LORD KITCHENER AND THE BOERS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 19 September 1901, Page 4

LORD KITCHENER AND THE BOERS.

Text of the Proclamation.

t'. has been known of late, remarks the ■Wellington Post’s Capetown correspondent that Lord Kitchener intended to issue a proclamation declaring regular warfare to be at an end, and providing for the prosecution of entirely new methods ~f dealing with those Boers who elect to remain in the held against us after a certain date. Of course, it is not a “pea m” proclamation—it would merely mark the leginning of a new act in the military dram i— an act which will see the adoption of measures that are hoped to prove a. effective as they will bo relentless. The proel tnution has jmt been issued at P.otoria, and is as follows: ‘•Whereas the leto Orange Free. State ii i-l the South African Republic havo b. n annexed to his Majesty’s dominions: “U hcreas His Majesty’s forces arc and h-v-V for a considerable rime been in com--11 ,o possession of the sea’s of Government of both the aforesaid territories, with

public offices and the whole machinery of administration, as well as of all the principal towns and the whole of the railway lines;

“Whereas the great majority of the burghers of the two late Republics, to the number of thirty-five thousand, exclusive of those fallen in the war, are now either prisoners or have submitted to His Majesty’s Government, and aro living peacefully in towns or camps under the control of His Majesty’s forces: “Whereas the burghers of the late Republics still in arms against His Majesty are not only few in number, but have lost almost all their guns and munitions of war, and aro devoid of regular military organisation, and therefore unable to carry on regular warfare, or offer any organised resistance to His Majesty’s forces in any part of the country: “Whereas those burghers who are still in arms, though unable to carry on regular warfare, continue to make isolated attacks upon small portions and detachments of His Majesty’s forces, ca plunder or destroy property, and to damage the railway and telegraph lines, both in the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal, and in other portions of His Majesty’s dominions:

“Whereas the country is thus kept in a state of disturbance, checking the resumption of agricultural and industrial pursuits :

“ Whereas His Majesty’s Government is determined to put an end to this state of things, which is aimlessly prolonging bloodshed and destruction, and inflicting ruin upon the majority of the inhabitants who are anxious to live in peace and earn a livelihood for themselves and their families:

“ Whereas it is just to proceed against those still resisting, and especially against those persons who, being in a position of authority, aro responsible for the present state of lawlessness, and are instigating their fellow-burghers to continue their hopeless resistance to His Majesty’s Government:

“ Now, therefore, I, Kitchener of Khartoum. under instructions from His Majesty’s Government, proclaim and make known as follows:

All Commandants, Field-cornets, and leaders of armed bands, still engaged in resisting His Majesty’s forces, whether in the Orange River Colony or Transvaal, cr in any other portion of His Majesty's South African dominions, and all members of the Governments of the Orange Free State and the late South African Republic, shall, unless they surrender before 15th September next, be permanently banished from South Africa. The cost of maintenance of families of all burghers in the field who shall not have surrendered by 15th September shall be a charge upon their property, movable and immovable in the two colonies.”