Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-26
Son of Gen. Erasmus Explains Gen
Botha's Position.
HE SAYS KRUGER CAN END THE WAR
Only on Condition That the British
viii Help Replace the Burned Farm
Houses, is There Any Hope for
Peace.

MdICu SA.--b.
son of General e. Erasmus, of Pretor-
ia, speaking of the probable conse-
quence of General Botha's refusal to
accept the terms of peace, says:
THE English public, for some I'M
known reason, has looked upon the
war all along as mere child's play, not
withstanding the lessons which it re-
ceiyed in the commencement of the
war -Four hundred Beers are quite
sufficient to harass the entire army
for an indefinite period in the district
north of Pretoria. Regular cavalry
cannot operate there. 1t is deep sand
which gives the poorest foothold. Ow-
ing to the fever, the British can oper-
ate only six months in the year. The
Beers from childhood have accustomed
themselves to this climate In foreign
countries people who are trying to
make mischief out of the British re-
verses read in them disgrace to the
British army. But / can assure those
pretended friends of my people that if
they had to do what the British are
new trying to accomplish they might
have done very much worse, or sue
ceeded less well in fighting"
The Beers, he said, can get plenty of
goods, horses and ammunition. AS an
alternative for Sir Alfred Miner as a
negotiator with the Beers, Mr.. Eras-
ums suggested that England should
send some impartial Englishman, free
from all party feeling. Lord Kitchen
er's name will not go, either. He has
been too much associated with Cecil
Rhodes. You remember how their
names were connected together when
Lord Kitchener was in London; how
they We're coupled and how they took
doctors degrees together?
The end said Erasmus, will be
that the Beers remaining must be
either caught and exterminated or Civ
en- independence There was a time
after Pretoria was taken, when many
Beers deserted or surrendered, in the
belief that they would have their
houses and families as they left them
II they We're allowed to go, promising
not to light again. The end of the
war was then more than possible. My
people We're ready to give in. But
when the Beers returned to their
homesteads and found their farms
burned and their families gone, they
AAiAS" NV "iiSiC luSy WGIS
men. From that day out, it should be
we'll understood, the war became one
OF revenge, and no longer one of pa
triotism. 1t is perfectly simple to IN
derstand the bitterness of the Beers.
The only terms, satisfactory would be
restocking the farms and making
good that which has been destroyed.
Otherwise why should our men not
continue to fight? They have lost ev-
erything, and therefore have nothing
to lose and everything to gain.
Mr.. Kruger is still absolutely presi-
dent of the Transvaal republic. Peo-
PIE say he ran away. That is untrue.
He was forced to leave. 1t took 5000
men to guard him. We needed those
men elsewhere. Moreover, it was
considered that he would be more
useful over here. 1t is perfect non
sense to say he is worth millions. At
most he may be worth million dol.
lars, which he made from the purchase
and sale of lands, just as any other
man might. But much money has
been entrusted to him for state pur-
poses. That money he spends in the
manner which is indicated to him and
as intended by the Boer executive.
Mr.. Kruger may have lost some
weight with certain number of PEG
pie of the extreme station. But re
member, this-it is important-M
Kruger is the one man today who could
if he liked, bring the. war to an end
He could finish it tomorrow if he will
led. When peace comes it will be made
by Kruger and the extraordinary com
mission sent over here by the Beers
Mr.. Wolmerans, Mr.. Vessels and Mr.
Fisher. They have full power to act.
And the Boer forces today?"
Il estimate them to number from
10000 to 10000" concluded Mr.. Eras
mus.