Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-02-27
ACCUSE BRITISH SOLDIERS.
Statement by steyn and De Wet
Charging Them with Inf1u-
man Practices

Port Elizabeth, Feb. 2O.-The fol-
lowing proclama ton has been issued
by President Steyn and Gen. De Wet.
''Be it known to all men that the war
which has been forced on the Transvaal
republics by the British government still
RACES over South Africa; that all the GUS
hamS Of civilized warfare and also the con-
ventiOns Of Geneva ard The Hague are
not observed by the enemy, who have not
scrupled, contrary to the Geneva conVen-
ton, to capture doctors and ambulances
and deport them in order to prevent our
wounded from getting medical assistance:
that they have seized ambulance material
appertaining thereto; that they have not
hesitated to have recourse to primitive
rules OF warfare, contrary to the solemn
agreement Of The Hague to arrest neu-
trails and deport them and to send out ma
raudlng bands to plumber, burn and dam
age burghers' private property; that they
nave armed kaft1rS and natives, and use
them against us in the war; that they
nave peen continually capturing women
and children and old and sickIy men. and
that there have been many deaths among
the women because the so-called Christian
enemy had no consideration for women
on a Sick-bed, or whose state of health
should have protected them against rough
treatment. Honorable women and tender
children have not only been treated rough
~
order of their officers. Moreover, old moth
ers and children have been raped, even
wives and children, and the property Of
prisoners of war, even killed burghers, has
not been respected. In many instances the
mother and father have been taken, the
house has been left unprotected, and all
have been left to their fate, an easy prey
to savages
THE world has untruthfully been in
formed by the enemy that they have been
obliged to carry out this destruction be-
cause the burghers blow up the railway
lines, cut the wires and misuse the white
flag. Nearly all the houses in the repub-
lies have been destroyed whether in the
neighborhood Of the railroad not. The
alleged misuse of the white flag is simply
a continuance of the everlasting calumny
against which the Afrikander has had to
strive since the time God brought him in
contact with the Englishman. Robbing his
opponent Of goods only does not satisfy
him; he is not satisfied until he has robbed
him of his good name also.
''They state to the world that the rep5ib-
lies are conquered and that only here and
there small plundering bands are contin-
uing the strife in an irresponsible manner.
This is untruth. The republics are not
conquered. The war is not finished The
burgher forces of the two republics are
still led by responsible leaders, as from
the commencement of the war under the
SUPERVISION OIL the governments OF pOth re-
publics. The fact of Lord Roberts and
Lord Kitchener choosing the term ma
rauders' in designating burghers does not
make them such. When was the war over?
Perhaps after the battles in which rregu-
lars captured the enemy and totally van
pushed them? The burghers would be less
than men if they allowed the enemy to go
unpublished after i'll treating their wives
and destroying their houses from sheer
lust Of destruction Therefore portion
Of the burgherE resent it, Cape Colony will
not only wage war but will be in position
~'In the cases of ambulances, therefore,
we warn the officers of his ma jestys troops
that unless they cease the destruction of
the property of the republics we shall
wreak vengeance by destroying the prop
erty Of his majesty's subjects who are I'M
kindly disposed But in order to avoid be-
ing misunderstood we hereby openly de-
clare that their wives and children will al
ways be unmolested, in spite of anything
done to ours by his majesty's troops We
request nothing from our brothers in the
colony, but call on them, as we'll as on the
civilized world, to assist, in behalf of our
joint civilization and Christianity, in put
ting end to the hesbarous manner of
the enemys warfare.
'Our prayer Will always be that Goo, our
Father, will not desert as in this UPRIGHT
eous strife.
(Signed) ''STEYN AND DE WET"