Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-06-13
A DEFENDER OF Beers
Mission of Rev. DR.. Brockhui
zen of Pretoria.
SEEKS HELP FOR B0ER WOVEN

%''''- says They Ar
In Horrible Condition and ae
c"se- the british OF CrueIt,-cI,tm
h"er- Will Never Yield and Arm,
VIII Grow Instead of Diminish
he Rev DR.. III. u. Won Brockhulzei
OF Pretoria. the minister who closed III.
volksraad with prayer after Presidcn
kruger's historic uItimatum had beer
read TO that body. Is in New York CITY
lie was banished from Pretoria afte,
that capital fell. but not until he hat
spent ten days in Jail, where he saws he
was kept on diet of bread and water
His brother, Or. IL. j. Won Rrockhui
zen of the Orange Free State. who also
served In the Boer armies and who
was captured and banished. accom-.
panies him. Their mission in the Unit
women and children now in refugee
camps, says the New York Times In
cidentally the Rev. Mr.. Brockhuizeu
says that he viii try to remove some Of
the impressions of his country that
have been created by unfriendly writ.
ers.
The Beers are not barbarlans," be
said in excellent English, mo matter
what you may have heard about them
our women and children. who are at
present concentrated in camps estab-
Hshed by the British. are I'm horrible
condition. 1t was bad enough when I
left South Africa but | know from let
tiers that have received, one only the
other day from my sister. that it is a
hundred times worse now.
when ] left South Africa. | was
virtually banished by order Of General
Maxwell military governor of Pre-.
foria. General Maxwell wrote to me
that had better leave the country and
provided me second cabin passage to
Europe. When asked him why he
was sending me. paroled prisoner OF
war. away, he said: You are too infiu-
entail. You viii not take the oath, and
you are regarded as dangerous Even
then. assisted by Mrs Botha and Mrs.
General Joubert. both members OF nv
congregation. | had undertaken the
work of relieving the helpless families
or soldiers whom they had begun to
herd in their camps. | was very plain
spoken with General Maxwell, as |
could afford to he. for lie knew the con
ditions as wen as l. lis Wife who by
the way. is nj American, has issued an
appeal 10 her countrywomen on behalf
of these same people.
You should bear In mind that we do
not ask the world TO take our word for
the conditions that prevail In the
camps In an official report which |
have in my possession. made by DR..
Ronald l.. Mckenzie of the British
army on Feb. Is of this year. the Brit
ish government is notified that the con
ditions are horrible the death rate ap-
paIIng and the food furnished wholly
unfit to eat. Nothing | or any one else
has ever said has been half as caustic
as this arraignment of his own people
by DR.. Mckenzie"
OF the ultimate result DR. Won Brock
huiZen said.
The Afrikanders Will never be over
come. They Will fight TO the last If
necessary, but that Will not be neces
sary Not since the first gun was fired
have we been in good condition as
now. with the deplorable exception that
our women are being brutally treated
by the invading army. y recent ac-
count shows that there are more than
81. 900 British soldiers in the hospitals,
while practically all of our fighting
men are in the saddle. The climate.
the topography of our country, every
thing Is fighting for US. and there is no
thought OF surrender. All stories TO
that effect you can set down as lies
made of whole cloth.
The unjust tales about Mrs. Botha
are a sample. | am Mrs. Botha's pas
tor. While Lord Roberts was in Pre-
toria he tried to get me TO go and see
her husband and ask him to surrender.
Ii was gossiped about that the com
mauder in chief had been entertained
ut tea by her. Being her pastor. II was
my privilege 10 ask her how much
truth there was in the statements.
Her reply hreathed the true spirit OF
the Boer woman Do you suppose. |
she said. Il would drink tea with n man
who is fighting my husband? | told
ord Roberts that | would go to see
my husband with Il message. but that
as for trying in influence him l would
never do it..
when we have won. the attention OF
the world having been attracted 10 US,
il will be found that instead Of being
peopled by a wild tribe of semicivilized
farmers the two republics appropriate
more money TO free education than any
other country. population and wealth
considered in the world 1t VIII be
learned that instead of being religious
bicots the people OF the Transvaal and
OF the Orange Free State taxed them
selves TO help support the Roman Cath
ollie clergy and schools. lt VIII be
learned that our attitude toward for
eicners before the war began was the |
most liberal in the world-more liberal
than that which finds expression in
even this free country Ii Will be learn
ed that practically the entire foreign
or uftlander population. EnElishmen ex
cepted. sided with the hurghers, and
most of them took up arms in their
cause. and il viii further he learned
that this was not done in any merce-
nary spirit"
Continuing. Dr. Won Brockhuizen
said:
THE Boer army will grow instead of
diminish from now on Ii numbers
1000 TO Il 600 men. and for every one