The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-20
Situation in South Africa and
Future Probabilities
Discussed by a Member Of Prom
inent Boer Family.
KRUGER THE POWER.
Dom Paul Could End the War
in Short Order.
viii Not Do 1t Unless Lost
Property Be Restored.

New York March 20.-A dispatch from
London to the Herald gives an interview
with D. Erasmus. son Of Gen. r. Eras-
mus, OF Pretoria, on the probable conse-
quences OF General Botha's refusal to
accept the terms Of peace. He said
The English public. for some un-
known reason, has looked upon the war
all along as mere child's play. notwith-
standing the lessons which 1t received
in the commencement Of the war -Four
hundred Beers are quite sufficient 10
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. Owing to the fever. the Brit
ish can operate but six months in the
year. The Beers from childhood have
accustomed themselves 10 this climate.
and can stop there without much harm.
In foreign countries people who are
trying to make mischief out of the Eng
lish reverses, read in them a disgrace to
the British army. But 1 can assure those
pretended friends Of my people that IL
they had to do what the British are now
trying to accomplish they might have
done very much worse or succeeded less
well in fighting"
The Beers he. said. can get plenty Of
good horses and ammunition.
As an alternative for Sir Alfred Mil
ner as a negOtiatOr with the Beers. Mr..
send some impartial Englishman. free
from all party feeling. Lord Kitchener's
name Will not go either He has been
too much associated with Mr.. Cecil
Rhodes You remember how their
names were connected together when
Lord Kitchener was in London; how
they were 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 given inde-
pendence. There was a time after Pre-
toria was taken. when many Beers de-
serted or surrendered in the belief that
they would find their houses and family
as they had left them. IL they We're al
lowed to 20 free, promising not TO fight
again. The end of the war was then
more than possible. Ny people were
ready to give in.
But when the Beers returned TO their
homestead and found their farnls burn-
ed and their families gone. they knew
that they were ruined men. From that
day out, 1t should be well understood,
the war became one of revenge and 10
longer one Of patriotism. Picture to
yourself the situation. It Is perfectly
simple to understand the bitterness cf
the Beers
THE only terms satisfactory would be
restocking the farms and making good
that which had been destroyed. Other
wise why should our men not continue
to hght2 They have lost everything and
therefore have nothing to lose and ev-
'.SIr Kruger is stm absolutely presi-
dent of the Transvaal republic People
say he ran away That is untrue. He
was forced to leave by the executive
council It took 5,O0Q men 70 guard him
We needed these men elsewhere. More
over. it was considered that he would be
ct is perfect nonsense to say he IS
worth millions At most he may be worth
a million, which he made from the pur-
chase and sale Of lands. just as any other
man might But much money has been
money he spends in the manner which Is
indicated to him and as intended by the
"Afr. Kruger may have lost some weight
with a certain number Of people Of the ex-
importantDMr Sra5T Kruger Is ne one man
today who could. if he liked. bring the
row row if he he viii wiied when when peace peace e comes It
win be made BY the people appointed to
ary commission sent over here by the
Beers Messrs. Woimerans. Vessels and
@An6 the Boer forces todav i estimate
them to number from 10.000 to Il. .000." cons
DUE TO CHINESE TROUBLE
London March 20.-The Westminster
Gazette this afternoon makes pessimistfc
comment on General Botha's refusal to
accept the peace terms offered by Lord
Kitchener, and connects this refusal
with the situation in China. The Ga
zette says the powers are at skies and
sevens in the far east, and that any day
may see the commencement OF
struggle from which the Beers may re-
cover their own. The failure Of these
peace negotiations means that the mill
tary position in South Africa Is not yet
decisive
FIGHTING PROCEEDS.
Cape Town, March 2o-A dispatch from
Cradock. Cape Colony. says Col. Cor
ringe's force engaged Kritzinger's force
9f Beors. March IS. The latter lost nine
men killed and had seven wounded. Ths
British loss was one man killed and tea
wounded.
J. F. dinaber. s. Afinaber and J. a.
Neuw0udt were shot at De Aar last ev-
ening for treason and murder in pursl-
ance OF the sentence Of a court martial.
The death sentence was passed a week
ago. in connection with the wrecking Of
a train near Taasbosch. by which five
men were killed. Gen. Kitchener COZ
firrned the verdict The garrison was
paraded and the prisoners were led orr
at sunset Death was instantaneous. a
Dutch minister ard relatives remained
with the prisoners till the end Two oth-
ers concerned in the train vsreclring were
sentenced to i've years at penal servi-
tude.