Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-21
sTEYN REPLIES TO ROBERTS.
He Denies Charge of Abuse of the
White Flag.

The following dispatch from Lord Rob-
erts, dated Bloemfontein, Monday, March
10, was posted at the war Office in London
yesterday:
IT have received the following reply to
my telegram of March II to the presidents
of the Free State and South African re-
public:
Your excellencys telegram reached me
yesterday. I assure you nothing would
grieve me more than that my burghers
should make themselves guilty Of deed such
as that laid to their charge by You. am,
however, glad to say that you must have
been mistaken. 1 have made personal in
quiry of Gen. Delarey, who was in COM
mand of our burghers at the place men
toned by you. He denied entirely that our.
burghers acted as stated by you, but he says
that on Saturday, the date being illegibie
the British troops, when they were about
fifty yards from our position, put up their
hands as well as a white flag. while at the
same time your cannon bombarded the said
troops, with the result that Commandant
De Beer was wounded. Yesterday morning
the head commandant wrote in his account
of the battle as follows: The soldiers
hoisted the white flag, but were then fired
at by the English cannon and compelled to
charge
perhaps 1t is not known to your excel
lency that the same thing happened at
Spion Kop, where, when a portion Of the
troops hoisted white flag and put up their
hands, and while our burghers were busy
diSarming them, another portion of the
troops fired on our burghers; but some of
the British troops were killed. 1t has also
been reported that at the last battle of the
Tugela English cannon fired on troops who
had surrendered.
with reference to the explosive bullets
found in Cronjes lager and elsewhere, /
can give your excellency assurance that
such bullets were not purchased or allowed
by the government !, however, see no rea-
son to doubt your statements as l know
many of the burghers of this state and of
the South African republic took a large
number of Lee-Metford rifles and dumdum
and other bullets from British troops.
May l request your excellency, as the
cable is closed to me. to make my reply
known to your government and the neutral
powers by cable.
STATE PRESIDENT"
The dispatch from Lord Roberts con-
LAS the inquiry into that matter proves
his honors allegations to be unfounded
and as l personally saw the holding up of
hands, which he denies, have not thought
1t desirable to continue the correspond
ence."
Winston Churchill In a dispatch from
Pietermaritzburg, warmly resists the con-
tention that the relief Of Iadysmith rose
out OF Lord Roberts operations.
''On the contrary" he says, "the opera
tons of Lord Roberts were assisted by the
fact that Gen. Butler kept 10000 Beers oc-
cupied. 1t would be a cruel and unworthy
thing to deprive the Natal army of their
hard Won laurels and none would more
vigorously repudiate such a suggestion
than Lord Roberts himself"
Spenser Wilkinson. writing in the Morn
ing Post, justifies Winston Churchiifs ar
gument respecting the relief of Ladysrnth
He thinks that Sir Alfred Miner has
gone to Bloemfotein to arrange for the per-
manent administration of the province and
perhaps to decide about the captured and
surrendered rebels.
. There is no further information as to the
movements of Sir Alfred Miner 1t Is re-
garded as certain. however, that he has
gone to Rloemfontein TO arrange for the
temporary administration Of the Free
State.
The reply as to Lord Roberts use of the
flags of truce is commented upon as i'm
pertinent and ridiculous, and Lord Rob-
erts' course in closing a useless discussion
is commended wise.
Indications from Natal seem to show
that Gen. Buffers forward movement will
not be long delayed.
The government has decided that Major
Gen. Sir Frederick Darlington shall COM
mand a colonial force of 5000. including
the $500 men Mr.. Chamberlain asked from
Australia.