Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-13
Beers IN REVOLT
IN SOUTH AFRICA


Southwest Africa. He is now at the
head of a force of German troops
armed with German guns, in addi-
ton to his rebel command.
The bureau states that the German
governor of Southwest Africa has
agreed to support Maritz and to
guarantee the independence of the
republic, which he proposes to es-
tablish, ceding to the proposed re-
public Walfish Bay and other ports
now in the possession of Germany.
1.-THE colonial government" the
bureau states, lis taking vigorous
measures to crush the rebellion and
to punish the traitors"
The proclamation imposing martial
law follows:
whereas, a state of war exists be-
tween the British empire on the one
hand and the German empire on the
other, and whereas the go 'rnment
of the protectorate of German South
west Africa has, through a wide
spread propaganda, persistently en-
deavored to seduce citizens of the
union and officers and members of
the defense forces of the union from
their allegiance, and to cause rebel
lion and civil war within the union;
and,
whereas, These efforts have so far
succeeded that Lieutenant-Colonel
Solomon Gerhardus Marltz, together
with a number Of his officers and a
portion Of the forces under his COM
mand, has shamefully and traitorous-
ly gone over to the enemy and is now
in open rebellion against the govern
ment and the people of the union,
and, is,qin conjunction with the forces
of the enemy, invading the northern
portion of the Cape Province, and
whereas, There Is grave reason to
think that the government of Ger
man Southwest Africa has, through
Its numerous spies and agents, COM
municated with and corrupted also
other citizens of the union under the
false and treacherous pretext of IA
voring the establishment of q repub-
lie In South Africa, and
Whereas, The government of the
union considers 1t necessary to take
effective measures to protect and de-
fend the interests of the union and
It's law abiding citizens against these
invidious and treacherous attacks
from within and without, and to that
end to declare martial law"
Continuing, the proclamation de-
clares that the whole union of South
Africa is under martial law as under
stood and administered In time OF
war, and dating from today.
The proclamation is signed by Lord
Buxton, governor general OF the
union, and countersigned by General
SHUTS, minister OF defense.
The rebellion among the forces or
the Northwest Cape Province has
been brewing since the resignation of
General Beyers as commandments
chief of the Union forces.
As soon as the government realizes
this situation it sent Colonel Brits
to relieve Maritz of his command.
Colonel Brits discovered that Marit3
was commanding German troops as
well as his own, and that he had
German guns in his possession. Ma
ritz had been given the German rank
of general.
According to an official statement
an agreement was drawn up between
Maritz and the governor of German
Southwest Africa guaranteeing the
independence of the union as a re-
public. ceding Walfish bay and other
parts of the Union to the Germans,
and undertaking that the Germans
should invade the Union only IL Ma
ritz asked them to do so.
Maritz boosted that he possessed
large supplies of guns, rifles, am
munition and money obtained from
the Germans, and that he would over
run the whole Of South Africa.
"In view of this state of affairs"
concludes the official statement. the
government is taking most drastic
steps to quell this rebellion and pun
ish all rebels and traitors according
to their deserts"
tai hta~ tod a.
sued the text of a telegram received
by the secretary of the colonies from
the governor general of South Africa,
which was as follows:
Ever since the resignation of Cen
aeral Beyers as acknowledgement OF
the citizens force, there have been in.
dications that something was wrong
with the forces in the northwest
Cape Province, which were placed I'M
der command Of Lieutenant Colonel
S. G. Maritz.
1.-THE government at once arranged
Ito send Colonel Conrad Brits to take
over the command from Lieutenant
Colonel Maritz. On the eighth instant
Colonel Brits sent message to Colo
mel Maritz to come in and report to
him. To this message Colonel Marit2
replied in a most insolent manner that
body. All he wanted was his dis
charge, and Colonel Brits must come
himself and take over his command.
Colonel Brits then sent Major Ben
Bouwer to take over the command.
On his arrival at Colonel Maritz's
camp, Major Bouwer was taken pris-
oner with his companions, but person.
ally he was subsequently released and
sent back with an ultimatum from
Colonel Maritz to the Union govern
ment to the effect that unless the gov
guaranteed to him before 10
o'clock Sunday morning, the 18th of
October, that they should allow Gen.
erals Hertzog, De Wet, Beyers, Kemp
and Muller to meet him where he was,
In order that he might receive instruc-
.tions from. Them. he would forthwith
make an attack on Colonel Brits's
forces and procetd s-@sh-r to invade
the union.