The Irish standard., 1902-04-05
SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
A Clergyman Says That the Beers
Cannot Lose.

'lie boers, and in the humiliation NJ
thls mighty empire by handful NJ
iloer'S-loV1ng patriots will be seen tho
ua"li Oh a new era, in which wars If
conquest will be a thing of the mast
Inc Beers reverently believe tho A.
mighty is with them in their struggle
ana agree with them" In the above
sentence is summarized the oninion ~
Kew. Robert Shemeld, of St. Pan, nm
we ''o',h African war situation. Mr.,
siemeld has Just returned from SOW.
ehteeh years of continuous mission
service in the Transvaal and N,+o,
ana With Mrs. Shemeld is the guest Of
her parents. Mr.. and Mrs. Peter I,,,er
vi Smlth avenue. They will spend q
SIN months turlough in this city he.
fore returning to Pretoria.
Mr.. Shemeld, though st. Paul is his
adopted home. was born in England of
English parentage, and rs he puts r.
he us naturally prcdisposcd to favor
the side of the British. but is con.
Vlhced that it is thoroughly unjust and
without Il shadow of justice or nrinci.
pie to support it,"
lived in Pretoria for some years
| prior I" the outbreak of the war in
lSe'' said Mr.. Shcmeld to tho Globe
ana every day in my life I heard tha
''''Sl'sh openly boasting that they
would ono day own the country. With
the characteristic candor of their roce.
they chccrfully scattered this informa.
ton among the Beers and the natives.
the feelings of the burghcrs were not
considered in tho least.
'"Thc Jameson raid prccipitated the
real crisis. that was thc spark which
lgnitrd the rather slow-moving Dutch
'htcllrrts to pcrcciving that the British
really meant what they were saving.
Then began the preparations for the
struggle. Arms and ammunition were
openly imported In vast quantities.
while the English stood by and inso-
lcntly chaffcd the Beers on their inn
billty to use such modern weapons.
immense cannon were photographed
on the public streets in the presence
or Kruger ana Joubrrt and the Eng
lish. guessing the purpose for which
they had been imported, stood around
In clusters and discussed the thing as
n huge joke. @'
,,f,
the English. before they left Pretoria,
said they would be returning in a
rev months. rs soon MS the troops had
time to get over the country. They
ala return, but the whole world
knows at what cost and sacrifice of
lire. was Mt Pretoria Mt the time, and
at the time when lord Roberts wos
making his tri,lmphal march through
the city. ] saw General Louis BotIha,
ommandcr-in-rhcf of the Rocr forces.
and Christian Rothn, in their homes
rlacidly and lcis,ire1y making prcpnra-
lions to move out. 1t never occurred
to the English to pay Il friendly call
to see where they were Both the gem
erals escaped, and right under the eyes
Of the British.
las to the natives being treated cru
ely by the Beers and welcoming the
English, great many foolish stories
nave been printed" continued Mr..
Shcmcld. at is true that ut first they
were glad at the prospect Of being able
to work for more generous and leniert
employers, but now they realize TINT
their last condition is infinitely worse
than their first ana they would hail
with acclaim the news that every Eng
lishmnn hnd left South Africa forever.
They have good reason to be of this
opinion; under Bocr rule their rent.
within any city limits was S12.5O.A
year: under the British it is Nl,out
S4.23 month. Formerly thcy/ were
furnished FREQ passes to go about as
they pleased in the cities: now they are
changed Il shilling Il month"; THUS is
the advent OF British "rrccdom" tinged
with cXtorion Of tho most glnring de-
scripti0n. The Beers know how to
manage the natives. Just how much
rope to allow them ana Just when
touch OF the s.tambok would be pro-
! durtivc OF beneficial results, and the
British do not. They make the mis-
take OF being too easy mt first, and fin
lsl by being far more brutal than the
Hocrs ever find il necessary to be,
The Beers are good Judges of native
character, just rs they are unrivalled
Judges of oxen: tlhc English know
nothing OF either ana the natives, con-
s"quonfly, have grown to despise
them"
When asked as to his opinion Of the
reported desire Of the Beers to negoti-.
ate for favorable terms OF surrender.
Mr. Shclnrld said he thought any over
lures of this nature must have origin
nt"h with the British. "Why." said he,
SHOULD they want to surrender? They
have more money and munitions Of
war Than ever before. Where do they
get them? Why, from the British. Of
I course" $
The Beers do not use Mauser rifles
any more, the entire field force is sup
piled with Lee Mctfords, and the field
guns are also of British manufacture,
The money they get by capturing pay