck-
ling desire the French jingoists Of that
time had in Mexico. The war there
was ended half a dozen times, but still
the jingoes were not satisfied. So they
kept on till Maximilian was shot and
the French had to clear out of the
country. Still the French did not learn
their lesson. So a few years later the
same spirit carried them up against a
real power, stronger and greater than
themselves, and they suffered the NOR
tif1cation of seeing the German emperor
crowned in the palace Of their kings
at Versailles and German army in
the possession Of Paris.
"South Africa is irretrievably lost to
the British empire. But that will prove
a blessing in the end. This end should
have come sooner. That is what l
complain about. We have sacrificed
too many lives, endured too much suf.
fering, for that which was inevitable
from the start. 1t is a great pity that
Kruger did not take advantage Of the
conditions which prevailed in the
black week of December and march
straight down to the Cape. That would
have brought the end quickly enough,
and saved lot Of. bother. But now
people say the war has gone on SO
long, we have made so many sacrifices,
that we must see it through and have
our way. They say it doesn't now
matter much whether we were right
or wrong at the start. But say right
or wrong does matter. 1t is the only
thing of vital Importance now or at
any other time.
'The only end 1 see is that we lose
South Africa. We may in time whip
out the Beers. That is not the trouble.
The trouble is that we shall be utterly
unable to control the Outlanders After
we have whipped or killed the Beers
for their benefit, they will be able to
do as they please. The Outlanders live
in the cities, and they will run the
governments. If we had loyal agri.
cultural population to depend on we
might manage them, but the agricul-
turists will be our bitter enemies. The
Dutch will never be reconciled. The
Outlanders-many Of them not British
at aN-many Of them INSCRIPTIONS ad-
venturers with no permanent interest
in the country-will never be satisfied.
"With the Outlanders on the one side
and the Dutch on the other, there will
be trouble all the while. When worst
comes to worst the Dutch will help the
Outlanders throw off British authority.
We can't go to war, with them because
so many of them are of our own blood.
At first We'll try holding them down
with, garrisons, but when Outlander
for ambition and Dutchman for re-
venge join hands, the garrisons will be
swept into the sea, and South Africa