The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-08-04
WANT LARGE INDEMNITY
TO RELINQUISH TERRITORY
BY ARTHUR E. MANN.

Washington, Aug. 4-"The only
conditions on which the Union of
South Africa would be willing to rel
inquish the German South African
territory recently captured, would be
upon the payment of a large indem-
nifty" said P. j. Won Schroeder, who
has been sent to this country by the
Boer government to study American
agricultural methods. II do not
give this as my personal opinion"
he said. 1T seems to be the over
whelming sentiment both among Boer
political leaders and the mass of the
people.
''The Union of South Africa sacri-
feed great deal in making this
campaign against the Germans and
they deserve a great deal of credit
when you consider that they did not
regard themselves as necessarily in
volved in the war and also because
they received no help from England
in the way of men or munitions. We
did get a loan of So, 100000 from
England but without this it would
have been impossible for us to make
the campaign. In fact the loan was
made, not so much at our request,
but at the behest of the British gov
eminent which wished us to drive
the Germans out of South Africa. At
that, the money was not a gift and
will be repaid without a moment of
hesitation unless the British govern
ment should voluntarily offer to can
eel the loan. Il ..-.
'In consideration of these facts
it can hardly be expected that the
Union of South Africa would look
with any degree of favor on the
prospect of having to return to Ger
many her hard earned conquest I'M
less there is given her in. return
enough money to make up for the
economic loss.
II have heard some talk that per-
haps the British government might
be willing to grant the Beers a
larger measure of home rule if they
gave up the conquered territory, but
that is impossible. We have as great
measure Of home rule now as Is
possible if we are still remain a COL
ony Of England. Any further con-
cession on England's part and we
would logically become free anS
independent state.
"And that brings me to remark
on the danger to England which
would result in the event that she
endeavored to force conditions upon
the Union Of South Africa at the
conclusion of the war which we did
not favor. During the recent rebel
lion led by Gen. De Wet there were
many citizens, some of them a power
in the state, who, while not taking
part physically in the rebellion, were
yet in sympathy with the movement
and only refused their actual phys
ical aid because they did not think
that was the time to endanger Eng
lands existence by. adding. to her al
ready great troubles. But should
England, at the conclusion of the
war, act in a manner inconsistent
with the spirit of independence and
love OF liberty of the Beers, she
might bring about a rebellion when
would assume serious proportions.
"And it is quite likely that Eng
land, that is the British Isles, would
not enjoy the notion of the Union
of South Africa as an Independent
state. Not because she has any
bullying ambitions to possess the
country, but because she realizes how
valuable we are in furnishing. her
with much needed supplies. We are
now sending her vast quantities of
grain, wool, hides and with the ac-
QUESTION of German South Africa we
will be able to send her great deal
of beef.
GAS British colony it is not prob
able that we. would ever impose any
tariffs on exports which would be
unfavorable to the home country but
were we independent and should such
legislation at any time appear adj
vantagous to us, there would be no
reason why we should then hesitate
to improve our economic resources in
that way. Considering the Union Of
South Africa as source of English
supplies in time of war, our import.
ance as British colony will easily
be seen. Were we Independent and
were England to go to war again,
it might easily be possible that our
supplies would be totally denied Eng
land"