Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-30
BOERS STATE THEIR CASE
Make Pathetic Appeal for Aid for Their
Suffering 0Ountrymen.
COUNTRY IS LAID WASTE THROUGH WAR
swords Can he Made Into PIOwshares
but Cattle and other Necessities
of an Agricultural PeO-
pie Are Gone.

Copyright, 1909, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Oct. 29.-(New York World
Cablegram.-Special Telegram.) )-The Boer
generals Botha, Dewet and Delary, have
steadfastly refused to speak or write for
publication since their arrival in Europe
But Botha, as chief OF the mission has
now given the world the following digni-
fed and pathetic final state OF their posi-
tion and policy:
Swords may be readily beaten into
plowshares, but Il Is not so easy to turn
them into hne pens. Nor is the rough and
racy language OF soldiers and farmers a
suitable medium for the diplomatic dis
/ cussions OF Europe. My comrades and my
self felt this keenly from the outset and
would much rather have striven in our
humble way to make history than write 1t;
that is TO say, we would gladly have CO.
| operated with our new government to
smooth away all traces OF bitterness left
! by the war and left the foundation for the
wellbeing OF South Africa. That has been
our fervent desire from the first, not the
drawing up Of manlfestos and appeals. Yet
! we took the latter course instead of the
former and our words were misconstrued
! and our actions assigned to wrong motives.
| Our very aims we're mistated and con-
| demned
The British people have no reason TO
! doubt our sincerity. II we needed testi-
| mony on that score It would be rendered
| by Lord Kitchener and other representa-
! tives OF the British army who had deal
| ings with US. We then gave our word and
since them we have kept it. We called on
our people to come in and lay down their
arms. How many million pounds were
saved the British nation by that surrender
1t is needless now to reckon up.
Having accepted the terms Kitchener
was authorized to offer us we have never
sought to have them modified. What we
sought for was not a modification of the
terms Of the peace treaty, but immediate
help, of which our people are in sore
need. The farms and the agriculture
which made the South African country all
1t was no longer exist The cattle and
| the implements, without which work can
not be resumed, are gone. The woeful
| desolation which the war brought in its
train is intense and widespread. To hear
| such things is not the same as to see them
embodied in the suffering women, wasting
children and strong men, powereless in the
midst OF ruins and ashes to help either.
Having come to plead the cause which
seemed to speak eloquently enough Of it.
self, we were sorely disappointed by the
result. At least we had every reason to
consider that we had failed in our errand
"It is assumed that we did not take
kindly to loan. That superstition is gra-
tuitous. As to the shape in which ma
teriRl help should he given we had neither
the right nor the will to pick and choose
but having seen no prospect OF receiving
such help we appealed in our urgent need
to all the nations OF the world That
course has been sharply criticised. So far
as we can see all that our appeal to for
eigners implied was that our people were
| In sore need of instant relief"