THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2380, 9 February 1915, Page 5

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

GERMAN ATTACK -REPULSED Pretoria, February 7. Germans attacked Kakamas and were repulsed with nine killed, twenty-two wounded, and fifteen taken prisoners. The British had one killed and -two wounded. TRIAL OF DE WET. Cape Town, February 7. De Wet will shortly be tried at Bloemfontein for treason. After_ Kemp's surrender forty-nine were disarmed by tho Germans, who have arrived at Upington. [Kakamas is on the border of, Bechuanaland and Cape Colony, 45 miles south-east of the eastern border of German South-West Africa. Upington is 43 miles north-east of Kakamas.] BOTHA AND THE REBELLION. HIS PAINFUL TASK. „ General Botha was interviewed just before Christmas, prior to entering upon the campaign in German South-west Africa. He said he considered that now the rebellion was over no fear need be entertained of a recrudescence of the trouble. The one thing now needful— and on this Geueral Botha lays great stress—is that all sections of the loyal population, Dutch and English alike, should abstain from words or actions which might exacerbate feeling. He says in eflect, "Let the dead past- bury its dead." "I am sure my English friends will understand what is expedient," observed General Botha, "when I tell them that continued denunciation of the rebels may wound just those whom I know Englishmen have no desire to wound. I mean the Dutch, who have been responsible for quelling this rebellion. Not maiiy years ago they and the rebels were fighting side by side against England. For the loyalist Boer in these days it has been an unhappy and, indeed, tragic ordeal to have to hunt down and fire upon men, some of them their relatives and many of them their comrades in arms. Bitterness may unwittingly be provoked if our English fellow-countrymen continually emphasis© to them the infamy of acts which they are not alone in detesting. To those who call for tho infliction of severe penalties upon the ringleaders, I wish to say, "Be sure justice will be done." In due time courts Will be constituted to deal with these men. A Sad Experience. "For myself personally the last three months have provided the saddest experience of all my life. I can say the same for General Smuts and, indeed, for every member of the Government. You will understand my feelings and the feelings of the loyal commandoes when among the rebel dead and wounded we found from time to time men who had fought in onr ranks during the dark days of that campaign. The loyal commandoes have had a hard task to perform, and they have performed it. The cause of law and order has been and will be vindicated. Let that be enough. This is no time for exultation or for recrimination. Let us spare one another's feelings. Remember we have to live together in this land long after the war is ended." Turning to the task which, lies ahead, General Botha said: "In suppressing the rebellion the Government have had the most hearty co-operation of both races. Let us have the same co-opera-tion in German South-West Africa. -The undertaking before us is a difficult undertaking, bnt if we all do our duty it will be carried to a successful conclusion. Now that German territory has become a Tefuge for Maritz and the other rebels it is more than ever necessary that vre should persist in our operation's there. We cannot tolerate the existence of a nest of outlaws on our frontier, a. menace to the peace of tho Union." Speaking of the services rendered by bis friend and colleague, General Smuts, who from the beginning has been the ever-vigilant and ever-resourceful eyo_ and brajn at headnuarters in Pretoria. planning, co-ordinating, and, in with the Commandor-in-Cliief, directing, General Botha declared he could'not say "Nobody can ever appreciate sufficiently the great work General Smuts has done, greater than any other man throughout this unhappy period."