The Irish standard., 1902-02-01
England's War is Eloquently Denounced as
Crime Against Liberty by
.WebsterDavls
He Arraigns Britain's Inhumanity Before
Large American Audience
in City of Omaha.
The Barbaric Treatment of Mont -Combatants
and Burning of Boer Homes
Cause Indignation.

At recent meeting in Omaha, which
was attended by 1000 representative
men and women Of that city, Mr.. Web
stcr Davis, formerly Assistant Sccreta.
ry Of the Interior, delivered a lecture
OH "Pcace and War in South Africa"
in the course of which he said:
1t is not my purpose to heap abuse
upon the masses Of the British people
l believe that IS per cent of them are
not in sympathy with the war In South
Africa. Indeed, some of the best letters
received by me since my return from
South Africa have been from men and
women in England, congratulating me
upon the stand have taken in behalf
of the Beers and severely crticising
their own government for it's unholy
war. .....
John Morley, one of the greatest Of
England's living statesmen, has already
denounced England's South African
policy in the strongest language posi-
bic. Therefore, what l have to say
tonight will be directed against the
empire builders, republic haters, din.
mond and gold thieves who are rn-
sponsible for the war and all the mis-
cry and suffering caused by 1t, not on
ly in South Africa, but throughout the
whole British Empire.
Not only is the British Government
waging war against the Boer soldiers.
but also against won.en and children,
whose protectors have either been kill
ed in battle or are imprisoned Mt Ccy-
Ion. or on the barren island Of st. Hell
ena. 1t is estimated that there are
over 10000 poor, suffering, homeless
women and children, who have cont
mitted no crime, imprisoned in pens
and stockadcs, under British guards,
including among them many refined
ladies over seventy years Of age.
Thousands have already died from
sickness, exposure and starvation.
The Daily News of London said re
Gently: "The truth is that the death
rate in the concentration camps Is
incomparably worse than anything the
world can show. There is nothing to
match it even in the mortality figures
of the Indian famines, where cholera
and other epidemics have to be con-
tended with"
The burning of a Boer home is dee
scribed by IAN eyewitness as follows:
''The Boer home Is usually n building
of one story, the walls of which are
built of blocks of stone on brick. The
roof Is either thatched or covered with
corrugated sleetlron. The walls being
very strong. it is necessary to use
high explosive. The officer and his
engineer first enter the house, throw
ing the carpets, bedding, curtains and
iIi lIuIhuiuItbNc lidLCllul III al Hctlp Ill
the middle of the rooms. The ell
gineer removes a stone from the inside
Of the WALL he then places high ex-
plosivc such as dynamite or explosive
gun cotton, in the opening, attaching
the fuse. The explosive is covered
with earth and pieces Of stone, all Of
which is tamped hard in order that
the explosion will be most effective.
The torch is then applied to the in
fammablc materials; the entire build
ing is in flames; there is a powerful
explosion, cloud of smoke, a shower
Of stones, and the Bocr home is de-
stroyed bcyord repair"
A special correspondent of the Man.
chester Guardian, after riding from
Blocmfontein to Kimberley, wrote:
"The way is line Of desolatiOn. Thc
farm houses have not merely been
sacked-thcy have been savagely de.
stroyed The mirrors have been
smashed, the pianos wrecked, chill
drcn's toys and books wantonly de-
stroyed. Even the buildings them
selves have been burned"
The same correspondent writes, May
8, from Colonel Mahon's headquarters,
Dry Hart's Siding: 'Tn ten miles VIC