SOUTH AFRICAN REBELS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2406, 11 March 1915, Page 6

SOUTH AFRICAN REBELS

LAID .BY THE HEELS,

A correspondent forwards- the following interesting letter received from Baron .von Ableteldt, and written at i'retoria, South Africa. The correspondent points out that- the writer is a gentleman of undoubted veracity, who, though -he bears a German name and title, considers himself "as English as King GeorgeJ" his maternal parent being a niece of old Sir Charles Elliott, resident in Pretoria

"Things'-are pretty well quiet again; , but,. I should not be at all surprised if we' had more trouble.' All the rebel" now beeii-laid by the heels. - . ond}-.F6urie, ; was court-martjalled and sl)ot;/buf,<l'do' not think any of the . others »will';bo so severely' dealt with..lir."dealing with the rebels, the Government used'practically only Dutgh Afri- . kanders, the object being, of course, to' obviate .any. revival of racial bitterness. A; good many people deprecate the fact J tliat more .stringent measures were not -employed, :.but !• think had there; been ' the 'trouble would have been much more widespread. In fact,. I doubt .whethor wo should have v been able to wipe with it without outside aid.

"Of course, ; .one could hardly have expected the Dutch part of our population to be wildly enthusiastic in their support of Great Britain, seeing that they (the majority, 1 mean) still feel very bitter about the Anglo-Boer War.

■ . I. think they would have been content to remain neutral, but, as they could not, or would not, see the dangerous menace to the safety of the Union in the German military colonisation of • their G.S.W.A. possession, and ai they were under the impression that they were being forced to undertake the 'in- ■ vasion of the German colony, you can come to f your own conclusions as to why tlio rebob are rebels. Without.' doubt, in 'the'.ease of a number of their leaders, personal interests have taken . the leading place. There lias also been a tremendous, amount of treacherous German influence brought to bear on ,those who still hope to see the old lie- . •publican regimc : again. "During this rebellion period, we have been under very strict martial law regulations. Several of theso have now bean withdrawn. Everyone—except 1 those men who signed on a 6 special con-stables-e-had' to bo indoors by 11 p.m. Travellers entering Pretoria had to report' immediately at tlie l'olice Station. One had to get a permit to leave tlie city; and residents in the suburbs and visitors there—even for an afternoon call—had to provide themselves with-a special pass. "I could not leave home and go on. active service, so 1 joined the Civic Guard, i who undertook the policing of the city during the absence of the police ■ force ou active service. Can you imagine me as a . "copper" I ! I had sov-. oral very exciting evenings, stopping motor-cars, etc., out after •hfcurs. Officers in uniform were very amusing. Returning 'homo most likely after a convivial evening, they would get very indignant when hauled off to the Police Station by a civic. One sport from Pietersburg said to me, "But my uniform will take me anywhere!" "Might :in. Pietersburg, but not in Pretoria. So oome along," I replied. • "I. do not .know if I told you that my brother Gilbert i 6 with the forces in G.S.W.A. : He left with his regiment (12th Infantry, Pretoria Regiment) on August 18 last. They mobilised at Booysens, Joliannosberg, spent a; coupla y of mjeks there, went .by rail to ,Wynli'erg, Capo Town, 6tayed thore a month or so, and finally bv sea to , inG.S.W.A. Since landing, tho force has been slowly making its way up along the railway line, and I think must by now bo more than a hundred miles in : > land. We do not know for certain, as they are not allowed to say where they ; are. The'only amusement they B'em to have is potting at the 'birds,' as they call the aeroplanes."