The St. Louis Republic., 1902-04-06
PEACE DEPENDS
UPON FOUR men
Steyn, Delarey. Botha and DeNet
Are the Real Leaders of the
BOer Cause.
RESPONSIBILITY WITH sTEyN.
AS the First in Civil Authority in
the South African Republic, He
May Be Expected to Accept
Best Terms Possible.
BY HERBERT PAIL.

SPECIAL BY CABLE, TO THE NEW YORK
HERALD AND THE-ST. LOUIS REPUBLIC.
London, April 5.-(Copyright. 19t2.)-The
chief subject of interest during the Easter
recess was the attempted meeting between
Mr.. Schalk- Burger and Mr.. Steyn. The
latter is believed TO be less pacifcally dis
posed than General Schalk- Burger. who, on
the other hand. is stated-though without
authority-to have the support of Com
mandant General Botha.
Mr. Kruger is alleged to disapprove of
his deputys mission. and to regard it as
hopeless, but this. again, is uncertain.
Some even say that Mr.. Kruger is no
longer capable of attending to public af
fairs. So far as the Beers are concerned,
peace would seem to depend upon four men.
They are Steyn. Delarey. Botha and De
Wet. Probably Mr.. Steyn and General
Botha would carry any proposals upon
which they agreed.
Steyn Holds Balance of Power.
Mr. Steyn's influence is very great, as bis
position is very strong. In the first place.
the voluntary exile Of Mr.. Kruger leaves
him first in civil authority among the
Beers. In the second place, he risked his
life and the independence of his State on
behalf of the South African Republic. If
he Is in favor of continued fighting, the
war will almost certainly go on.
But he is bound to consider the cost and
frightfu hardships which another winter
campaign would involve.
Foreign Intervention is practically impos-
sible The British colonies are as ready to
send contingents as they were when the
war began. What hope can a small num-
ber CT Dutch farmers. however brave. have
of holding out for an indefinite time against
the unlimited resources OF the British En-
pire?
he tfnU hat
ton to himself. He cannot help answering
his own question.
Useless bloodshed' is not characteris-
ticaily English phrase. The bloodshed at
Balaklava was useless, yet the memory Of
the action will never fade from the recol-
lection of Englishmen-
But Mr. Steyn is not mere soldier whose
duty IL would be to fight, and, If need were.
to die for his country; country ne Is the responsi.
struggle which might honorably close, he
cannot, as Christian. escape a moral con-
demnation.
Meanwhile, the policy Of his Majesty's
Minister'S Is to enjoy their holidays. That
is a fact; everything else is conjecture.
Their usual language Is a demand for un-
Conditional surrender, which,, even IL 1t
could be obtained. would be no security for
the future
proval of Lord Kitchener's readiness to
treat with General Schalk-Burger and with
the conciliatory tone of Lord Lansdowne's
When peace was discussed between Lord
Kitchener and General Botha rather more
than a year ago. the civil power, as repre-
sented by Lord Miner and Mr.. Chamber
lain, INTERVIEWED to harden the terms offered
by the British commander-in-chief.
Mr.. Chamberlain has since declared that
even the stfffened proposals. which General
Botha then rejected are no longer open to
the Beers, but. If negotiations between the
Observation-Disclosures once begun, there would
be even now a prospect of an honorable
and lasting peace.