The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-11-09
DOES D'ANNUNZIO'S ACT PARALLEL THOSE OF SIMILAR LEADERS?

Iy, So also do the mills ot the dlplo' mats In almost every age there are daring and visionary men who refuse
 to wait for the grist Of conciliatlon
 trades and boundary adjustments tha, issues from these slow grinding mills of politics. Gabrielle d'Annun- zIo, the fiery Italian soldier-poet, is
 but the latest of d long line of such Doctor Jameson, John Brown, Sam uel Houston, Walker, the "gray-eyed Ilan of destiny" The very ghosts of history arise in salute to DAn- nunzio's rash but cOlorful act.
 Perhaps of all the coups of other days. the one bearing the closet re- semblance to D'Annunzio's was that of Dr. Leander $. Jameson, whose ill fated raid into the Transyaal in 1896 brot him into world prominence and probably did more than anything else to precipitate the Boer war a few years later. Jameson seemingly was actuated by many of the impulses that have moved DAnnunzio; his act was denounced by his own country, altho openly applauded by his coun- t. ymen; he was given brief punish ment and later rewarded with high political honOrs.
 Back in the sos there was much bitterness between the Dutch colon Ists of South Africa and the rapidly growing English element, known as the "Uitlanders." The English, un- der the leadership of Cecil Rhodes, John Hays Hammond, the American engineer; Lionel Phillips and Col. Frank Rhodes, were developing the resources of South Africa and open inL it to a modern civilization. But tEcir practices met the stubborn op- position of the Boers, who feared English domination. So the Boers levied restrictions on the "Uitland- CTS" and compelled the latter to rec oanize in perhaps more ways than W ere necessary the control and SOY trcignty of the South African repub- lie.
 Jameson, a doctor who had won some military laurels in war against Matabele tribes few years earlier was one of the "Uitlanders" who smarted under these restrictions. He wanted to see all of South Africa un- der the Union Jack of Great Britain and he plotted with Rhodes and oth- CT influential EngIishmen in the Cape Colony to bring that end about
 Suddenly, two days before the end of the year 1895, Jameson, at the head of a force of seven hundred men, invaded the Transyaal. The "Citlanders" seized the city of Jo- hannesburg. Jameson's force was a motley one. He had induced a number of English army officers to join him, and others of his little army were hunters, traders and Cape police They were well armed and provisioned for four days.
 Jameson hoped by his invasion to p"eCipitate a war between Great Britain and the BOers. At best he and his small force could only hope to hold out for a short time, but he thOt Engishmen everywhere would be inspired by his act and that aid would not be long in coming.
 Messages were sent commanding Jameson to withdraw. But like D'An- nunzio he chung to his dream. The wires were cut behind him and for two days the world was in darkness concerning the fate of his eXpedi- ton. Then the news drifted thru. Jameson's band had been attacked by force of 4,5OO Boers. It had fought desperately against overwhelming odds and the certainty of defeat. For twenty-four hours, food gone, ammu milton almost exhausted, surrounded and under murderous fire, the raider held out Finally one of the British officers ran up the white flag; Jameson himself would not do so.
 Jameson and the British officers who were his ieutenants were taken to London. Everywhere, except in official circles, they were hailed as heroes and true Britishers. But of fiCial circles felt compelled to mani fest an unfriendliness for the con splrators. Even Lord Russell, the trial judge, was unsparing In his de nunciation of their act. Yet lame son drew a sentence of only fifteen months Imprisonment without labor and of the remaining defendants Maj. Sir John Willoughby, who received the seyerest sentence, got only ten IaOnths' imprisonment. The British officers involved, however, were de priYed of their commission. Within six months Jameson had been par doned, along with all his fellow pris oners, and for the most part the lat ter were reinstated in their old com mands.