The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-08
The BOERS HAVE
BEEN MALIGNED
Their yindication COmes From
an Unexpected Source.
A BRITISH OFFICERS VIEWS
Charges Of Cruelty and Treaehery With the
White Flag Proved 10 Be Utterly In.
iounded...Many Acts Of humanity
TO British Wounded,

Correspondence u Associated Press)
LONDON. April 2s.--"'rOday' prints
an article from its cauatic British mil
itary officer correspondent in South
Africa belittling the charges OF treach-
cry made against the Beers.
Ever since the war commenced there.
has been a series Of allegations OF cru
elty. perfidy. and breaches OF the Gus
TENS OF civilized war on the part az
the Beers
Not only does u1y position In life as
ia subject and servant Of Her Majesty
naturally inspire me to side with the
popular view against the ehemies Of
my country but my previous service
in South Africa would scarcely war
rant my being more partial TO the
Beers than to my own oountrynen.
We saldiers. however. by years OF
training have learned to keep our heads
cool and our eyes clear in what are,
to the rest of the world. momsnts Of
excitement
AS we haye nothing to gain .ty ex-
aggeration and no public TO cater for,
our words sh@lld nave more weight
than those civilian writer's who see
war Tor the fra time. those who never
see II at close quarters and those who
reoeige all hut the barest official in
formation from the Tommies who eth
er exaggerate for playfulness. or who
are not accustomed 10 weigh their
words carefully. l have nothing to
gain .one-way or the other, and thai be-
ing 50, may safely tell the plain. un-
vanished truth. which is likely 10 be
as unpopular On this subject as on all
others.
1t is not my wish 20 mors3ly white-
wash dhe BOerS with mere words of
praise. but think l AKA In a position
10 account for = good many things in
q way which, when 1 hare given sclep-
taflc reasons. may satisfy my readers.
The first Of these breaches of the
nustoms of war occurred. or was sup
peaed to have occurred. al the battle
of Glencoe. the first struggle of the
war. The allegation was that when
Talana Hin was captured by the Dub
lin Fusiliers, the Beers retired. carry
ing white flags over their shoulders
and thus saved themselves from de-
strucIion by our rides and guns. 1
have made careful inquiries from OIL
cers-senior oticers-who we're present
and whom l knew to be cool soldiers
likely TO observe correctly.
"One Of these assures me, and the |
others tell sinnlar story. that he was
one of the first to reach the top OF the |
1ill, and was well placed for observa-
Jon. He found the bulk of the Boer
army in full retreat at distance of
lbOut 1900 yards. but smaller number
If men who had been left to bold the
lill TO the last and cover the retreat
we're much closer and also in full re-
reat. They had left behind them in
heir hurried flight a field hospital and
o this rode a Boer. coming from toe
main body and holding white flag.
"He carried a letter to the English
General asking for an armistice to ena-
lie them to bury the dead and carry
II the wounded. No doubt the stage
4 the fight at which such a request
ould be granted had not yet arrived,
'ut by no stretch OF prejudice could
be termed treacherous. or a misuse
f the white flag. nor should it in way .
ave prevented our guns firing on the
army. ,
That they did not fire is true, but }
hat was due to false view of human
" on the part Of the officer in COM .
land. l have been assured by all of
HON l have inquired that no other r
as was raised, and that it was prac- b
cally impossible for one to be put up
nnoticed by them. {
1t was repeatedly stated after the :
attic after Colenso that the Boer ar :
llery had fired on our ambulances,
nd that one of them had been over 9
lrned by shell. 1t is undoubtedly -
ue that number of shells went 4
ose to the ambulances, and I believe
lat one was really struck, but there :
no reason to believe that they were v
aimed at. I had myself :"
'casion to so to the ambulances dur- i"
6 the fight, and found them placed :
rectly in front of a hill on which was y
naval gun; the field batteries were ~
that time in action short distance
advance so that the ambulances -
ere between the two, and not very ~
+ from either. Is it reasonable to a
oppose that the Boer artillery should ~
limit without replying to our shell y
e because We choose to select so i'm e
oper a place for the wounded? ~ ~
'They certainly could not have fred ~
the guns without any shots falling
ny close to the ambulances. 1 have =
'ard since-but cannot vouch for