CABLE NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 296, 14 December 1901, Page 3

CABLE NEWS.

By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

BOER WAR,

I <» GENERAL ITEMS. J PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. i London, December 12. General lan Hamilton has reached Pretoria. It is estimated that there are 3000 I Boers ucder arms in the O ange Colony. [ Tbe London Stock Exchange has applied to raise a Yeomanry Regiment. Fifty young foreigners, mostly frenchmen, have applied in London to enlist for South Africa. Ottawa, December 12. There is a large excess of recruits in many towns of Canada for the new contingents being despatched to South Africa. Parh, December 12. The newspaper Le Temps dwells upon the inconsistency of German proBcets in condemning England while justifying the harchtiefs of the authorities in the Polish provinces of Germany. Sydney, December 13. Corporal Fairclough and Trooper F. H. Higgans, New Zealand ets, have arrived by the Wilcannia from South! Africa.

THE BRAKENLAAGTE DIBASTER. FEARFUL TALES <">F BOER ATROCITIES. Received 14, 0.31 a.m. London, December 13. Lord Kitfhfn°i \ Inquiry concerning atrocities «t the battle of 'Brakenlaagte, when Brigadier - General Benson's column met with a serious disaster, shows that 75 British prisoners complain that, t.hey were lobbed of everything ard stripped r,early naked. Tbe brutality towards the wounded was shocking, broken less and arms being twisted and wrenched to expedite the removal of garments and boot®. An officer with a shattered thigh was twisted round in order to seenre a spur. A man who was shot through the chest was roughly robbed of bis shirt. A sergeant who had been twice wound«d was shot down with bis own carbine because be was unable to raise his arms An unarmed private was shot dead at a distance rf fiva yards, though he held his hands up. General Benson's body was r"bV>ed of gaiters, spurs, and private papers, despite General Grobelaar's promise that the wounded would be respected. The commandants were unable to control their followers, and wounded men lying near the suns were fired on long after they had been disarmed and fighting had c*a c ed in their vicinity, nnd robbed. E'even were thus killed, and others were re-wounded.

BOTHA'S ANT) DE WKT'S FORCES SPREADING OUT. THE TRANSVAAL REVENUE BOTHA EXECUTING LOYAL SCOUTS. Received 14, 0.48 am. London, December 13. Botha's forces haye split up. Seven hundred have gone to the country south-west of Amsterdam, and others to Sternkoolspruit and south of Groot O'iphant's River station. A psrt of De Wet's force has joined Dels my, A i arty of Brers raided a hotel at Ingogo. Lord Kitchener has forbidden ox waggons to pccompany the mobile columns. Brussels advices state that Botha I executed 15 captured burgher scouts, whose services were recently accepted by the British. The Transvaal's revenue now nearly equals the expenditure. Dr Era use has been committed for trial on a charge of inciting Boers to murder Former.

SHALL NEW ZBArANI) RTOJD AN j EIGHT CONTINGENT ? Wellington, December lg. The Premier is consulting members of Parliament by telegraph as to their "pinions on the que?'inn of sending an Eighth Contingent to South Africa. Auckland, December 13. The three Auckland City members and Mr Jackson Palmer (Ohinemuri) support the proposal to send an eighth contirgent to South Africa, Mr Wir.V eford quili'ving this with a condition that the Imperial C! rnment oheuld first apply f< r more m. n. RETURNING NEW ZEALANDERS. Wellington. December 13. j The Premier of Tasnr ania rabies that ! 'he following left yesterday by the | Waiwera f. r Wellington :—Privates I Johnston, F' ley, Tufnell, Kelly, and [ Bugler Mim'fie.

NEW ZEALAND OFFERS AN EIGHTH CONTINGENT. Wellington, D.cember 14. The Premier hes cabled, through the Governor, to the Imperial authorities, offering a thousand men and officers for service in South Africa. Tte length of fervice is to be 12 month?, or till the close of the war, if sooner. He afks that this contingent be amalgamated with the Sixth and Seventh and placed in one column. The Premier expretses tho be'ief, ir 'lis . elegnm, that tbe additional mer would nctb- required if all the statesmer ' and parties in the United Kir gdom had been guided by love of their country 'end a true patriotism, and thr.t 'lrr®

lean he little doubt that unguardod I speeches and writ iogs have encouraged j the Boars to go on with a hopeless struggle.