The Irish standard., 1901-03-23

The following speech of John Dillon,
NJ. T., Oh British outrages in South
Africa, was delivered III parliament on
Feb. 26 in support of his amendment
to the kings address, denouncing the
burning of Boer farms and the wan-
ton cruelty to Boer women and chill
drcn:
Mr. Speaker, last night l was OIL
gagged in describing the scenes which
are at the present moment being en-
acted ut Standcrton, in the Transvaal,
in the rear of Frcnch's army. where,
according to the kilograms, there are
long lines of women and children pris-
oncrs of war; and we see this morning
that General French has failed to cap
turc ROtha and his army. nOtwitl
standing the great flourish Of trumpctS
as to what lie was going to do. But
he may, | suppose, take comfort from
the fact that if he has not captured
the Bocr army, he has, at all events,
taken wagon loads of women and chill
drcn, and carried them off triumphant
ly as prisoners of war. 1t was the GUS
tom in the days of the Roman empire
to drag captive women and children at
[ he heels of the cOnuucror, but l have
never heard that any civilized nation
since then has ever reverted to so bar
harous Il practice. Opposition and
Irish chccrs.) But as there are some
other matters which / must deal with
in detail l shall not consume the time
of the House by giving now the heart
breaking details which l have in my
possession of the condition OF the wom-
en- and children who are now shut
up in the prison camps ut Port Eliza
beth and other portions Of the colony.
We read in the accounts which reach
us of eight and ten women being put
into one tent; of children, i'll Of measles
(Which is raging in the camp Mt pieter-
maritzburg. according to the latest ac-
count without accommodation for the
treatment of these unfortunate chill
drcn. We have read the tragic and
horrible story Of the death Of james
Hertzog, nephew of Judge Hcrtzog,
who is at present In command of the
western commando that has invaded
Cape Colony. His wife and children
were taken from the blazing home,
and when the local doctor told the
British officers who were in charge
that this poor boy, only eight years
Of age, was suffering from measles
and quite unfit to travel no quarter
was granted, and this wretched boy
and his mother were thrust into train
to Port Elizabeth end sent Il 600 miles
journey, the immediate consequence of
which was that no sooner did he reach
the prison camp at Port Elizabeth than
he was seized with pneumonia and
died in Il few days. What do you
think were the feelings Of his kindred
when they read the announcement of
his death--"Dicd on Il certain date, Il
prisoner Of war at Port Elizabeth,
Hertzog, aged 2 years.? A pretty an
nouncement to come as result of
the operations of your arms in the
Transvaal (chcers). But pass over
these details to the fact which was
only obtained by the process of squeez-
ing ministers, the shameful fact adj
mitted by the secretary Of state for
war today, that in the prison camps
and s0-callcd refugee camps the wom-
cn and children Of those who were
on the commando and who declined to
surrender are put Oh half rations and
Informed that they will be kept on
that allowance until their husbands or
brothers come in and surrender
(checrs). Is there any parallel for the
cruelty and meanncss Of that in the
whole history of war? (Chcers.) For
my part l never read Of any proceed
ingS so mean and cruel and so coward
ly (chcers)-to endcavor to intimidate
| hcse ncn-whom you cannot, although
you arc ten to one, beat in the field
| into surrender by starving their wom-
oil and children. What did the right
honorable gentleman do the other day
when the charge was made by the hon
orablc member for Carnarvon? He
sprang to his feet quivering with in
dignation and said he was making q
foul charge without any attempt at
proof. Well, l watched the speech Of
the secretary Of state for war and
remarked the significant fact that he
never alluded to it. Hc was willing
to telegraph about Esau's case, but he
left the House of Commons under the
] impression that this was an unfOunded