The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-09
REBUILDING A COUNTRY.

W1LA the return OI Tic 11OeIS WIZ
were made prisoners months ago by the
British and were transported to islands
far distant from their homes. comes the
greatest responsibility to them that this
generation ever has faced and that it
the country in the face Of sore defeat
and upon the ashes scattered here and
there by soulless war.
Within a few weeks great numbers
Of these exiles have crossed the seas on
the way to the place where within six
decades developed one OF the most
eccentric men bers of the family of
states. It now rests on their shoulders
to rebuild that fabric which has been
all but wrecked by the ravages Of the
late struggle against Britain. They
must face a proposition in many ways
similar to that which presented itself
to the frontiersmen of South Africa in
the early forties, but in some particu-
lars handicap in development greater
than was known in those days. After
the armies of an enemy have marched
across a once inhabited country and
have plundered and burned-for all
these things are the necessary con-
comitants Of war-then it is left in a
state of desolation difficult for the
prospective settler to bring up to a con-
dition of homelikeness. Houses are
burned and all improvements are de-
stroyed, for it is the plan to reduce
the country in such a way that no
human being will find it a possible
place for a base of operations against
the destroyers. Stock has been con-
fiscated and run off. crops have been
taken and used wherever needed by
the invaders.
Thus it comes about that in this pic
ture, gloomy as it may appear to the
downcast burghers, looms up a bright
background to the American who views
it. It will take lumber and building
material with which to rebuild the
houses of the Transvaa1 and Orange
Free State. Agriculture and livestock
growing are the chief Industries OF the
rustic population, and in order that
these may be re-established, seed grain
and cattle, horses and the like must be
imported for a starter. The United
States being the leading nation of all
in these particular lines is the one to
which the eyes of the Beers naturally
first turn. Recently large shipments of
cattle were made into that country, but
although it seemed big to US it was
inf1nitesima1 with them, supplying to
only a part of the farms a single beast
for each. The war completely drained
South Africa Of what it had produced
in this respect, and the start must be
made all over. Further than this, rail-
road lines have been more or less pros
trated by the devastations Of armies.
It will take ship load after ship load
of structural and railroad steel to put
these back in the shape where they
should be. And for this. too the people
there look. American dealers in these
things seem to have shown aggressive
ness in keeping In touch with condi-
lions, and already it is said that the
wharves of the ports in that land are
piled high with lumber which 1t is inn
possible to move until transportation
facilities are mended.
But while all this preliminary work
is going on enterprising Americans are
standing ready, as they should to seize
every advantage in their share of the
business of this new-old land. To them
the Beers will in later years feel thank
full and they themselves will feel graft
fed with the bounteous returns which
are to come In the reconstruction OF
South Africa