A Boer Telegraphist.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVI, Issue 74, 29 March 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Boer Telegraphist.

SOME REMARKABLE CONFES-

SIONS.

(English paper.)

In no other country but this would it be possible for a member of the fighticg strength of a people wbich has forced au unprovoked war upon a great natron, and after meeting with deserved defeat had continued a purposeless guerilla warfare, to find paying readers among the conquerors while hostilities were still going on. But here in London a Boer telegrapttsb named Philip Pienaar has just issued a book, " With Steyn and De Wet" (Methuen), which, mingled with impertinences and braggadacio, contains some explanation of more than one of the disasters which befel our troops in the Orange River Colony. Pienaar was a telegraphist, and after he joined De Wet be rode about with bis " vibrator" tapping the wires and reading our Generals' messages, with the result that he was often able to give De Wet information which empowered him to make*a sudden and unexpected attack. Making every allowance for Boer brag, ihere is evidently a very large amount of truth in his ficcouiits of h?s wire tapping on the veldt. For example, after General Hamilton had occupied Heilbron and when Me Steyn was shifting the " capital" every day, Pienaar tappened the wires near the town and picked up the English message?. " ' From Chief of Staff, Honingspruit," came tbe words, 'to General Hamilton, Heil* bron.' Then followed orders. How Hamilton was to march from Heil* bron, how Broadwood was to move from Venferslmrg, tbe entire plan of compaign for the next few weeka. A mass of information to gladden the heart of our steadfast chief. 'Hurrah!'

we whispered to each other, as I carefully put the precious message in a safe place." The next day Pienaar was aga;n at the wires. il The not result "of the morning's work was iho

knowledge that Hamilton wasl-aviug Httilbrou at tbo very ii-ouvo*, tml leaving it unguarded. This information I haplened to convey to my chief, with the result that within a very short space of time we were again in telegraphic communication with thai town, and in possession of several buudred sick and wounded that th? British had kindly left to our care." This is bad enough, but even more j-'fgnificant is the following extract, which, if there is any truth in ifc,

throws a good deal of light on a question which has been much argued. Pienaar cays :— " The capture of the V omanrv took place about this time. 'Jhere have been several attempts to explain

this affair. It was said in our laager..; at the time that Colonel Sprague, immediately after his surrender,

remarked to our commandant- 'bathe

would shoot the Liridley telegraphist if he could get hold of him, because the latter had fcampsred with hi*

messages asking foe reinforcements. This was quite possible, for at this time most (\f the British telegrams passed through our hands be/ore reach-

ing their destination When Bundle's force was at ScnekaJ, and Brabant's Horse at Harmonia, every one of their telegrams were read"by n, telegraphist attached to one of the commandos lying iv the vicinity. Several of these messages were in cipher, it is true, bat many where nok. It was largely owing to information thus obtained that the British sustained a rather severe check when they advanced against our position near Senekal. One would think the en«my would have taken strict precautions against their plans leaking out ia this manner, but I presume we were considered rather too dense for that kind of thing."

These remarks of Philip Pienaar on wire tapping are well worthy of attention and of being carefully checked to Fee exactly what amount of truth there is in them. Meanwhile it is astonishing to note the hatred which this man who writes English with so few blunders, and quotes Tennyson, bear* to us, and the evidence he affords of the Afrikander conspiracy to drive Great Britain out

of South Africa, which is still cherished by the irrcconcilables. He

says: " Our women are women indeed, and worthy mothers of the

race that shall yet people all Africo, and rule itself. Do not think lam flying too high. Tbe average Boer family numbers ten children. Buys are in the majority. If at present

we have 80,000 warriors (I am not counting the wasters) it follows that in two generations we shall have 800,000. Taking the proportion then, as now, of ten to one, Britain will have to employ against us in 1910 no less than three million men. Pienaar's arithmetic is sadly at fault but the hatred which inspires him is obvious. It should be someone's particular care to see tbafc he at least is never allowed to re-enter British South Africa. The book is a bitter commentary on the rubbish talked

by pro-Boers of " peace by consent."

The Boers, at any rate, are under no delusions whafcevever may be said of their gympathers iv England.