West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-04-18
THE soER SITUATION.
LORD ROBERTS OFFER OF $50. 900
PER aNNuM TO GENERAL B0rHA.
British Government Tried 10 Obtain It's
Ends by Corruption OF the Chief
Boer General

In an interview with Charles ID. Pierce.
Consul General Of the Orange, Fies State
asd Treasurer of the BOer Relief Fund, aud
Commandant w. ID. Snyman. who was on
the staff OF Gen. Christian DE Wet over
six months, aud who was intimately ae-
quain,ed with 6eu. Louis Botha for many
years, il was stated that the position of Gen.
Bo'ha at the presen, is as follows Accord.
ing to the terms of convention held a,
Po,ehesiirom in June. 1906, and realfirmcd
in 500 lafler the Jameson raid) by the then
President, Reiu, now State Secretary OF the
soaih African Republic, aud President
kruger and which was agreed to by the
NolksrSads Of both republics, the tw, re-
publies agreed that when one or the other
should be ihpatened by another power. that
! each OF them would assist the other in war.
Thus, II Gen. Botha should desire To sur.
render TO the British he could do So only by
the full consent of Gen. De Wet and presi.
dent Steyn, and as long as both republics
refused TO surrender 50 long must England
keep on the war with them Il was called
to mind how at Donderhook, near Pretoria,
when Lord Roberts sent a peace envoy 10
Cen. Bo'ha, about the r4th Of June, 1000.
be Q.ord Robor,s) told Gen. Botha tha,
considering the gallant stand which he had
made with his men and knowing his defea,
would be owing only To he overwhelming
forces opposed 10 him, he (Roberts) prom.
iscd hifo an income Of SEQ ~, 49,. ......
as long as he lived aud position in the new
Nolksraad, which would be formed after
the surrender. This statement Com.
maudant Suyman said he had personally
from Gen. Botha. His last words to Com
mandant Snyman we're that as long as he
had 800 fighting men he would continue the
fight. In the present case no doub, a large
sum of money has been offered Gen. Botha
10y the British for his surrender also that
that there has been some correspondence be-
tween Lord Kiichner and Gen. Boiha, in
which Gen. Bolha threw out the cond..
tons under which he would surrender, i. e..
restoration Of full rights to every burgher
restoration of property free pardon to ey-
cry Cape rebel who had joined the Boer
forces and free form OF governmen, to
both iepublcs.
The Airkanicrs have . majority of ten
membe'sin the house ofihe Cape Parlimeni,
aud in the Orange Free State there would
be almost unanimous majority of the Af
rikander party; in the South African Re-
public they also have large majority We
can still count on the extreme jingo party,
who were misled by the proclamation os
Cen. Bulicr ON his ARRIVAL in South Africa,
IA which hc stated that considering the Brit
ish government was inadequate TO protect
us loyal subjects as well as their private
property and interests, that whatever losses
they would sustain during this war would he
fully compensated by the British govern
ment. Now as this war is costing England
much more than she ever bargained for,
II would be impossible for her to compen.
safe these people her former supporters
would be opponents. No credence can be
placed on these newspaper reports, as they
emanaie from London officers and are cir.
eulated to bolster up their stocks.
CHARLES ID. PIERCE,
w. ID. SNYbiAN.
New YoRK, March 20, 1901.
Nolc.-fhe above statement which was
made during the armistice for the nego,ia-
tons for peace, proves that the British
Government has been ondeayoring to OBJ
tain its ends by the corruption OF the chief
Boer general.
England has exposed her weakness. The
Boer situation is more favorable than AZ any
time since the war began.