The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-24
MORE PEACE TALK

There is considerable excitement in
London over Pretoria dispatch announc-
ing that Acting President Schalkburger,
ex-Secretary Reitz of the former Trans
wall republic, and Commandments Meyer
and Krogh had passed through that town
en- route to Orange River colony under a
flag of truce. It Is surmised that these
dignitaries will confer with Lord Kitch-
ener as to conditions of peace.
1t would be godsend to both Beers and
Britons if this flag of truce had any such
meaning. The Kuyper effort some weeks
ago. when negotiations were undertaken
by the Dutch premier at London in behalf
of peace, failed because the British gov
eminent very properly desired to nego-
terms directly with them, which would
be binding upon them. The fighting Beers
ignored the Dutch governments peace
efforts and intimated that they regarded
the movement as an unjustifable inter-
ference with their rights. 1t is no doubt
because Of this attitude that the Schalk-
burger mission has been undertaken, for
they assume that they more nearly rep
resent the Beers who are fighting over
the veldt and getting their war material.
provisions and clothing from captured
British supply trains.
There is among the Beers, as is well
known, very little subsection to authority
in the fighting arena. Schalkburger
might command. and if successful raiders
like Delarey had sighted provision
train under the British flag, he would
shut his ears to the mandate to stop, and,
utterly regardless of peace negotiations,
he would go for his quarry. A pious
negro was met by white neighbor re-
turning from church on Sunday with a
fat possum under hissarm. "Why, Jake
said the colonel, sis it possible that you
hunt and catch possums on the Sabbath?'
Lord massey, kunnel," said the pious
Jake, "does yer tink dere's niger in
dis part O. de country kin stan still an
let a big, fat possum tril cross de road
jis in front of him an let him go? No.
sar; it's aginst my prinspuls." ~ Delarey
will similarly continue to catch possums
until he is caught himself. It is we'll to
talk of "calling in the Boers,'' but they
have all along declined to obey any call.
They are last ditchers in diminishing
numbers. e. ~
There is no doubt that they could get
very good terms. The British government
is fighting, as the Beers are, to keep up
the reputation of the nation for the pos
session of grit On the 18th Of next sOc-
tober the South African war will have
been waged. for three years. It's cost to
the British government approximates a
cool billion dollars so far. It has en-
tailed an ininity Of suffering upon Beers
and Britons. The man with the long
purse will win, and he can afford to be
generous with his very heroic foe. The
British government cannot reasonably be
expected to permit the Transvaal to re-
turn to the ante-bellum condition. With
the Orange Free State the government
had no quarrel. Steyn and his people
went into the conflict on the basis of
sympathy and kinship with Kruger's peo-
pie. Safeguards for the preservation of
peace can be secured and the Beers in
both states would be Infinitely better off
than they have been since the fateful
trek Of 1885, if they are brought as a
crown colony under the suzeranity of
Great Britain. Meantime General Delarey
is catching his possum.