THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 52, 28 December 1899, Page 3

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

The Rev. Father Mathew, the chaplain of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, who were cut up and then captured at Nicholson's Nek, has a brother in Melbourne Mr. W. F. Monypenny, late editor of the Johannesburg Star, and the Times correspondent in Johannesburg, is now a member of the Imperial Light Horse, and fought gallantly with his regiment at Elandslaagte. He also holds the Queen's commission, being a lieutenant in the 16th Volunteer Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (London Irish). AN HONEST BULLET. We congratulate Mr. Wyndham and Mr. Dillon (says the Baily Chronicle) on the exchange of inquiries in the House of Commons, which showed that we are employing in the Transvaal war what Mr. Dillon calls an ' hone»t bullet.' Not only have we done away with the Dum Dum, but we have cancelled all orders for Mark IV. bullets, which were, we believe, at firsb sent to South Africa. We are using, in point of fact, only bullets which have nothing in the shape of a point so construcoed. as to expand on impact and inflict frightful, shattering wounds on such organs as the heart and intestines. The bullet now being used is completely covered at the point, and Mr. Dillon showed in the lobby the specimen which Mr. Wyndham handed him as a proof of the slight advance in humanity in warfare which the Hague Conference has brought about, THE MATTSER RIFLE. The Mauser rifle, which the Boers carry, was thoroughly tested in the recent fighting in Cuba. It is, of course, a merciful weapon. General Maceo had been wounded nineteen times by Mausers before the fatal shot in Pinar del Rio, and every ragged Cuban private exhibits one or more wounds inflicted by the tiny bullet without serious effect. At regular ranges the nickel projectile makes a clean perforation, passing through bone without splintering, and taking no cloth or foreign substance into the wound. If the nickel coating should be damaged, however, or the velocity is reduced by extreme range or ricochet, the wound is more complicated than those inflicted by the Dum-Dum. THE TRANSVAAL OUTPUT OF GOLD I'OR SEPTEMBER. According to the Daily Chronicle the Transvaal output of gold for September was 426,5560z. That for August was 482,0000z, being the largest yet recorded. The drop in September was 55,5520z, which was quite an insignificant diminution when we remember the excitement in Johannesburg, the flight of the Cornish miners, and general exodus of labour. Actually the past month's output is upwards of 18,000oz bigger than that for September, 1898. We wonder when the monthly return will be 400,0000z again. THE ENGLISH QUAKERS AND THE WAR. The Society of Friends, or commonly known as the Quakers, in Lancashire and Cheshire, their stronghold in England, have unanimously passed a resolution at a representative meeting, declaring that they could find no justification for the present war in South Africa, nor for the argument that it would benefit the natives. War, they say, is a wrong method of trying to achieve human well-being, and this view they would still hold, even if Britain's treatment of South African natives had been more righteous than they fear has been the case. MAJOR-GENERAL KELLY-KENNY, C.B. Lord Roberts and Major-general Thomas Kelly-Kenny have left England for South Africa. A llome exchange says : — The authorities at the Wat Office have decided that Major-general Kelly-Kenny, C.8., at present holding the position of Inspector-general of auxiliary forces and recruiting on the head-quarters staff, shall command the 6th Division of the South Army Corps, which is about to proceed to South Africa to reinforce the troops engaged in the Boer War. Major-General Kelly-Kenny, C.8., is an Irishman, 59 years of age, and entered the army as ensign in the 2nd Foot in 1858, the regiment being then stationed at the Cape of Good Hope. He has seen active service in China, Abyssinia, and India. He is a zealous Catholic, and in appearance is tall, with a fresh complexion, thoroughly British-looking. He is a bachelor, and a Justice of the Peace for his native County of Clare. THE LADYSMITH DISASTER. The manliness and chivalry of Sir George White (says the Catholic Times') in declaring that he alone bore the responsibility for the plan in the execution of which the Ladysmith disaster occurred are acknowledged by the Times, the Daily Chronicle, the Daily New*, and all the morning papers. An interesting tribute to Sir George was paid by Lord Ripon in the course of a speech a few days ago. 'To himself,' he said, ' the war in Natal had a peculiar and allabsorbing interest, because that gallant and accomplished soldier, Sir George White, was a dear friend of hie, and was also his military secretary during some portion of the time he was Viceroy of India. He knew him well. He was the bravest of the brave, and he was

sure that the honour and interest of the British Empire was safe in his hands. But it was not only as a military hero that they must regard him with admiration, for had he not shown that he had the generous spirit and the just and humane appreciation of his foe which characterised the British soldier and British gentleman.' THE BRAVE SISTERS OF NAZARETH. The last news cabled from Johannesburg* and Kimberley was (says the Irish Weekly. November 4) 'AH safe here.' The Sisters of Nazareth had the option to remain or return to England. Without fear and without exception, they all preferred to remain at their post. They then received notice to render all assistance possible to the Biifcish soldiers, and to tend the wounded on both sides. Since their residence in South Africa they have been treated with kindness and considerateness by the Boers, who have been generous to the Institute. ' Terrible,' wrote the Sisters, ' as it was to be in the midst of the war, they preferred to be there than out of it, because of the orphans and old people under their care. In Johannesburg and Kimberley alone they have 700 orphans, as well a 9 many old men and women, all British subjects. Just before communications were out off with Kimberley the Superior telegraphed for the Sisters who were out to return, and they had onlyjust time to catch the last train from outlying districts. They had to wait a day and a night at the station, and when they got a train it was only with standing room. In this way they travelled for two nights and one day. They saw several poor women crushed to death in trying to get to the train. The houses of the Sisters at Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Capetown are crowded with refugees. THE DUBLIN FUSILIERS AT DUNDEE. The more one hears of Dundee (writes the war correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald), the more fully he realises the gallant part played by the Dublin Fusiliers. They went into action at short notice, some of them having gone out for running exercise a few minutes before the fight began. As they lay in the shelter of the plantation the general said : ' That hill must be taken.' • The Fusiliers will do it, sir,' said Captain Connors, and the Fusiliers did it grandly. A little knot of men got racing together for first place with the Royal Irish ahead of the main line, and had they lived to reach the ridge there would have been Victoria Crosses for some of the Irish Fusiliers, but all save one man, who owed his life perhaps to the fact that he missed his foothold and fell, died near the summit. Captain Connors fell as he was leading iris men up the slope, which was so sharp that they had at times tf hold on to the grass tussocks ' Gro on, boys,' he said ; ' I'll see you to-morrow ' — and he will see them perhaps on that to-morrow when the Dublins answer the bugle call for the last parade, for the brave Irish captain died with a bullet through his body on the iron-BOwn slope of Tarana Hill. Although Glencoe has got so fair a start, and will be hard to shift, in the end this fight will be officially known as the battle of Dundee, since it was fought close to the town of Dundee, and really some miles distant from the military camp at Glencoe. The majority of men who have, so far, been killed, wounded, or taken prisoners in the war with the Boers (says the Catholic Times of November 4) are Irish Catholics. Father Matthews, the chaplain, was amongst the officers captured at Ladysmith on Monday. He showed remarkable fearlessness during the terrible fray. The Gloucester regiment has also lost a large number. As a sign of recognition of their valour at Dundee the Irish Fusiliers have received from the War Office permission to wear a green plume. They may now be allowed to wear the shamrock on St. Patrick's Day. SPOILING FOR A FIGHT. At the Bow Police Court, London, in the early part of November, William Shanahan, a smart, well-dressed young fellow, was charged on his own confession with being a deserter from the 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers. The prisoner deserted more than two years ago, and went to America. Since then he had been doing well, but on learning that men were wanted for active service he threw up his employment and surrendered himself at Bow street, explaining that he wished to rejoin the colours. Mr. Mar sham ordered the prisoner to be handed over to a military escort, who will take him back to his old regiment. THE ONLY CATHOLIC GENERAL. Sir Franci3 Clery, the only Catholic General who has gone to the front, was born in Ireland, and educated under the Jesuit Fathers at Clongowes. From 1872 to 1875 he was professor of tactics at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He served in the Zulu war and in Egypt, where he was chief of the staff from 1886 to 1888. He was commandant of the staff college from 1888 to 1893, and commanded a brigade at Aldershot in 1895. He was recently created a K.C.B. He has been deputiy Adjutant-General to the forces since 1896.