More War Office Neglect.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 101, 3 May 1904, Page 3

More War Office Neglect.

Not the? least among the sins of the War Office (writes a London correspondent) has been its ungrateful trcatnieirt of the colonial irregular corps, who served with such distinction in tlio South African war. It was admitted in the House the other day that even the regular colonial contingents had not yet received all their pay, and as for the irregulars, it cannot be -denied thati they have been shockingly neglected. Perhaps the publicity which Mr L. F. Austin giv<;s in the London illustrated News this week to a letter from Mr Arthur Vogan, of Wellington, will have n ben.eiiciial effect in stirring iuji the authorities to a sense of their duty in this matter. Mr Vogaii, it will be remembered, was the sergeant of the. Field Intelligence Scouts who c:ipI lured Commandant Scheepers. He was recommended for the IJ.C. medal, but has never received it, or the reward offered by the (iovenunent. Mr Vognn lays no particular stress,however, on his own personal grievance, but he does express himself with some bitterness in reference to Ihe treatment of the irregulars generally. "The irregular regiments, such as Brabant's' Horse, the Welsh Yeomanry, unci t.he Prince of Wales Light Infantry, to which I belonged, have been apparently altogether forgotten, in my regiment the men paid their passages lo the front, received no forty days' pay, had no uniforms, arms, etc., given them on discharge, as in the case of the contingents. We are now a disbanded body that i.s of no use to anybody, and all our attempts to obtain attention meet ■with evasive- replies." Mr Vogan adds that he brought, the matter under the notice of Lord Uanfurly, but though Ilia Excellency expressed sympathy he held out little hope of the Minister of War /eoling inclined to Interfere. "No one seems to ogre," continues Mr Vogan, "whether these thousands of young coloniuls whli are bow forgotten feol deeply this base

ingratitude or not. The medals, had they been given after the return of the men or at the end of the war, would have been highly prized. Now wo feel sore, disappointed and disgusted ; and £is one iiuin said to mo the other day (he served with tfreat distinction in the war) ' "1 don't care if I don't get I lie thing now\ They can keep it. Medals given to men who arrived too late to see a shot fired are of no value to me.' 1