The record-union., 1899-11-15

LONDON, Nov. 15.-4:3O a. m.-There
is no additional news regarding the
progress of hostilities in South AFRICA
this morning except a dispatch from
Mafeking, forwarded by a runner, dated
October 31st, which says that during
the afternoon General Cronje, the Boer
commander, sent an envoy to Colonel
Baden-Pow under a flag of truce, 10
declare that he did not consider the
Geneva convention authorized the nag
of the Red Cross Society to fly from sew
eral buildings at once in the town, and
that in his opinion the employment OIL
natives against White and the use OIL
dynamite mines were both opposed TO
the rules of war.
Colonel Baden-Powell replied that the
Geneva convention did not stipulate as
to the number of Red Cross stations
permissible, and that the Beers were
only required to respect the convent,
the hospital and the woman's laager, all
of which We're beyond the town limits.
The British commander also pointed out
that mines We're recognized adJuncts OF
civilized warfare, and the defenses or
Pretoria were extensively mined. More
over, he reminded General Cronje that
the Beers had fired upon natives,
burned their kraalS and released their
cattle. and that the natives only de-
Tended their lives and property.
Despite three warnings from Colonel
Baden-Powell, the Beers continued de-
liberately to shell the hospital and the
woman's laager.
The sending of the Boer envoy was
regarded, the dispatch says, as a mere
pretext for penetrating the British lines
at Mafeking.
According to the latest reports, the
town is confident of it's ability to hold
out until the end of the campaign. So
far as Kimberley is concerned, the
mental condition of the British there
must be good, from the fact that three
weddings have taken place since the
seige began, the last having been cele-
brated on November Sth.
In the absence of fresh news, the
morning papers are driven to discuss
Lord Salisburys letter regarding mis-
interpretations of his utterances at the
Lord Mayors banquet and President
kruger's threat to execute British Of
-fcers now in his hands unless Nathan
Marks, a supposed Boer spy, is released
by Sir George White. The Premier's de-
liverance meets with universal approval
although the explanation was in no way
necessary, as outside the Daily Chron-
icle" no one had supposed his words
could bear the meaning which Boer
sympathizers had been endeavoring to
read into them.
President Kruger's threat has excited
widespread Indignation. The Daily
News demands that his friends should
promptly inform him that his own
neck, and that of DR.. Reitz, the Trans
vaal State Secretary, will be held re-
sponsible for any such violation of the
elementary rules of civilized warfare.
For once the censorship is blamed ON
account of laxity. 1t is asserted that
the censor ought to have suppressed
the story of Father Matthews regard
ing the surrender at Nicholsons Mex,
which, while too vague to be considered
evidence, must cause uneasiness. The
feeling is that, until the facts can be
ascertained, it would have been wiser
not to circulate mere gossip.
The great delay on South African
cables, now amounting practically to
five days, give rise to some apprehen-
sion. which is only relieved by the fact
that no adverse tidings have come from
either British or Boer sources
Nothing is known as to the wherea-
bouts of General Redvers Butler. H. NJ
S. Powerful has arrived at Simons Bay
from Durham, and began to coal. The