The Boer War.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 47, 25 February 1901, Page 2

The Boer War.

DE WET’S BRUTALITY.

A COLUMN TRAVERSES UTRECHT,

CONVEYING BOER REFUGEES TO

LISBON. RECRUITING IN COLONIES. THE KAISER AND THE WAR. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright London, Feb. 23. A British officer captured at Zandrift, and subsequently released at Hontekrafe, declares that De Wet treated prisoners on tho march with tho utmost callousness, and released them only when they dropped from exhaustion. He saw Do Wet personally sjambock a British officor expostulating for cruelty. Major - General Burn Murdock’s column, including the Natal composite regiment and a largo convoy, has traversed Utrecht. Five hundred Boors who took re--fu go in Portuguese territory at Delagoa have been couveyod in transports, to Lisbon.

In the Houso of Commons, replying to questions, Mr Chamberlain said that ho entirely approved of Sir A. Milner’s confidentially enquiring from Lord Hopotoun tho prospects ‘of recruiting for Badon-Powoll’s constabulary in Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Chamberlain also detailed the roplios of the various colonies. Lord Cranbourno informed a questioner that tlio Kaiser had rnado no offer to arbitrate betwoon England and tho Transvaal.

BURGHERS DESERTING DE WET.

REMOUNTS FOR DE WET,

LAAGER CAPTURED BY METHUEN

WOUNDED COLONIALS,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

London, Feb. 23. Four hundred burghers liavo dosorted Do Wot. Tho report of Lord Kitchener’a proclamation of Decombor 20th, in roferenco to surrendering, aro now roacliing tho commandos. Frouoman, with 1000 men, wout north, while Do Wot, moved towards Prieska to await Hertzog, who is bringing him a thousand remounts. Lord Methuen, on tho 1-ltli, captured a laager at Bralcpau, with forty waggons and carts, and a quantity of stock, also 40 prisoners. Amongst tho number of colonials severely wounded at Wolvenliuilon on the 14th woro J. Goldstono, and H. G. Heywood, of the Now Zealand Mountods.

CASUALTIES TO COLONIALS. By Telegraph—Pross Association—Copyright London, Feb. 23. Tho casualtios at Harteesfontoon to tho Victorian Bushmen wore as follows : Sergeant Vaughan, and Privates Johnson and Hesketh, were killed. Private Small was wounded dangerously, and Colonel N. Kelly, Lieutenant Parkin, and Private Lancaster severely. Privates O’Shea and Ward woro wounded slightly. In tho New South Walos Bushmen, Private Trainer was sovoroly wounded. The casualties at Roitfontoin were as follows : Now South Walos Mounted Corps, Sergeant Barrott was mortally wounded, and Private Clematis severely wounded. Among*he South Australians, Captains Argj|f™.nd Collis were slightly wounded, and Pfivate Rutherford severely. i> i-A COST OF THE WAR. ‘ ENORMOUS SUM OF 814 MILLIONS. OVER A MILLION WEEKLY. ! By Telegraph—Fress Association—Copyright London, Feb. 23. In tho House of Commons, Sir Michael Hicks Beach said the cost of tho South African War heretofore had been eighty-one and a half millions, and it was now costing ono to one and a quarter weokly.

WHY COLVILLE WAS DISRATED ON ROBERTS’ ADVICE. *' By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, Feb. 23. Mr Brodriek said that MajorGeenral Sir H. C. Colville was sent homo by Lord Roberts for inefficiency in tho field. Ho was allowed to' resume liis command at Gibraltar, but Lord Roberts was consulted afterwards, and he advised the War Office not to retain Major-General Colville in command.

PUNISHMENT OF COLVILLE,

A London correspondent wrote by last mail :

“ It is true that during the past few weeks a victim has been selected from the ranks of our Generals for the blunders and mishaps of the past. But that is not all what the nation desired. It wants justice to begin at the top. Why should General Colville be punished when Lord Lansdowne, who organised defeat and failed to provide reinforcements, is promoted in the Cabinet ? The only answer can be that no one in tho Government is responsible for anything. Everybody has confidence in everybody else, and no one takes the trouble or has the knowledge required to discover whether this confidence is wellfounded. The nation had confidence in . Lord Salisbury; the Prime Minister had'-* 1 confidence in Lord Lansdowne; Lord Lansdownc had confidence in the opinions of some subordinate. The safety of .the Empire has been imperilled, and lives have been needlessly sacrificed. How can any reasoning Englishman who looks back on the incidents of 1889-1900 feel that the effects of this misguided confidence are not even more far-reaching than we have discovered ? The truth is there has been far too much of this ruinous shuffling and hushing-up. Perhaps the public may be in some measure blameable. I have been told that in New Zea-. land the slightest adverse criticism of tho Imperial Government either as to its blundering into a war wholly unprepared, or as to its miserable muddling of the war when war was sprung upon it by Kruger and Steyn, was bitterly resented, even though the pick of the young colonists of Now Zealand were being sent by the hundred and the thousand to meet death or disablement or fatal sickness through the blundering of the War Office and other authorities. But such silly squeamishness must surely he a thing of the past year.” '