The Irish standard., 1902-05-17
CONAN DoYLE,s FAlsEHooDs.

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as that recently issued by Conan Doyle
in defense of the British atrocities in
South Africa. According to him, the
conquering British army have prac-
ticed nothing but the most exemplary
virtues. while the Beers have invari-
ably conducted themselves with the
greatest brutality and barbarism.
His book would be a terrible ar
raignment of the Beers did it contain
particle of truth, but in every line
of it truth is entirely lacking. 1t is
wonderful to us that Doyle did not
invent a better story when he went
about it. There is no doubt of his
ability as writer of fiction, but he
seems to lose all his talents in that di-
rection when he writes of South AZ
rica.
DIR. Doyle has written two books on
| the conduct of the war in South Af-
rica. This is one of his greatest mis-
fortunes. because one is flat contra
diction of the other. In the first book
he paints the Beers as brave. hon.
orable and gallant people. but in the
second, which he writes from the same
experiences, depicts them as barbar-
GUS in the extreme Thus DR.. Doyle
fatty contradicts himself. says the
National Hibernian, of Washington,
D. G.
1t was not necessary for him to do
this. because we have ample evidence
of his false statements from other
sources. Miss Emily Hobhouse, an
English lady who went to the front
to see the condition of affairs for her.
self. calls him to task for misquoting
her true statements and brands him
as a deliberate falsifier of the actual
situation.
DR.. Doyle must have been aware of
the horrible crueltics of the Australian
troops because they We're known to
and admitted by the English authori-
ties before his book was written, and
two of them have now been executed
for their atrocious deeds. But he does
not even mention them.
A former trooper of the Australian
Bushveldt Carbineers, who is now in
England, states that his corps MUIR
dered from 35 to 40 Beers. AS an in
stance of their old-bloodedness, this
trooper relates how three Dutch chill
dren, two brothers. 10 and - years of
age. respectively, and their little sister,
came to the Carbineers' camp to ask
for food. The girl and one of the boys
were fired upon and wounded. The
uninjured boy took his little brother
OH his back and was carrying him off
when second volley killed both boys,
while the little girl died shortly after
from her wound.
Imagine the inherent bravery Of the
little boy, who, instead of seeking
shelter for himself, endeavored to car
ry his wounded brother out of danger!
His noble action proves that even the
children of the Boer race are brave
beyond question. All the lies of
thousand Doyles are vain before this
single glorious fact.
These and other atrocious deeds were
officially admitted by the British gov
ernment, yet Mr.. Doyle ignores them
in his book.
Gen. Delarey, too, whose truth and
bravery are acknowledged, even by
the English, in a message to President
Kruger, accuses the British soldiers
Of placing Boer women as screen
against his attacks. He charges that
numbers of Boer women have been
killed in this inhuman manner, and
asserts that his own wife was cruelty
prosecuted by Gen. Methuen, whom
he afterward defeated and captured,
and she is now, with her six young
children, a homeless wanderer along
the veldt. His mother, also, was
driven from her home, after being
robbed of her CATTLE and her house
and all her possessions given to the
torch. The kindly and courteous treat
ment which Methuen received at De-
larey's hands is another fact which
confounds the statements of Doyle.
Had Delarcy been the brigand which
Doyle pictures him he would have in
stantly put Methuen to death. Instead
he treated him With mercy and char
ity almost unknown in the annals Of
war. and proved himself. there and
then, man of the very highest honor
and virtue.
Were it necessary, we could go on
Indefinitely proving DR.. Doyle's mis-
statements, but his falsehoods are so
silly that they betray themselves.
They are all on Il line with his state
ment about the queens funeral. In
describing that event he said he was
willing to take the queens place in the
coffin. but no one. of course, took him
seriously.
In like manner he tells us now that
the English spend Is pence per day
on the Beers in the concentration
camps. While they spend only 8 pence,
or little more than half that amount
on their own soldiers. Imagine an
EurliShman StintinT himself for IN