Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1902 — BOER WAR IS ENDED [ARTICLE]

BOER WAR IS ENDED

Treaty of Peace Is Signed and London Cheers. BURGHERS GIVE UP. Lord Kitchener Makes 0 ficial Announce* ment of Their Surrender. Exact Term* Believed to Have Been Cabled to War Office, but Are Not Given Out to Public—King Edward Issues a Peace Proclamation —Britain Makes Concession to the Vanquished Foe-Great Gain to Empire Through War’* Ending. Peace in South Africa was officially announced by the London war office Saturday. The declaration followed the receipt of a cablegram from Lord Kitchener at Pretoria, the former capital of the South African republic, which related that terms of peace had been signed by all the representatives of the fighting Boers and by Lords Kitchener and Milner of Great Britain. Lord Alfred E. Milner is the British high commissioner in South Africa and Lord Kitchener is the commander-in-chief of the British army in the field. The treaty which they have negotiated is the result of the conferences that have been held since April 7, when Acting President Schalk-Burger and Secretary of State Reitz, for the Transvaal, nnd President Steyn for the Orange Free State, began a systematic effort to obtain a plebiscite of the Boers in arms with reference to a cessation of the conflict. Exact Terms Are Guarded. Whether Lord Kitchener cabled also the terms of the treaty as signed is unknown to the general public in London. It is believed, however, that he enlightened the war office to au extent far beyond the meager announcement of peace which the officials condescended to make known. This opinion is confirmed by the guarded declarations the officials permit to be whispered about in Downing street. These are to the effect that Great Britain made numerous concessions, which, although they destroyed the national individuality of the Boers, yet gave the burghers many rights for which they have been fighting since they began to harrass the British by their prolonged guerrilla warfare. Some of the Concessions. , Following are some of the terms that are said to be contained in the document that has been signed: Boers are to be permitted to retain their rifles to protect them against the savages and wild beasts of the veldt upon swearing allegiance to Great Britain. They will also be allowed a limited amount of ammunition. Boers are promised autonomy within a brief period. Great Britain will rebuild the Boer farm houses and restock the Boer farms, allowing the former owners to return to the peaceful pursuit of agriculture. Boer prisoners in St. Helena, Ceylon, the West Indies and other British prisons are to be repatriated within a stated time provided they take the oath of allegiance to the British empire. Great Britain promises to make a land grant to those Boers who prefer to start anew in some other colony of the empire than South Africa: Boers who wish to migrate to another country outside the British domain will receive a grant, probably in money, sufficiently large to enable them to begin life over again. Britain Riots in Joy. King Edward issued this proclamation of peace at 1 o'clock Monday morning: "The King has received the welcome news cf the cessation of hostilities in South Africa with infinite satisfaction and bis majesty trusts that peace may speedily be followed by the restoration of prosperity in his new dominions,, and that the feelings necessarily engendered by war will give place to earnest co-op-eration on the part of his majesty’s South African subjects in promoting the welfare of their common country.” Great joy was manifested throughout the United .Kingdom because of the ending of the war, which has been waged incessantly at enormous cost iu money and life since Oct. 11, 1899. Nowhere is the rejoicing greater than in the palace of King Edward himself. For several months it has been the leading desire of his heart nnd the main object of his daily duties to bring the war to an end in advance of bis coronation, which takes place the 2(5 th of the present month. Empire’s Great Gain. The result of the war adds to the British domains 1(57,4(15 square miles of territory, an area equivalent to all the New England States, New York nnd I’ennlylvania, rich in gold and diamond mine* and with other natural resources of enormous value. Moreover, it adds nn important link to the Cape-to-Cairo chain**! possessions, the possibilities of which in the future development of the continent of Africa ;nnnot be estimated by the present generation. The newly acquired territory hnd before the wnr a population of 350.000. While this lias been considerably reduc’d, It is reasonable to expect that peace will restore prosperity and attract imnigration.