The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-22
BOER PROCLAMATION ISSUED
sTEYN AND DE VET SAT TAR IS
 STILL ON.

STILL ON.
 batants-Wo and Children Mal
 treated and Rules Of civilization Vio,
 laiod, They yCharge-AlIeged Capture O
 the Republican Medical Officers.
 Port Elizabeth, Wednesday, Feb. 20 -The following proclamation has been issued by President Steyn and General De Wet:
 ''Be it known to all men that the war which has been forced on the Trans vaal republics by the British govern ment still rages over South Africa, that all the customs of civilized warfare and also the conventions of Geneva and The Hague are not observed by the enemy, who have not scrupled, contrary to the Geneva convention, to capture doctors and ambulances and deport them in or der to prevent our wounded from get ting medical assistance.
 OTHER CHARGES.
 "We charge that they seized ambu- lance material, that they have not hesltated to have recourse to primitive ] rules of warfare, contrary to the SOL emn agreement of The Hague, to arrest neutrals and deport them, to send out marauding bands to plunder, burn and damage burghers' private property, that they have armed Kaffirs and na- tives 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-calledN 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 chill dren have not only been treated rough ly, but have been lnsulted by soldiers by order of their officers. Moreover old mothers and women have been raped, even wives and children, and the prop erty of prisoners of war, even of killed l pdl ilCiS, IcS IlOl DcCll lGopCClCu. III 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 destruc- ton because the burghers blow up the lines, cut the wires and misuse the white flag. Nearly all the houses in the republics have been destroyed, whether in the neighborhood of the railroad or not
 "The alleged misuse of the white flag is simply a continuance of the everlast- ing calumny against which the Afri- kander has had to strive since the time God brought him intoNcontact 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.
 NOT CONQUERED YET.
 Also, they state to the world that the republics are conquered, and that only here and there small plundering bands are continuing the strife in an irresponsible manner. This is an un- truth. 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 com ! mencement of the war, under the su- pervision of the governments of both { republics rl+.A
 "The fact of Lord Roberts and Lord f Kitchener choosing the term 'maraud- ers' in designating burghers does not make them such. When was the war over? Perhaps after the battles in which irregulars capture the enemy and totally vanquished them? The burghers would be less than men if they allowed the enemy to go unpunished after ill-treating their wives and de- stroying their houses from sheer lust of destruction. Therefore, portion of the resent 1t.
 TO MAKE REPRISALS. Cape Colony will not only wage war; put will be in position to take re- 1risals, as it has already done. In the 'ase of ambulances, therefore, we warn he officers of his majesty's troops that, ,nless they cease the destruction of the property of the republicans, we shall vreak vengeance by destroying the )royerty of his majesty's subjects who of his majesty's subjects who But, in order to avoid being misun- lerstood, we hereby openly declare that heir wives and children will always be in spite of anything done y ours or by his majesty's troops. We equest nothing from our brothers in he colony, but call on them, as well IS on the civilized world, to assist, in 'ehalf of our joint civilization and in putting an end to the 'arharous manner of the enemy's war are. Our prayer will always be that God, UT Father will not desert us in this nrighteous strife
 "Steyn and De Wet"