The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-05
PREPARING TO SURRENDER.
Boer Commanders to Lay Down Their
Arms at Pretoria.

PRETORIA, Transvaal, June 4.-The bal
lot of the Beers at Vereeniging resulted in
"a votes in favor of surrender and 6 against
it, Preparations are being made here for
the surrender of the Boer comma ndoes
which will take place on the race course.
All the Beers are allowed perfect freedom.
There will be thanksgiving service Sun
day, June s. on the church square, in which
it is hoped the Beers will participate.
The women in the concentration camps
are anxious to return to their homes i'm
mediately, but this will be impossible, I'M
ill a system of supply depots for the outly-
ing districts is established. General Baden
Powell is arranging for the distribution of
mounted constabulary in various districts.
The police. railroads and telegraphs will
be handed over to the civil authorities as
soon as possible and the restrictions of
martial law will be gradually relaxed.
The Boer delegates, who, during the peace
negotiations, were stif, formal and un-
friendly, are now extremely cordial. All the
commandments are returning to their com
mandoes in order to explain the situation
Gen. Louis Botha, the Boer commandment
general, has written an open letter TO the
burghers. thanking them for their obedi-
ence in the past and eXhorting them 10 be
equally loyal in their obedience TO the new
government
Lord kitchener's address to the Boer del
egates at Vereeniging, I'm which the British
commander-in-chef said that if he had
been one of them he would have been proud
to have done so we'll in the field as they
had done, made the best possible impress
sion and drew forth a hearty response
from General Beyers, the chairman of the
BOer conference, who expressed the pleas
ure the Beers experienced at meeting Lord
Kitchener as friend, only that they had
fought so long against him that they had
acquired full appreciation of his worth
The departure of the Boer comma nders
from Vereeinging for their various districts
was marked by remarkable scenes of fra
ternization. The trains conveying the Beers
started late, and the night being extremely
cold. the sentTies along the railroad track
lighted huge bonfires. round which groups
of Beers and Britons gathered, forming a
highly picturesque scene. The late op-
ponents Joined in such songs as Hard
Folks at Home the British soldiers and
the Burghers outlying one another i'm their
demonstra ton OF JOY. In brief, the scenes
at the departure OF the trains resembled
nothing so much as the starting OF huge
picnic parties. The same signs of rejoicing
Flags were displayed everywhere and
thanksgiving services were held in all the
towns.
Generals Botha and Delarey and other
Boer leaders will start for Europe shortly
for the purpose of raising funds for the
distressed burghers. General Schalkburger
who was acting President of the Trans
wall joined General Botha in addressing an
open letter to the burghers. After refer
ring 10 the courage which they had dis
played and TO their brave deeds I'm the field
he called en- them TO work together for the
social and spiritual advancement of the
country.
General Botha remarked relative to the