The War in South Africa, Its Cause and Conduct

, and I think that when the bitter animosities of warfare have subsided, it will be acknowledged by the Boers themselves that it is true. They have had some unsavoury work to do-f

by politicians at home, and by the ignorant or

st the discipline of our soldiers? So far as their reports are known, nothing of the sor

course been adopted when the Army first entered this capital and the e

iers. Here they are trekking and fighting daily in an uninteresting country, scorched by day, cold

ent pro-Boer. Read his book, 'En pleine Epopée.' He is bitter against our policy and our politicians. His eyes are very keenly

Unger. The first two were much impressed by the humanity and discipline of the British troops, though Mr. Ralph was, I believe, like Cap

dvantage of knowing nearly all of them, and though among them are several gentlemen who have a chivalrous and idealistic sympathy for the Boer

town. During that time I only once saw a man drunk. I never saw a man drunk during the short time that I was in Pretoria and Johannesburg. I once heard of a soldier striking a Boer. It was because the man had refused to raise his hat at the burial of the soldier's comrade. I not only never saw any outrage, but in many

nst us. She is not reticent as to the tales which they told her. Not one of them all has a story of

ippolis, writes: 'All the Boer women here speak in the highest te

y of a burgher's wif

lived in Krugersdorp since 1897, until three weeks ago. The town was taken in June last, and since then there has always been a fairly large force of men in, or quite

rst afraid, but they very soon discovered that they could move about as freely as in ordinary times, without fear of any annoyance. During the whole six months I never saw or heard

he outskirts of the town. My husband was away during the time, and I was alone with my young children. The nearest camp-fires were no

ch humanity and consideration in the territory of a people even then in arms against them; and if they behave so in Krugersdorp-a place mind you, where dur

's point of view-an old burgher who had very special op

y of all ranks came to see us-treated us with the greatest kindness and courtesy. They knew, too, that I was a

Boer prisoners and their families to Pretoria. Tommy was everywhere, watching the wagons, marching without a word in clouds of dust, frequently in mud to the

hand was ready with help for every invalid. At our farm he helped of his own free will in saving a drowning beast, or in removing a fat pig that had been killed, sometimes even in rounding-in cattle tha

ave repeated as accurately as I could, leavin

er of the

, Transvaal

time of the war upon a farm in the Thabanchu district of the Orange Free State. It is very impar

, and horse-races. It is a curious thing that the English, even when they are at war, cannot live without their usual sports, a

brutality? It appears to be a very modified

uth Africa. They have seen as much of the army in South Africa as most people

outrage or ill-treatment. One and all indignantly denied the accusations against our soldiers, and h

which we could not tell to

issuing warning proclamations. We saw how the officers waited till the farmers had had time to digest these repeated warnings, and then with what reluctance both

e house when the door was opened in answer to their knock, withdrew after they had discovered that the ladies who occupied the house were missionaries, nor had anything been removed or injured. But the garbled stor

ent. We would say we love God, and we love truth more than the hono

ances which have been raked together, and see what can be made of them. One of them occurred early in the war, when it

four women of a family near Dundee, named Bester, were outraged by English soldiers, reported that he had had an interview wit

Bester is his daughter) is the only family of Bester in the district,

that one of the men was in the uniform of a Highlander. The Vicar replies to this: '

re treating women and children with the utmost consideration and respect. We know that both President Kruger and General Botha acted up to this advice by leaving their own wives under our protection while they carried on their campaign against us. At the very instan

cal sermons; so he was advised to leave, and given a passage gratis to Europe. He signalised his arrival by an article printed in the 'Independence Belge,' declaring among other statements that 30 per cent. of the Boer women had been ruined by the British troops. Such a statement from such a source raised a feeling of h

usted, that a Lausanne paper should p

of lies, and the writer, a minister of the Gospel, of all men, ought to

very Boer family in the district. The two names mentioned by Broekhuizen of women

itish; women and children alone were to be found on the farms. Nowhere and in no instance have I heard a single word of complaint against the troops; here and there a few fowls were missing and fencing poles pulled out for firewood; but this can only be expected from troops on the march. On the other hand, the wome

praises is because they were far from expecti

hundred of these receiving rations from the British Government, although in most cases the men are still fighting. In the towns the behaviour of t

nd I don't know one of my countrymen who wo

ive credit to the British troops and their officers for the humane way this war

' which instituted the inquiry, a letter from Mr.

), Boer pastor of Pretoria. Allow me, sir, to assure you that the wholesale statements with regard to the atrocities of British soldiers contained in that letter are a tissue of falsehoods, and constitute an unfounded calumny

m I questioned assured me that they had never known a case in which British soldiers had outraged a woman. One case was rumoured, but had never been substantiated, and was regarded as very doubtful. Let it be granted that some solitary cases of rudeness may have occurred, that would not be

ekhuizen was so ill-informed upon so simple a matter, it was not likely that he was very correct upon other more contentious ones. Thus again a false coin was nailed to the counter, but only after it had circulated so widely that many who had passed it would never know

ted Belgian nurse, who served on both sides during the war and has therefo

itish soldiers are the dregs of London and the scum of

who spent two years in the ser

wo other sideligh

t night without the slightest fear, and when a sentry hears my re

eir respect, and their confidence. On this head I could relate many

of Cronje. "Ah, sister," said he, "I am

fearing to hear

least would be neither wounded nor killed. They will not leave wi

how she met

e come to prote

"I know your soldiers too well, Gen

is of interest to have Nurse Bron's impressions at t

n seen in any other war. Never in any country in the world has such a dastard

fty-three years old, and the father of eleve

understand very well that you are defending your country, but w

t what we

ur knees and invoking the name of God, and, thanks to your lies, all Europe believes that

may be observed, were not Boer combatants but Cape rebels, li

ntity, then old cognac, and finally port, stout, or ale at choice, with five or six eggs a day beaten up in brandy

rocity" with which, according to the European pre

y who are above political or racial prejudice. He

een written. As for the British soldier in general, our sisters in various parts of the colony, who have come a great deal in contact

luence on the European press, have given to the world. A constant stream of misrepresentations and lies have

matter of fact, however, very few cases have occurred where a woman has been injured. One amazon was killed in the fighting line, rifle in hand, outside Ladysmith. A second victim furnished the famous Eloff myt

and must anyhow die, and they left her therefore lying. In the evening he heard his name called. It was his wife who still lived after twelve hours' agony. When they reached Rustenburg she was dead

ys by many papers. Here is Lord Kit

t a farmhouse from which her husband was firing. Mrs. Vandermerve is a sister-in-law of Eloff. The death of a woman from a stray bu

alist describing an interview with Kruger says, 'he wore mourning on account of his nie

ct which also afforded excellent material for the caricaturists of the Fatherland. The picture of rows of charming Boer maidens chained in the open with bloodthirsty soldiers crouchi

ey shot beneath the women's arms upon the approaching Boers. Eight women and two children fell through the Boers' fire. When the Boers saw this they stoppe

rs, five or six hundred, under De Wet. The British threw themselves into a Kaffir kraal and made a desperate resistance. The long train of wagons with the women still in them extended from this village right across the plain, and the Boers used them as cover in skirmishing up to the village. The result was that the women and children were under a double fire from either side. One woman and two children appear

own instances in the war. And yet so well known a paper as the German 'Kladderadatsch' is not ashamed to publish a picture of a ruined farm with dead women strewed roun

th of neutrality, afterwards despatched a letter to a Dutch newspaper without submitting it to a censor, in which he made libellous attacks upon the British Army. He was tried for the offence and sentenced to a fine of 100l., his imprison

s. We all know him at home. There is not one father of a family in the House or on the London Press who would allow his servant girl to remain out all night on a public common in England in time of profound peace in the company of a score of soldiers. If he did, he would feel that he had exposed the girl to the loss of her character. This is not merely admitted, but acted upon by all decent people who live in garrison towns or in the neighbourhood of barracks. Why, then, should they suppose that when the same men are released from all t

a

of women, married and single, to the worst extremities of outrage. It is an inevitable incident of war. It is one of the normal phenomena of the military Infe

t aware that if a soldier had done such a thing and if his victim could have pointed him out, the man's life would be measured by the time that was needed to collect a military court to try him? Is there a soldier who does not know this? Is there a Boer who does not know it? It is the one offence for which there would be no possible forgiven

s about 'such horrible and shameful incidents.' But on examination it proves that eight out of the eleven cases have nothing sexual or, indeed, in many of them, anything criminal in their character. One is, that a coffin was dug up to see if there were arms in it. On this occasion the search was a failure, though it has before now been a success. Another was that the bed o

a member of the British Army at all. The inference is that he was a civilian, and further, that he was a Dutch civilian. British names which will fit E--n are not common, while the Dutch name Esselen or Enslin is extremely so. 'I have never been to the Intelligence

ughly treated, though she does not assert that her assailant went to the last extremity-or, indeed, that he did more than use coarse terms in his conversation. The husband in his evidence says: 'I have seen a great deal of soldiers, and they behaved well, and I could speak well of them.' He added that

olitary soldier may have been, and even the date was unknown to the complainant. What can be done in such a case? The President of the court-martial, with a burst of indignation which shows that he at least does not share Mr. Stead's views upon the frequency of such crimes in South Africa, cried: 'If such a most awful thing happened to a woman, would it not be the first thing for a man to do to rush out and bring the guilty man to justice? He ought to risk his life for that. There was no reason for h

the words of the Rev. P. S. Bosman, head

of the British Army in Pretoria on Boer women has come to my knowledge. I asked s

in Africa. Could the perversion of argument go further? Which are