The age-herald., 1901-04-06
KRUGER DISCUSSES THE
 TREATMENT OF THE BOERS

New York, April 5-A dispatch to the Herald from Paris says:
 An interview with MT Kruger ap- pears in the Matin. The former president of the Transvaal was seen in a modest little inn at Utrecht, where he Is stop ping for the moment. Sitting in front of table with a Bible under his left hand, Mir. Kruger delivered himself of an im- portant statement, to which further sig nificance was given by the presence of the Orange Free State delegate, Herr Fischer.
 MT. Kruger began by announcing that on Saturday next he proposed retiring into the country for complete rest. The little village of Hilbersum, not far from Utrecht, has been selected for his abode. Nothing has as yet been decided regard ing his trip to America. MT. Kruger will undertake the journey if his strength permits and if there is any hope of gain ing advantage for the Boer cause.
 Pointing to Herr Fischer, the aged President declared that the two Republics were indissolubly united. Herr Fischer he said, is fighting for the same cause as my heroic friend, President Steyn. The two Presidents and the two commanding generals, Botha and Dewet, will share the same fate
 "On being questioned regarding the re- liance he placed on the British official telegrams and statements In Parliament, MT. Kruger, half rising from his chair, declared:
 The British government, British tele- IL. A,. make this much - and he measured his little finger, look like this much --,' and he extended both arms. I am per- suaded everything is going we'll out there; precisely because our enemies continue to dissimulate and travesty facts.
 |" As regards General Botha's negotia- tions, the public knows from the Blue Book and by reading General Botha's last dispatch, that 1t was the British general who first made proposals. Never did the Boer general refuse to listen. We do not fight except for peace. We are not con- querors but although General Botha lis- tened to the British proposals, he never uttered a word of equiyocation on the subject of independence. Independence Is the only treasure we cherish even if we have to sacrifice all others to have our national independence.
 :" It Is for that reason our citizens for sock their farms and sacrifed their lives, and our women and children now suffer temporary servitpde in the enemy's camp. And. added the president with still more emphasis, If the English were not blind, if they considered their own interests well, if they were not hopelessly enslaved by error and injustice, they would recog- nize the independence we demand, be- cause in the hope of safeguarding 1t we shall be ready to make many concessions and sacrifices; and, moreover, 1t would assure peace forever in South Africa. 'The subject of arbitration being next preached, MT. Kruger expressed his en- tire readiness to submit all questions to the arbitrament of an impartial tribunal not even excepting the question of inde- pendence.
 We would sacrifice our liberty he said, If the verdict of arbitration de- cided that one of the other of the Re- publics had done anything to forfeit it.. But on that point we are at ease.' Here the Bible was invoked, MT. Kru- | ger reading passage from the Psalms, in which David calls upon the Lord and asks if there be any spot or blemish in him, or whether he had committed any misdeed, he or his people.
 But like David,' he said, we have known that we are less impure than our aggressors and that oud cause is holy and just. Therefore we fear not the judgment of the just and rely on the mercy of God
 British atrocities was the next topic of conversation. MT. Kruger readily ex-