A telegram from Washington brings the information that English agents in this country are still trying to entice boys to South Africa, where they are being compelled to join the British army. About a year ago Skandinaven, it will be remembered, published several articles about a traffic which was carried on and which, we find, is still being carried on in New Orleans and St. Louis. American boys are being induced to go to South Africa on transports carrying mules, and the job of these boys is supposed to be the caring for the mules while in transit.

In connection with a court case at that time concerning some young mule caretakers who had mutinied on board one of the English transport ships, it was shown that the boys had been subject to most inhumane treatment on board, and that their food was unfit for human consumption. It was further shown that 2on arrival at Cape Town the boys were thrown ashore and left completely helpless, since there was, of course, no work to be found in the city, where all business was at a standstill. Not only were the boys cheated out of the contracted return trip to New Orleans, but they were even compelled, through various subterfuges on the part of the captain, to sign away part of the pay they had been promised for their trip to Cape Town. One of the boys involved presented such a description of life on board the transports that the British Consul in New Orleans made haste to drop the complaint for mutiny against the boys and even had the captain in question discharged.

The United States General Consul in Cape Town, James G. Stowe, sent a cablegram to the State Department warning American boys not to permit themselves to be fooled by the promises of British agents. He said: "There is not the slightest doubt that a shameful traffic is being carried on among boys who are lured from New Orleans to South Africa."

The State Department requested the press to publish General Consul Stowe's statement, and the press complied. Skandinaven has had opportunity to see how little this published statement avails against the inexperience of 3young boys and the golden promises of the agents. A young Norwegian boy who had an unusually good position in Chicago came home one day and told his people that he was going to resign since he now could have an easy opportunity to see the world and, besides, have a pleasant voyage. This was to be attained by his taking a job as a mule tender on board an English transport bound for Cape Town. The agent had told the boy that his work would consist simply in throwing some hay and placing some water before a few mules every day for the duration of the crossing. The job was altogether such as a loafer might wish. And on arrival in Cape Town it was no trouble at all to get a job with some business house at a far higher salary than it was possible to get in Chicago, etc.

Through the intervention of Skandinaven this boy was prevented from jumping into a morass of misery. The agent, who incidentally was from St. Louis, declared, however, that during a two weeks' stay in Chicago he had gotten twice as many boys as were needed.

It is apparent, then, that the traffic is still going on. For this reason Skandinaven repeats its warning to parents and to young boys. There is danger in listening to golden promises which lack any basis at all in fact. It is conclusively proven that the boys are being mistreated,and now we are being informed that they are afterwards pressed into the British military service.