THE CRITIC CRITICISED

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, 28 February 1905, Page 3

THE CRITIC CRITICISED

I ,(To the Editor Gisborne Times.) J Sir, —Like many more I have been I deeply interested in an article whioh I appeared in the Poveity Buy Herald re I the reporter’s interview with Colonel I Porter. Doubtless Colonel Porter, when speaking in suoh a free manner to the paper representative, intended it for the I best for both parties. Still I think we | have a right to expect from an officer comI manding one of our contingents the use of a little more reason. Having served nearly two years in the Boer war, I am proud to say I have never heard of an enquiry being held in the different con*<ngent3 which 1 served in, but when Colon' 1 Forter makes a statement of the various inH nUie3 he ho 1?? he ° Dly casts a slur on his ' WQ Contingent, but on the whole of us. Probably L ' niany others, was fortunate enough to se“ v 0 1° ft contingent or contingoots whose O.C. was alwayß with hiß men, more especially when there was likely to be an engagement wish the unemy, when it was their duty to be with their men, and direct them, thus avoiding ail further inquiries. But one contingent, it is well known, was less fortunate, us it is well known when an engagement took place the officer commanding was seldom near the scene of aciton ; thus tho reason of his various inquiries. After any engagement Colonel Porter was not too slow to wire to the Premier the doings of the New Zealanders (bohaviDg splendidly under heavy fire), but forgetting to mention .ho was absent himself. The soldier serving in South Africa is subject to various fevers as in all other tropical countries. Tho three most prevailing fevers during the Boer jwar were malarial fever, enteric fever and mauseritis fever, the latter being a fever which was almost unknown to tho doctors, and which they could not cope with. . . Wemayoxcuso Colonel Porter for not being with his men during many engagements they had. Still I think he might have kept it out of our papers the enquiries which he held.— I am., etc., RETURNED KHAKI.