The cartoon shows Transvaal President Paul Kruger being greeted by a figure who seems at the very least inspired by Marianne, the allegorical representation of the French Republic. The caption calls her Madame La France. In the background behind the two figures we see a number of shadowed buildings, one of which must be the Eiffel Tower, although one to the left of Paul Kruger has an almost Russian appearance, topped by an onion dome. He has a carpet back and there are a couple of packing crates between them.
Madame La France is apologising to him saying that the French International Exhibition is closed, to which Paul Kruger replies, “Just my luck. So is the Transvaal.” That’s a surprisingly modern and punchy punchline.
The exhibition was the 1900 World’s Fair, which had closed
on 12th November 1900. The second ever Modern Olympic Games was held
in Paris as part of this exhibition. Indeed, the organisation was a little bit
of a shambles and so it is said, some of the winners ended up never knowing
that they had in fact won an Olympics.
The cartoon is, perhaps, just a little misleading. Kruger
did not end up winning anything much from the heads of state throughout Europe
other than sympathy. Kaiser Wilhelm II even refused to see him in Berlin. But wherever
he went in 1900 he was received by huge and enthusiastic crowds and European
public opinion was hugely in his favour.
Not that it would do him or his country much good in the
long run. He did not return home to the Transvaal after the Treaty of
Vereeniging, partly because he felt he could serve his people better where he
was and partly because he had no wish to become a British subject again. He was
becoming quite infirm, nearly deaf and losing his sight and eventually passed
away in Vaud in Switzerland in 1904.
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