Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-12-01
TRAITORS AT HOME.
De Wet Blames Burghers For
Boer Defeat.
GENERALS STORY OF THE STPgCCLl
"Far Iasfer,~ He Says, tsto Fight
Against the Great English Ar
may Than Trcachery Among
NY Own People"

nay Than Trcachery Among
NY Own People"
LONDON. Dec. l. "-Tad not so
many OF our burghers proved false to
their own colors England, AZ the great
Bismarck forGtcld, would have found
her grave in South Africa That is
the keynote OF the Boer general De
Vets book, entitled Three Years
War; published by Archibald Consta-
bic & ca. In London and dedicated by
the Boar general ITO my fellow sub
jects OF the British empire"
It is perhaps the most remarkable
book by the most remarkable leader
that any recent war has produced. The
concise, simply told tale OF the e1traor-
Ginary campaign is marked throughout
with the stamp OF trvth The badness
Of the narrative only serves TO bring
into striking relief the fiery passages
where strong man literally blurts out
his soul in pathetic regret or litter de-
nlnciatioa.
In thus taking the public into his con-
fitlence lie Wet loses nothing Of the
glamour with which his exploits in the
field surrounded him. In cr!ticising he
spares no che. Boer ard Rriton come
equally under the lash. DE Wet de-
claras that whatever the English pan-
pie may have to say in discrcdit of
General IE!lor he had to operate
! against stronger positions than any
| other British general. Throughout the
work the Beer general has bit slight
praise for Lord Roberts and little more
! for Lord Kitchener. General knox Is
airncet the only British general who
seems to have struck Dc Wet as com
/ Inander with real military genius.
/ or Tommy Atkins" he has many
| kiu1Is words to say and declares "the
British were far from being bad shots"
! The comparative immunity of the
i Beers from harm DE Wet constantly
and most fervently attributes to the
! iDterposit;on of God. IF any reader"
he says '.is enger to know how IL, was
/ kept out of the enemy's hands. can
/ only answer, although | mag not be
unGers:o q. that ascribe it to nothing
else than that it was not Gods will
that shouid fall into their hands. Let
! those who rnjoice at my miraculous es-
capas ..is.e all tho praise TO God.
! Nevertheless tho book teens With .ac-
counts OF military and other stiategies
by which De Wet otltwitted his pur-
Eunrs. Frequently he reconnts cases OF
d,.s:l'!i and panic among hts own
Iaen when his eiltreaties and sjamhok-
ing were ali OF no avail. De Wet pays
| tril,ute To General Cronje for his
! bravery. but declares he lest at Paar-
daberg only on account OF his fatal OBJ
Etinacy TO leave the larger. as he was
advised ia Go by General Botha and by
tho writer himself.
Regarding his own forces De Wet
writes: 1T was far easier to fight
against fi,e great English army than
against treaclery among my own peo-
pie. and an iron Will was required to
fight against both. Once If only our
orr RS had been carried out q little
more strictly and IL only the most eie-
meptary rules Of strategy had been OBJ
served ii, our efforts TO break the Brit
ish lines Of communication Lord Rob
oifs and his thousands Of troops would
hare fu',psi themselves shut rp i'll Pre-
tc:.in. where they wculd have persisted
Of hunger. 1t was not the skill CT their
commander In chief that saved them
n or rhe lighthouses De Wet Is frankly
, coptemptraEs 1.-THE bIockh0use poll
cy,'' he says. might equally we'll have
been called the policy OF the block
head" The writer cmphatically de
| tends the right to blow Up railroad
lines and trains as the usage Of war
i and he declares he never missed an op
Eortunity TO do so. The so ellled wal
! ngainst women and the misuse Of tht
: white flag by the British is stern!y de
nounced by the Boer general win
Gays: '.tTEat such direct and indirec
murder should have been committed
against defenseless women and chill
!. trsn La thing should have staket
!. my head could never have happened Il
!. a war waged by the civilized Englisl
/ nation, end yet it happened.
: Ills last word Is an injunction to hi
!. fellow couatl.ynen TO be loyal TO til
I ncsy government. Loyalty" lie says
4 tyays best III the end, and loyalty alOn
/ IS worthy OF d nation which has he,
Q sts blooC fer freedom
d Ths boca contains a magnificent POI
trait OF the author by the America
2 painter John S. Sargent.