The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-02-23
BOERS CHARGE
BRITISH CRUELTY
S. eyn and Dewet Assert Bar
barian Conduct by the
British.

|
The following proclamation has been
issued by Preside VI Stecyn and General
Dewet, February 90
"Be it known to all men that the
war which has been forced on the
Tansvaal Republics by the British gov
ernment still RACES over South Africa; {;
that I'll the customs OF civilized warfare
and also the conventions Of Generva and
The Hague are not observed by the en-
emy, who have not scrupled, contrary
TO the Genefva convention, to
capture doctors and ambu-
Iances aud deport them in order to pre-
vent our wounded from getting medical
assistance that they have seized ambu.
lances andmaterial appertaining thel eto ;
that they have not hesitated TO have re-
course to primitive rules of warfare, con-
trary TO the solemn agreement of The
Hague, to arrest neutrals and deport
them and to send out marauding bands
10 plumber, burn and damage burgheTs'
private property; that they have armed
kafiiTs and natives and used them
against us in the war; that they have
been continually capturing women and
children and old and sickly men, and
that there have been many deaths
among the women because the so-called
Christian enemy had no consideration
Tor women on sickbed, or those whose
state of health should have protected
them against rough treatment. Honor.
able women and tender children have
not only been treated roughly, but have
been insutted by soldiers, by order of
their officers. Moreover, old mothers
and children have been raped, even
,,tt, 81. II lti. &
prisoners of war, even.ki led burgher',
has not been respected. In many in
stances, the mother and father have
been taken, the house left unprotected,
and all have been left TO their fate, an
easy prey to ravages."
1.-THE world has nntruthfully been
informed by the enemy That they have
been obliged to carry out this destruction
because the burghers blow mp the rail
road lines, cut the wires and misuse the
white flag. Nearly all the houses in the
repr blics have been destroy ed, whether
In the neighborhood of the railroad or
not. The alleged misuse of the white
flag is simply continuance OF the ever
lasting calumny against which the
Afrikander has had to strive since the
time God brought him into contact with
OF goods only does not satisfy him
he is not satisfied until he has robbed
him OF his good name also.
"They state to world that the republics
are conquered. and that now here aud
there small plundering bands are con
tinuing the st'ife in an irresponsible |
manner. This is an untruth. The re |
publics are not conquered The war is
not finished. The burgher forces OF tn, |
two republics are still led by responsible |
leaders, as from the commencement of /
the war, under the supervision Of the |
governments of both ropubl cs. The fact |
Of Lord Roberts aud Lord Kitchener
the term 'marauders' in desig-
mating burghers does not make them
such. When was the war over2 Per
haps after the battles in which irregu-
lars captured the enemy and
totally vanquished them. The
Durghers would be less than men II they /
allowed the enemy to go unpunished af- |
ter ill-treating their wives and destroying |
their houses from sheer lust Of 6estruc |
tion, therefore, portion Of the burghers |
recent II. Cape Colony will not only |
wage war, but will be in a position to |
take reprisals as IL has already done. In |
The case OF ambulances. therefore, we |
warn the officers Of His Majesty's troops |
that unless they cease the destruction OF |
the property Of the republics, we shall
wreak vengeance by destroying the prop. |
srty OF His Majesty's subjects who are |
disposed But in order to |
avoid being misun lerstood, we hereby |
openly declare that their wives and |
will always be unmolested. in |
spite Of anything done to ours by His
troops. We request nothing |
from our brothers In the colony. but call |
on them, as well as on the civilized |
world TO assist, in behalf OF our joint
and Christianity, in putting |
in putting an end to the barbarout
manner OF the enemy's warefare. Oui
prayer will always be that God, on
Father, will not desert US in this unrigh-
.eous strife. STEYN AND DEWEr"