The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 20, 1901, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXIX—-NO. 110. BOER GENERAL BOTHA DECLINES TO ACCEPT PEACE TERMS OFFERED BY BRITISH COMMANDER IN CHIEF Refusal of the Republican Forces to Surrender Causes a Demand That the War Be Pressed to the Utmost and That Further Remforcements Re Prepared Immediately | VoI Wa,lde FPULES ° 40 Se so o om H ScaLE oF Ve £s < JAc,zRSFor/lefr \ NAIFfiifl // 4 DE WETDOR Novai-24 / 7’ MELVETIA Fonov27 srprnFiELD | ov 30-DEC 24 START OcC7 23R? fiR!M&ICKSTAg fooo'stéd KROMfi;AD f“" .,/.//1 LEY GENERAL TRAVERSED THE ORANGE FREE STATE, TWICE INVADING CAPE COL- DING 30,000 BRITISH TROOPS FOR SIX MONTHS, ting, cable divides his h under Gal northeast of nekal 4—Engaged near Maseru, 20.—The issuance v papers on the Lord Kitch- 13 is de- refusal mt sense of chener ini- ns instead of General s unpalata- asks why the ed Lord Kitchener to after the murder of the and concludes as follows: sue for peace peace envoys, “Let the war be pressed to the utmost and Jet further reinforcements be prepared, for they may be needed; but, above all, let us have no more ‘negotiations.’ ” Announced by Chamberlain. Joseph Cha ain, the Colonial Secre- of Commons a has reject- red him. General had conveyed tter to General ounced that he nd the terms er was ins - earnest considera- | tion of the Ge iment. General Botha | added that bis Government and its chief | officers entire agreed with- his view. Chamberla ded: “I propose to lay the papers connected with the negotiations on the table to-night.” Hiding Truth From Public. During the discussion of the composition of the Traensvaal Concessions Commission Arthur Basil Markham, Liberal, asserted at the commission was made up of per- sons affliated with several great South companles. replied that while he woulll ed by South African capi- was not to be preciuded from n who happened to be con- ey yesterds ed the peace terms of Potha, Cb Africar Chamb nected with some capitalist in South Af-| rica The House sat untfl 3 o’clock this morn- ing to discuss 1he estimates. The only in- teresting point was a powerful attack by Burdett-Coutts, Conservative, on the South African Hospital Commission’s re- eral Barton at Frederich- | e Vaal Raver at Pery's, loses two main body concentrates at Both- 1 ighborhood of Heilbron. Besiege and capture force of 40 Brit g forces near Thabanchu. brush with Knox and loses horses | | | | magnificent daring escapes from Gen- | | | Near Lindley, preparing for a fresh dash. ! | nder the editorial cap- as far as scat- ais ches show it: | at Jaegersfontein. force. llias, Knox and De February the process. south. Ladybrand. immediately Basutoland. Firing miles a day. {port, which he described as partial, in- adequate and impotent in its conclusions. He charged the officers of the medical ser- vice with “cooking evidence,” and he practically charged the commission with hiding the truth from the British public. e SAYS BOERS CAN HOLD OUT. | General Erasmus’ Son Presents Some | Startling Facts. LONDO: March 18.—General Louls | Botha won't make peace. What is going to happen now? That is what is being asked in the House of Commons. | D. E. Erasmus, son of General Erasmus of Pretoria, knows the country from end | to end. “What do you say about General Botha refusing peace terms?” he was asked. “It is certain,” replled Erasmus. “But how can the Boers hold out against the English?” was asked. “So far they have only met the Boers |in the open plains. The English public for some unknown reason has looked upon the war all along as mere child’s play. notwithstanding the lesson which they re- | celved in the commencement of the war. | Four hundred Boers are quite sufficlent to harass an entire army for an indefinite | period in the district north of Pretoria. It 1s gvhat is called ‘bush veldt.’ Regular | cavalry cannot operate there. It is a deep ‘rand which gives the poorest foothold | there. Owing to fever, the British ean operate but six months in the year. The Boers from childhood have accustomed | themselves to this climate and can stop | there without much harm. “There is plenty of food for the natives. The Boers can llve upon the country. The | British will have to bring everything with them. The Boers have their hunting steeds, The country north is simply stocked with zmmunition. We can im- port none, but enormous stores were lald in before the war commenced.” i AT CONSULS IN SOUTH AFRICA. Status of Transvaal and Orange Free State Soon to Be Determined. WASHINGTON, March 19.—The status of the Transvaal and Orange Free State in the eyes of the Government of the January 20—Fights Knox at Welcome. February 4—South of De Wetsdorp once more. February $—Having crossed the rallroad has a fight February 11—Eludes British and crosses the Orange River near Kraal' February 12—Dashed for Phillipstown, eighty miles to the west, to threaten the Kimberley ratiroad. February 13—Had a running fight with Colonel Plumer. 15—Dodged across the railroad at Bartman's Siding, losing several ammunition wagons and prisoners in Next heard of in the region of Prieska. Hurries back east, but is headed off from going further B e a2 e e DEWET S LONG MARCH THROUGH SOUTH AFRICA. his celebrated rald did Dewet'’s force rended is his itinerary, s Pont, at Zand Drift. D o 2 e M February 23—Flcods on the Orange River almost result in Dewet's capture near Hopetown. several small partles. February Z— (about)—Managed to recross the river and struck out for the north, moving twenty-flve Forces divided into Lost forty men and two cannon. March 11—East of Kroonstad. MWMWW%HMW. United States probably will be for the | first time fixed when a Consul General is | sent out to Pretoria to succeed Adelbert | Hay, who has just returned to Washing- ton on leave of absence, but without the purpose to go back to Pretoria. It is sald that so far there has been absolutely no official declaration on that point. It is further stated that when the United States annexed Porto Rico the State De- partment sent no notices to any of the powers; they were supposed to take note themselves of the President’s proclama- tion and the acts of Congress. The old Consuls retained their original exequaturs issued by the Spanish Governmént, these being recognized by the United States military authorities as sufficient for the purpose. The status of our Consuls in South Africa is precisely the same; they hold thelr old exequaturs, and these are recognized by the military authorities as sufficlent. But in the case of Porto Rico whenever a Consul retires his Govern- ment makes application for an exequatur directly to the United States authorities, it being the 1ule to recognize de facto administrations In this manner, and it is presumed that when a change is made in our consular representatives in South Af- rica the application for an exequatur will be made to whatever authority happens for the moment to be in de facto posses- sion of the place to which the Consul is accredited. —_——— BRITISH DESTROY GRAIN. Bruce Hamilton’s Force Sweeps Por- tion of Orange River Colony. MAFETING, Basultoland, Monday March 18.—General Bruce Hamilton's force, which is sweeping over the south- east portion of the Orange River Colony, has reached Wepener, where the troops found ‘heavy stocks of grain and cattle. They carried away as much as possible, but destroyed 300 bags of grain. The houses at Wepener were found to be intact. Welcomed by Her Father. COPENHAGEN, March 19.—Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia ar- rived here to-day and was welcomed at the raflway station by King Christian, RIVAL FORCE STILL REFL Willing to Make*‘Any Concessiong: —— BY STEPHEN BONQ\L. "Call and New York Her- Special Cable to The a7 |t Hyrald Pub- ald. Copyright, 1%01, by the lishing Company. TIENTSIN, March 19—7 ‘p. m.—Count von Waldersee arrived here from Kiao- chau at 4 o'clock. He was met at the sta- tion by General Wogack, General Camp- bell and other general officers. The field marshal had long and separate conversa- | tions with the Russian and British com- manding generals. He verbally renewed the proposition which had been made by telegraph, and which the Russians had de- clined to entertain. General Wogack de- clined to discuss the question ‘of owner- ship until the British had withdrawn from the position. The deadlock thefefore con- tinues. Count von Waldersee is visibly de- pressed at the fallure to arrange the ques- tion, the seriousness of which he geemed fully to realize. After am-hour he re- turned to Peking. There has been much fighnng during the day between French and British soldlers, but up to the present there have been no serfous results. General Voyron has or- dered out the gendarmes, who, together with the Australlans, are mow guarding | the settlement and preventing the French soldlers from entering. The Brjtish hold their ground. General Campbefl has re- celved the approval of the Government in his view of the dispute with the Russian commander here and is hol'll* his ground under orders from London. Count von Waldersee's pi 1, which General Wogack declined to entertain, was that the disputed territory be turned over to a neutral guard, . British sim sty ing a Tegal investigation of the questions involved. The British officers maintain that if, as rumored, Russian troops are being hurried to Tientsin from Port Ar- thur, the British Government will regard their arrival as a hostile movement on the part of Russla. Negotlations on the spot are at an end and porparlers are now being conducted directly between the Cabinets at London and St. Petersburg. On Guard in Blinding Storm. Yesterday a blinding storm of dust har- assed the Russian and British forces, who nevertheless stolidly maintained thelr respective positions on the disputed territory. Instructions of a stalwart char- acter were received yesterday from St. Petersburg. Consequently, while General Campbell has given no sign as to the course he will pursue, the Russians have made it known with characteristic clear- ness that the British will have to with- draw unless they prefer to fight. The Ruasian authorities at Tientsin are upheld by St. Petersburg in the contention that any solution of the difficulty excepting th> withdrawal of the British troops will be incompatible with their outraged dignity. Various disquieting rumorg are current and it is very difficult to verify them. It seems probable, however, that the Rus- sian troops are returning to Tientsin, via Port Arthur. There is little doubt also that the French have demanded a court- martial to inquire into the case of Cap- tain Bogler, who on Saturday came in conflict with the French soldiers. He knocked one insenstble. It is claimed or his behalf that he acted In self-defense. General Wogack has made the following statement of the Russian posiuon for The all: : Russians Cannot Recede. “The question over which we unhappily are at odds Is not whether the disputed ground belongs to us or to the Chinese Government or to the railroad company, but whether the English will make good thelr trespass. “At the time the British attempted to take possession it was protected by Rus- elan flags and a clearly delimitated boundary of stone. These flags were overturned and thrown away by a work- ing party of Bengal ploneers or coolles, who went on with their work until driven off by our guards. Before we can dis- cuss the question of ownership the Brit- ish, who are still to some extent on our ground, must withdraw. Once the British have withdrawn I am sure the Russian imperfal Government will ignore all pre- vious regrettable violence and listen in a most friendly spirit to whatever the British Government may have to say re- garding definite possession of the dis- puted territory. No sane person can for an instant doubt that had the English requested permission to build a switch or sidetrack on our ground it would have been immediately granted. Unfortu- nately, however, they sought their ends by forcible means. The British troops must be withdrawn from Russian terri- tory. There can be no other settlement." While the forelgn community in Tien- tsin is overwhelmingly British General Campbell's course is not unanimously approved. He has undoubtedly displayed a signal lack of tact. His defenders say that if he had asked permission to build a sidetrack on the ground in dispute the sction would have constituted an ac- knowledgment of the Russian right to the territory. They clalm a compensation for the loss of 400 soldiers killed in de- _Continued on Page Three. | T[] wn w Jockey Club’s Presiden Not Permitted to Mingle in Circles of Society--Mayor Says He .Cannot Deign to Reply to a Gamester = etend PRICE F1VE CENTS. PHELAN DECLARES PONIATOWSKI IS A GAMBLER WHEN THE PRINCE CRITICIZES MAYOR'S CHARACTER HE wordy war between Prince Andre Poniatowski and Mayor James D. Phelan over the race- track imbroglio yesterday as- sumed a serlous phase, for the gentleman with the Russian name openec the vials of his wrath upon the chief executive of San Francisco, assailing him in Gitter terms. To the attack of Prince Ponlatowskl na reply will be made by Mayor Phelan. In a public statément the Mayor says ke deems the letter of the Prince beneath contempt. Clubdem and the citizens in general last evening discussed with zest the contents of the letter sent to the Mayor by the Prince, the latter having supplied the press with advance coples of the scorching epistle. Both the Prince and the Mayor are members of the exclusive Pacific Union Club and often meet within its walls. The chief question asked last evening in club circles was, Will there be a personal MAYOR PHELAN You InFER ¢ |l THAT 1 as t Says City’s [T viLL NoT EMBLOY THR HAR S LANCUAGE YO USET encounter when Poniatowskl and Phelan meet? Mayor Phelan, when he perused the let- ter of the Prince, evidently thought of the advice of Polonius to Laertes, “Beware of entrance to a quarrel.” He decided that the letter was beneath his notice, In as far as a direct reply was concerned, but that it called for a public statement. Phelan Calls Prince a Gambler. The Mayor, after a consultation with his friends, drafted a statement for the press, which is as follows: This is a public question, not & private dts- pute. The question is how to curtail the power of the gamblers to inflict Injury on the city. The people are in full possession of the facts as contained i my veto message and authorized interview published Monday morning. It 1t were a personal or soclal question, I would be glad to discuss it as such. Every public question I have had to solve, for instance charter, gas, water and telephone rates, in- volved a personal element, but I have not al- lowed, nor will T allow, my personal friends to influence my public action. I have no right at their request to betray public interests in order to reap personal advantage. 1 am satisfled with the judgment of the peo- ple on whom I have always confidently relied, and never in vain, for the justification of my acts. It would certainly be undignified for the Mayor of the city to exchange personalities, no matter how inviting the opportunity, with the president of a jockey club, whose essential bus- iness is gambling and who refuses to see the real point in dispute. ‘What Will Poniatowski Do? ‘When Prince Ponlatowski this morning reads the reply of the Mayor to his let- ter of yesterday he will realize the esteem in which he is held by the city’'s chief executive. It then remains to be seen what the Prince. “will do dbout it.”” Is San Fran- cisco to witness the entire gamut of a quarrel as defined by Touchstone in “As You Like It"? ° ‘When Mayor Phelan and Prince Ponia- towski entered into a discussion over the racetrack war the first reply given by the 3 two gentlemen to each other was in per- fect accord with the ethics of polite so- clety. After a few meetings came the public statement of the Mayor as to his reasons for vetoing the Ingleside ordinance. This is what Touchstone called “the retort courteous.” Then came the public statement of Prince Ponlatowski. He called the Mayor to acount and took him to task for acting in bad faith. The Prince threw sarcasm into his statement and made the Mayor feel uncomfortable. This was undoubtedly “the quip modest.” Prince Poniatowski follows this up with a statement which made all men anxious. The descendant of the Polish nobility designated Mayor Phelan as “a poor little fellow.” He spoke of the Mayor present- ing a “pitiful sight,” and that he was in a “comatose state.” According to Touchstone this was “the reply churlish.” Mayor Phelan jumped into the fray at this point with ardor. The chlef execu- tive of the city was not to be downed by a nobleman, even if the aristocrat possess- ed the name of Ponlatowskl " Phelan Answers With Ardor. His Honor, the Mayor, once again availed himself of the press and put forth another statement. In speaking of the meetings between himself and the Prince and the discussions as to the track war, the Mayor felt that, as a matter of justice, he was obliged to conclude that Ponia- towski was not “a real prince.” “True Princes,” said the Mayor, “are generally presumed to be gentlemen. He is not like the Princes we read about in fairy books. He seems to have much of the Oriental nature which deals in half- truths.” The Mayor chided the Prince with mak- ing misstatements, and was gallant enough to say that they were misstate- ments “if it is really trye that he (Ponia- towski) did authorize them.” All students of English classics are united upon the point that the Mayor made “the reproof valiant.” In days of old Prince Poniatowskl would PRINCE PONIATOWSKI Chief Executive Is — STRIKE YouU AS A VERY ABNORMAL CASE™} i i S THE PRINCE AND THE MAYOR, WHO ARE NOW EXCHANGING COMPLI?TBNTS. ——— +* | have, at this stage of the proceedings. called for his squire and buckled on his trusty sword. But In these days of money-making and politics the Prines called for a new pen and a sheet of the Jockey Club note paper. A scathing letter was penned by the Prince to the Mayor, assalling the private character of the man whom San Francis- co has given the highest office within her gift. Prince Ponlatowski had reached the | stage of “the countercheck quarrelsome™ when he yesterday sent the Mayor the following letter: SAN FRANCISCO, March . Mr. James D. Phelan, Mayor of San Francisco—Dear Sir: Out of respect for the office which you accidentally hold, 1 will not employ, in answering your state- ment published in this morning's Exam- iner, the harsh’language you chose to use. I am man enough to appreciate your men~ tal distress and excuse its effects. The assertions published under my sig- nature this morning cannot be, as you wish to term them, “half truths.” They are either truths or les. You infer that I was the one running after you. How is it that, within forty- eight hours, I had five meetings with you or your secretary, those meetings taking place efther at the offices of the San Fran- cisco_Jockey Club or at other clubs in town? In fact, at any other place than at the City Hall, where the affairs of this town should be discussed by you if you had a clearer conception of the dignity of your functions. There is no fact mentioned in any of my statements that cannot be veri- fled, as I luckily had no Interview with you except in the presence of witnesses. One statement I will make which you yoursel will agres is not a half-truth. There is no other city in the United States to-day where a comparative stranger will be allowed to talk to and of its Mayor in the tone I have employed for the last thres days without ralsing a storm of indigna- tion from the people of that town. Thers is not another town in the United States where at least one newspaper out of five would have, in such a case, & good word to say for the Mayor of that city. Does not this strike you as a very abnormal case? You are an intelligent man; you have wealth and Independence; you were born in this town: and you have mot com- mitted any dishonorable actions that I know of. To what, them, can you attrid- ute the fact that there are not five houses in San Francisco now open to you soclally: not one newspaper out of five considering that your political ambitions should be en- couraged; not a political friend of yours standing by your side any longer? You fear that I am not a “real Prince— at any rate not like the Princes you read about in falry books.” I fear, my dear Mr. Phelan, that you will soon realize that the peculiar condition of affairs above stated is due to the fact that the people have come to the conclusion “‘that you are not a real man—at any rate not like the men the people cars to have their grandchildren read about In the historv of this country.” P. A. PONIATOWSKL Only *“Lie Direct” Remains. Mayor Phelan retaliates by calling Prince Ponlatowski “a gambler” In the statement he issued yesterday, and states Continued on Page Five.