The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-12-20
PLAN
TO help pERs
President of South Dakota
University Has Conference
With Roosevelt.
AID FOR CONCENTRATES
Urges State Department to Ask the
Transfer Of Non-Combatants t
Seaport Towns, and Wants .
Horse Exports Stopped.

Vermillion, S. D., Dec. 12.-President
Garrett Droppers of the state univer-
sity was in attendance at the last meet
of state university presidents at
ashington, D. c.. and although he
went chiefly with that end in view, it
nows transpires that he had another
mission at the White louise city,
which, If realized, will do much toward
the happiness and welfare of a now
struggling mass of women and children
in South Africa. He was in conference
with President Roosevelt for some lit,
tie time and to him he submitted two
propositions for consideration.
First, that the state department re-
quest the English government to trans
fer the suffering women and children
from the interior towns of South AZ
RIGA to the S%eacoaSt towns OF South
Africa on British soil, and that the peo-
pie of the United States, through GER
tain organizations, take 1t upon them
selves by popular subscription. to care
for these prisoners properly allevi-
ate the intense suffering now going on.
Second, that this government take ac-
tive measures to prevent the shipment
Of horses, hay n other materials Of
wal to a warning nation in South AZ
RIGA
Talks OF Ills VIStt. 80.
In an interview, President Droppers
gave these facts, and, while the presi-
dent was not DESTROYS of talking for
| publication, he was nevertheless free.
| to announce the motive which prompt
ed him in the action. When asked as;
to his appointment with President
Roosevelt, he said:
Yes, 1 did converse with the presi-
dent while in Washington, and received
- oo,I;.I ~,.oofinn Lie rnanirac x,o,,r
! one in the same cordial manner and
gave me at once to understand that he,
was as willing to listen to my PROPOSE.
lions as he was to- those of others upon
important questions. After making my
wants known, the president asked me.
to put my request in writing M to for
ward it to the state department at my
earliest convenience, assuring me that
due consideration would be given it.
This I now have done, and I hope that
the request submitted will meet with
favor.
There is no question that ONE
thing should be done for these suffer-
ing South African Women and children,
and the sooner the better. Imagine,
If you can, the trials which they every,
day experience. They are without ade-
quate food, shelter or clothing, and
the death rate of the children is twenty
times the normal rate. The tents are
insufficient, and, as a rule, the women
are corralled on the outside by wire
fences, thus serving as a barricade
against attacking Beers. 1t is pitiful,
indeed, and affairs are daily growing
worse instead of better. A sufficiency
Of water is denied them, and, in fact,
everything else that serves to sustain
life decently. 1t is a blot on the civil-
ization Of an enlightened republic, and
Goo willing, we shall witness a better
state OF affairs in the near future.
His Second Propos ition.
LAS to my second proposition, L have
nothing to say for publication. The
forwarding Of supplies by one nation to
another engaged in war Is in direct
c~ontravention Of International law and
should cease at once. I am not prompt-
ed in my action to any partisan ideas
caused by membership in some of the
large organizations, for I belong to
none of them. In this matter I am a
free lance, n as such, cannot but
raise my voice in humble supplication
against conditions as they exist IN
South Africa today. The Transvaal
league agrees to provide for the sup
port Of the women and children in
South Africa. Do not misunderstood
me when I say the state Department. in
Washington should attempt to relieve
the situation. I do not mean that any
interference should be made on our own
part concerning the war in South
Africa. I simply mean that permission
be asked of our neighbor across the
sea to allow a charitable people to care
for suffering prisoners who are in nc
way concerned with the war and in nc
position to care for themselves. Neither
am I in favor of bringing to United
States soil these ON and children
but much prefer they should remain II
British possession, where they can be
looked after and cared for by popular
l -,-I - 49,
stituted organization like the Trans.
vaal league Of Chicago.
S. HevI~EH sa3#