General Beyers Resigns.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, 11 December 1914, Page 2

General Beyers Resigns.

GENERAL BOTHA TA KES COMMAND. General Beyers, CommandantGeneral of the Union Defence Forces has resigned. In a lettei to General Smutts he states that he objects to the war operations in German South-West Africa. Tiie only real effect of the incident has been to provoke from the Minister of Defence a fine statement of the “ conception of duty and honour ” which is entertained by the South African Government and a crushing exposure of the Commandant-General. General Botha will take supreme command of the South African Expeditionary Force. The operations against the Germans, who have already invaded the territory of the Union, will thus be personally directed by the best and most famous of the leaders who emerged during the Boer War. More important, the action ol the Premier emphasizes in the most complete and unquestionable manner the crushing contempt of the S mth African Government for the factious opposition of the small body of malcontents led by General Hertzog. There has been abundant evidence lately that even General Hertzog cannot count in this matter on more than a fraction of his usual following. It is likely to be diminished still further by General Botha’s characteristically popular challenge. The text of the correspondence which has passed between exGeneral Beyers and General Smuts was issued by the Press Bureau on Monday night. In the course of his letter to General Smuts, ex - General Beyers wrote that: — To this utmost surprise, Parliament confirmed the resolution adopted by the Government—namely to conquer German South-West Africa without any provocation towards the Union from 'the Germans. Government must be aware that by far the great majority of the Dutchspeaking people of the Union decidedly disapproved of their crossing the frontier. The fact that three Ministers of the British Cabinet had resigned showed that, even in England, thier was a strong minority who could not be convinced of the righteousness of a war with Germany. It was said that war was being waged against the barbarity of the Germans. He had forgiven but not forgotten all the barbarities perpetrated during the the South African War. With very few exceptions all farms —not to mention many towns —were so many ‘Louvains,’ The allegations made in Parliament namely, that the Germans have already violated their frontier, were undergrounded. Apparently the Goverment longed for some transgression by the Germans of German South-West Africa, but had been disappointed in this, for so far not a single German soldier had crossed our our frontier. GENERAL SMUTS TO EXGENERAL BEYERS. Pretoria, Sept. 19. Sin, —It was with regret that I

received your letter of the loth instant tendering your resignation as the commandant General, Union Defence Forces, and as an officer of the Union. The circumstances under which that resignation took place and the terms in which you endeavour to justify your action tend to leave a very painful impression. It is true that it was known to me that you entertained objections against the war operations in German South-West Africa, but I never received the impression that you would resign. On the contrary all the information in possession of the Government was communicated to you, all plans were discussed with you, and your acA vice was followed to a large exten t. The principal officers were appointed on your recommendation and with your concurrence, and the plan of operations which is now being followed is largely the one recommended by yourself at a conference of officers. My last instructions to you before I left for Cape Town to attend the special session of Parliament were that in my absence you should visit certain regiments on the German border, and it was weil understood between us that immediately the war operations were somewhat further advanced and co-operations among the various divisions would be practicable, you should yourself undertake the chief command in German South-West Africa. The attitude of the I Government after this remained unchanged, and was approved by ' Parliament after full discussion. ' One would have expected that ’ that approval would make the 1 matter easier for you, but now I i find that you anticipated that ( Parliament wou'd disapprove of s the policy of the Government, t and that your dissapointment in s this became the reason for your I unexpected action. c In order to make your motives c clearer, the reasons for your re- t signation were explained in a I long ' political argument which \ was immediately communicated f to the Press and came into the c hands of the Government long C after publication. I need not I toll you that all these . \ [ lances in eo-’-„utJon with your Equation have made a most a unpleasant impression on my fi colleagues and myself. But D this unpleasant- impression has li even been aggravated by the al- si

ter. Your reference to barbarou acts during the South African War cannot justify the criminal devastation of Belgium and can only be calculated to sow hatred and division among the people of South Africa. You forget to mention that since the South African War the British peopie gave South Africa her entire freedom under a constitution which makes it possible for us to realize our national ideals along our own lines, and which, for instance, allows you to write with impunity a letter for which you would without doubt be liable in the German Empire to the extreme penalty. As regards your other statements, they have been answered and disposed of in Parliament From these discussions it will be apparent that neither the British Empire nor South Africa was the aggressor in this struggle, War was in the first instance declared by Austria-Hungary, and there after by Germany, under circumstances in which the British Government employed its utmost powers to maintain the peace of Europe and to safeguard the neutrality of Belgium. So far as we ourselves are concerned, our coast is threatened, our mail boats are arrested, and our borders are invaded by the enemy. This latter does not occur, as you say, in an involuntary manner, and with an apology which latter, at any rate, was never tendered to the Government. Under these circumstances it is absurd to speakabout aggressive action on the part of the Union, seeing that together with the British Empire we have been drawn against our wish and will and entirely in self-defenee into this war. As regards your insinuation concerning the loan of £7,000,000 which the British Government was kind enough to grant us and for which the public of the Uuion, as evidenced recently in Parliament are most grateful, it was of such a despicable nature that there was no necessity to make any comment thereon. It only shows to what extent your mind has been obscured by political bias. You speak about duty and honour; my conviction is that the people of South Africa will in these dark days, when the Government as well as the people of South Africa are put to the Supreme test; have a clearer conception of duty and honour than is to be deduced from your letter and action. For the Dutch speaking section, in particular, I cannot conceive anything more fatal and humiliating than a policy of lip loyality in fair weather and of a policy of neutrality and pro-German sentiment in days of storm and stress. It maybe that our peculiar internal circumstances and our backward condition after the great war will place a limit on what we can do, but nevertheless lam convinced that the people will support the Government in carrying out the mandate of Parliament, and in this manner, which is the only legitimate one fulfil their duty to South Africa and to the Empire, and maintain their dearly-won honour unblemished for the future. Your resignation is hereby accepted. J. G. Smuts.