The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-10-16
Beers IN REVOLT
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Rebels Are Led by Veteran Of
TranSyaal War.
MARTIAL LAW IS PROCLAIMED

Britain Hears That Majority OF boers
Of Her Southern Cape Provinces
Are Loyal-coI. Solomon G. Maritz
Heads seceders-Germany's Hand
Is Seen.
Cape Town, via London. Oct. IA
A serious revolt has broken out in
the northwest of the Cape provinces
and Lord Buxton, governor general
of the union has proclaimed martial
law throughout every part of the ter
ritCry.
The rebels are led by Col. Solomon
G.. Maritz, who fought in the Boer
war and who has been military COM
mandant of the northwest Cape prov
inces.
Dissatisfaction in that section has
been marked for some time but an
outbreak was avoided until the South
African government determined to
supersede Colonel Maritz. He sent a
defiant answer to the communication
notifying him of the decision, arrest
ed the loyal members Of his command,
joined the remainder to German
forces and took the field for war.
The bait that caught the Dutch
soldiers and citizens in the northwest
was furnished by Germany, in the
shape of a promise to aid in the es-
adjustment of free republic, built
10 tIa Drift Itch
tendency. General Botha, premier Of
the Union, former Boer leader and
now commander of the Union forces
which he is to lead against German
severe measures to suppress the re-
Sellion. Dutch citizens here insist
that the majority Of the Beers are
adherents of Great Britain in the
preLent war and that Maritz and his
followers have been blinded by Ger
man praise and inducements.
LcrG BuXton's proclamation which
was published Monday in the Gazette
extraordinary, to take effect Monday,
provides for the administration Of all
the Cape provinces as If a state of
war existed.
Britain Is Aroused.
LCLdon, Oct. 14.-Until Tuesday
Great Britain had been able to con-
centrate all her attention and ener-
gies upon the prosecution of war by
land and sea upon Germany and Aus
tria. There was not a discordant
note in the chorus of sympathy and
support which arose from every part
Of the empire and was expressed in
great gifts of men, money and sup
plies from Canada, India, Australia
and from Africa.
For this reason the announcement
By the official news bureau that a
portion of the Dutch population in the
Cape colonies had revolted against
British control and had Joined with
German troops, fell as severe blow
to all England.
Germany Behind II.
There is no doubt that Germany is
behind the revolt 1t is remembered
he'c now with bitterness that Colonel
Maritz is the man who was sent by
Great Britain in 1904, in command OF
detachment of Beers, to aid the
Germans in suppressing a revolt of
the native Hereros in German South.
west Africa. Maritz, general in
rank at that time, was engaged by
General Trotha, commander of the
German forces, as military adviser,
and commanded the main army in the
| expedition against the natives.
Apparently the connections made at
that time with the Germans in South,
west Africa have been renewed and
Maritz has yielded to the lure of be.
ing one of the founders of a new re.
public.
1t is now learned that the Germans
have been prosecuting seditious
rropG ganda for several years.
Just how serious the situation has
bectmo within the last few days u
is Shown by the proclamation of mar.
tial law.
Most of Beers Loyal.
Encouraging messages come from
South Africa asserting that the pres
ent revolt will not spread and that
the malcontents are contained in the
force which has already gone over
to the Germans with the exception of
few of the principals whose present
location Is unknown. This intelligence
is. however, taken with grain of
sat for It is feared that General
Botha realizes the likelihood of a DIFF.
fusion of the trouble and had enour h
evidence of it to lead him to insist
uron martial law for the entire
Union.
One dispatch renews the statement
that Colonel Maritz proposes to es.
tahlish free republic in the territory
of which he was formerly the military
commander and says that opinion in
Cape Town characterizes II as an act
OF "urspeakable traitorism" and a
shock to the real sentiment of the
Dutch people.
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