New-York tribune., 1900-04-02
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
BoER TREAcHERY AND BRITISH TRUTH.
GONE INSTANCES OF FIRING ON THE WHITE FhAo
AND OTHER UNCIvILIzED PRACTlcEs.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Your contemporary. Life. an ostensioy
humorous paper publishes in ts issue OF March 10
the following remarks.
disprng result Of the South Al AfrGan t1a and Taf the
our waning faith IN British M rgta Tee eeneernng the
Beers bring sadness to every American & ho on hos,
ntas and on flags Of truce; Of doing syerythnE II r IA
short that people MaT ana ny Does this go
to explain the universal sympathy WIN tue s'e'
Boer?
The silent Roer' has been for years expending
large sumo of money In purchasing corrupt papers
In Europe the Civil Service Fund of the TransVaai
used largely for that purpose. amounting IN sisi
year 100000. of $4,000. In this way MS siehce
has become audible throughout the worio anu ne
has manufactured an immense amount OF sSi1ipa'iiS
for himself abroad
The Editor Of Life" being able to see from MS
office in New York what occurs on the neid oi
battle in South Africa more clearly than those
who are in the thick of the fight, it may appear
bold to question his authority nevertheless VIII
venture to produce some testimony as to Boer
methods Of warfare
In q letter written by Bennett Burleigh. the vet
eran correspondent of THE London Telegraph
after the fight OF October 21 last. he stated that
the Beers when the Highanders got within nlteen
PAGES of them. threw up their hands and asked TOT
quarter. Colonel Ian Hamilton and his off1cers IN
terfered to protect them and ordered the lease
hrng.' to sound The Beers had also hoisted the
white flag At this the Highland and other reel-
ments stood up and ceased firing. Almost immedl-
ately a terrible fusiade directed by the Boers
into the British ranks Scores of British fell killed
and wounded all sides.
At the battle of Belmont Mr.. Knight, cofre-
spondent of The New-York World" was among
those shot after the Beers had shown the white
flag Dispatches from General White have charged
the Boers with firing at the hospital at Lazy
smith At Kimberley and Mafeking the command
ing officers have time and again complained OF
their habit of training guns on the hospitals ana
the women's laagers. 1nnumerable acts oil treach-
cry such as the trick above referred to OF throw
ing up their hands and then firing on the aovanc-
ing Britishers, have been reported by the news
paper correspondents and by officers and soldiers
at the front. Lord Methuen complained to General
Cronje of these practices months ago ana men
toned them in dispatches to the war once flhai-
y Lord Roberts, in his engagement at Dreifontell
on March 10 saw an incident of the kind with his
| own eyes and protested to Presidents KRUGER and
| Steyn
II these witnesses are sufficient reference ma .
be made to Mr.. Fitzpatrick's The Transvaal from.
Within" =" fifth impression page AZ. Speaking of the
causes which bitterness to the war of 1881 the
| author says:
! There Were the various white flag incidents. At
ngogo the Beers @ raised the white as dbe f dsn
of a similar flag TO indicate that it was seen, a
@adfs h h Gd S
hons %ss of Of tie ag and Ss STAN TO
| was the ambulance affair at Majuba. when the
Bss With Re Rad s
| after asking who they were and getting Ipy. Irepiy.
coTnish eFaq Eol'eS ''0 the '''' N''''''s ~ 9'
The following is an extract from THE Cape
Argus dated December g. 1876:
AS to treachery. Mr.. Field Cornet Fustenbure
| stated that when he at Zoutspanburg with his
burghers. the Chief Katse-Kats was told TO come
! down from the mountains; that he sent one or MS
| subordinates 5 a proof of arnty; that while a
! delay of five days W as guaranteed by General Pau
| Kruger. who was then in command orders were
! given at the same time to attack the natives al
! break of GSy, which accordingly done but
which resulted in total failure. So much for what
was done in 1868
| arranged between Kruger, Joubert and Sir Evelyn
! Wood after lIajuba, Cron5e, in defiance of the
usa ges of civilized warfare withheld the news from
| siege until Colonel Winslow obliged to sur.
render in order the lives of the wounded
| and the women and children refugees, As soon as
| the incident became known after the terms oi
| peace had been settled the Transvaal Government
| was required by Sir Evelyn Wood to allow British
| Potchefstroom a formal acknowledgment OF
| Cronje's treachery.
| When, in the light of this long record of Boer
| peridy, we find the Editor of Life" accusing the
| British of Iibeng their enemies cannot but
| wonder what motive prompts his campaign of anti
| might paraphrase. the language of Herve Riel
| Brownng's hero, and ask. rs it gold the lying's
for?' Suffice it to observe that when professiona
humorist becomes malignant he ceases to be anus
! ing. X w. SHANNON.
| Ottawa. March 19, 1900.