The Irish standard., 1901-05-04
KlrcHENER's SOLDIERS.
They Plumber Not Only the Boers
But the Government.

'EIl6 KEY. hIu6I SAopAuAAA
of the New South Wales contingent of
the British army in South Africa, in
letter to the Catholic Press, of sgd
ney, gives unmistakable proof that the
army which Kitchener commands is
especially fitted for the deeds of pill
lage, rapine and murder which have
been it's chief achievements since the
beginning Of the war. Father IT,
money says in the Press Of Jan. 49,,
There is great suffering among the
women and children of the poorer
Boer families. Looting comes easy to
most soldiers, and Australians seem
particularly gifted in procuring lions
share of the loot. Communicating is
kind of legal robbery. The COM
handing officer has the right to ap-
point certain men, whose duty it is to
scour the country and annex all NOV
able property, as well as to burn such
forage as cannot be conveniently re-
moved. All cattle of every descrip-
ton are Communicated, as we'll as We
hicles, horses and mules. OF course
there are, and must be, many abuses,
many incentives to personal aggran-
dizement, thirst of wealth, and many
slippery and suspicious transactions.
Do you require q comfortable buggy,
an easy chair, a table or a lounge?
Don't go to the principal comman-
deering officer, but to one Of his satel-
lites, and the matter can be satisfac-
torily arranged at the lowest price,
'"The profits are, understand, d.
vided among the staff. But this Is
only a matter of small Importance
compared to the wholesale swindling
of the imperial government by it's own
agents.
"The exchange Of government horses
for others, which can be sold, is a
very common industry. The sale of
government stores to outsiders is
f1ourishing business, and so ably are
all these transactions conducted that
it is impossible to sheet his guilt home
to the swindler. There are generally
three or four persons concerned in
these shady transactions, and as they
are all equally guilty, every one keeps
his mind to himself. Another brisk
business on smaller scale is to requi-,
sition for clothes on all occasions, and
to sell them to <Kaff1rs, all Of whom
around us here about 500, are ele-
gantly dressed in uniforms, including
helmets, leggings or putties, khaki
tunics, and riding breeches. But 1
shall not weary you by mentioning
the hundred and one ways by which
men enrich themselves at the expense
Of the government.
'"Those who are longest in the army
are the greatest and most scientific
swindlers. 10 rob the government is
in their eyes an act Of solid virtue.
For, after all, there is no personal
wrong done. That abstract firm called
government is not individually ill.,
jured, and no man Of spirit and energy
and with head on his shoulders,
should hesitate to annex whatever
government property he can safely lay
his hands on. This to moralists may
seem sophistry, but to many of the
British army it is sound reasoning and
common sense Military life in South
Africa is demoralizing, and very few
men distinguish, or care to distinguish,
between ''meum and tuum." 1 hope
that our Australians will not estab-
lish in their own country the loose mo-
raj principles they have been prac-
ticing in Africa"