, 1902-03-15
WHAT B0ERS DESIRE
WANT THIS AND OTHER GOVERN,
MENTS TO INSIST ON CIviLIZ-
Ed WARFARE.
Mr.Wessels Says Number Of Mistakes
Have Been Printed Since Dele
gates Have Arrived In Washing
ton, the Worst Of Which Is Trying
to Get Intervention by United
States.

Beers are not seeking Intervention OF
aid from the United States. They de
sire that this government and the gov
er1iments of Europe shall insist on
civilized warfare in South Africa. c. II,
Vessels and A. ID. w. Wolmarans. the
Boer delegates, had a long talk with
President Roosevelt today and made
this clear to him, as they did to Sec
rotary Hay in their interview with him
last week.
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Hay both s%ympathize with the Beers
in their struggle and they talked ovel
the whole situation with the Boer
delegates. They simply requested the
president to exercise his influence to
have the provisions of the general
treaty kept by both parties to the war
in South Africa and the president will
do that if the facts touching inhumani,
ty are presented to him.
In reference to their mission to this
country, Mr.. Vessels said that a num-
Der of mistakes had been printed since
their arrival in Washington. The worst
of these vas that they were trying to
get intervention by the United States.
I'VE know that this is not possible"
said he, and as a matter of fact we do
not want it. What we do want, however.
ard what We have laid before the
American government at each of our
interviews, is a request that civilized
warfare be insured in South Africa.
That is all we want now. We have not
put before the authorities any request
that this or that plan be adopted to in
sure the carrying out of rules of CIV
ilized warfare, but we will leave that
wholly to the government to take
whatever steps it see fit. We want a
fair and square fight.
I'VE are confident that we will be
able to keep this war going for a mum
Der of years yet, and we think that all
civilized nations, especially the United
States, are interested in the proper
rules of warfare being carried out. If
the Beers hit below the belt then we
will not complain II they suffer for it.
If the English do this then they ought
not continue. We can point out
numerous instances of foul work. 1t
is particularly noticeable that the Eng
fish press itself comments on the pro-
liability that General Methuen will be
given decent care and attention by the
Beers who captured him a few days
ago. Yet what did they do with Gen
eral Scheepers and a number of others?
They shot Scheepers without a chance.
That story from Englands points its
W moral, and an important me-, too.
President Kruger is not seeking in
PREVENTION in Europe, and all stories
Of that kind may be denied whenever
they are seen. The Beers have nothing
to lose and all to gain by keeping up
this fighting. They may call it guer-
rilla warfare, if they want, but it is at
least humane warfare"
Mr.. Vessels vas asked about the
dispatches that the Beers who captur-
ed General Methuen and his force were
attired in khaki uniform.
81 guess that is true" he said. "Our
soldiers have not been able to procure
clothing Of any kind for a year now,
except what they have captured from
British conveys and soldiers. They
must either go naked or veal what
they capture. Some wear the uniforms
Of British soldiers in preference to
going naked. Whenever they can pro-
cure buttons they change those on the
uniforms and put on their own. Even
the Boer women have to make clothing
for themselves out Of horse blankets.
We do no deny that our soldiers are
wearing kahki uniforms, but do say
that it is absolutely impossible to get
anything else"
Mr. Vessels was much pleased over
the reported victory of the Beers over
General Methuen, and he predicted
that 1t would be the forerunner Of
others. The president was much i'm
pressed by the presentation made by
the Boer delegates, Wolmarans and
Vessels will leave for Europe about
the goth, after visiting Chicago and a
numhar nj othor placeR