KRUGERIANA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 81, 6 April 1900, Page 4

KRUGERIANA.

One of Paul Kruger's most striking characteristics (writes a Transvaal correspondent of the Daily Chronicle) is his imperturbability and hard-headed-ness. He preserves this quality under the trying circumstances. It is an unfailing source of wonderment to those who study him. I was visiting Bloemfontein in May last when the historic conference between him and the High Commissioner, Sir Alfred Milner, was in progress. The deliberations were private, but on the Friday evening preceding their termination club gossip said that there had been a serious difference between the two Presidents. Such a difference would, we knew, almost surely spell war, We were, therefore, inquisitive, not to say anxious. Hungering for something tangible, a friend—a prominent financier—and I strolled to the President's mansion early next morning, hoping to draw His Honor into conversation on the subject. Contrary to our expectation, he was in his usual good spirits, full of animation, and smoking his eternal meerschaum, ' The weather being warm, we sat out on the terrace and talked. HIS REMARKABLE RETICENCE. The old man fenced all attempts at bringing the conversation round to the conference, and began retailing some of his hunting experiences. Shortly after our arrival Woolmarans, a member of the Executive, came along, and our waning hopes rose. Perhaps he would mention the subject we longed to have broached. But no, his arrival only suggested a new train of reminiscences to the President. At length, weary and baffled, my friend and I took our leave, coming to the conclusion, shared by others to whom we related our experience, that surely things could not be very bad. Yet when I read the Blue Book on the conference a few weeks later I found that at the very time President Krijger had been jocularly reviving to us pleasant memories of his young days he was in one of the tightest political corners he had known, and that is saying much. Mr. Chamberlain ie the old man's " bete noire." He cordially and uncompromisingly detests him. During the great Transvaal debate in the House just before the recess he was kept posted with the cabled versions of the speeches hour by hour. Chamberlain's remarks, more than those of any other member, frequently made him splutter with rage. But he liked " Jan Morley," and " Bannerman," and " Courtney," reckoning them, with Mr. Asquith and the Hon. Philip Stanhope and a few others, amoDgst his most valued friends.

OUTBURSTS OF TEMPER. Kruger's rage is startling. It is like the bellowing of an infuriated bull, It bursts out suddenly, flares for a while, and then disappears, only to be revived on slight provocation, During the judicial crisis two and a-half years ago the ex-Chief Jus'ice, Mr. J. G, Kotze—who, by the way, is now in! Cape Town—delivered a speech to a section of the Incorporated Law Society, in which he virtually accused the President of endeavoring to suborn him in connection with a certain case. I had occasion to allude to the matter the following day, and was treated to one of the outbursts referred to. It was rather alarming. The President blinked furiously, barked out something that no one could possibly understand, and wound up with the observation that Kotze's allegation was "a diabolical lie." While his rage lasted he repeatedly smote the massive mahogany tube alongside of which he was sitting ■ with such force as to jeopardise the [decanter and glasses, to say nothing of [the table itself. To return to the Colonial Secretary. Some weeks before the Bloemfontein Conference President Kruger made a speech at Rustenburg, the stronghold of Dopperdom, wherein he outlined a new Uitlander policy, and incidentally accused Mr. Chamberlain of a disregard for the truth. It was a historical speech, marking, as it did, a noteworthy change in the President's methods.

FEAR OF MISINTERPRETATION. Several pressmen had travelled across country to hear it, and a general rush for the wires took place when it was finished. But the President was cautious. He gave orders that no reports should be telegraphed until he had scrutinised them. This was intensely aggravating to the journalists, so a deputation waited on his private secretary, and eventually reached the great man himself. The pressing demands of latter-day journalism were enlarged upon, and argument brought to bear to induce him to relent;. He objected, he questioned, he hesitated, he wavered—then, eureka, he agreed to trust to journalistic accuracy. There was a pause. The deputation had expressed their gratitude, and were on the point of withdrawing when - he changed his mind. It suddenly struck bim that if a garbled version or a misplaced sentence reached London " Kam- J berlain " would be at him, and credit him with utterances he never dreamt t of. The result was no reports got away that night. Next morning they i were examined and countersigned j without the alteration of a word! President Kruger is much averse to! gambling—in some forms, at all events. One day a lady called upon him for a church bazaar subscription. He turned to her in his abrupt way and denounced bazaars as swindles. "A bazaar and railling," said he, "are nothing else than gambling." The lady, accustomed to his ways, nevertheless pleaded hard. At last he handed her a donation " on condition that my name does not appear in the swindle."