Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1901-05-24 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

THE FARM-BURNING POLICY.  TIM publication of the official statistics of iarm-burning in the two Dutch Republics shows that the devastation has been more wanton and more general than most of us eared to suppose. These burnt farms and the unhappy families which we evicted from them are likely to govern our destinies for some little time to come. Until we force ourselves to fake the picture which these, statistics suggest we shall wonder in vain . why the war lingers on, and discuss in ignorance the real factors that govern the I future. We have been told that farms were burnt only as a punitive measure for oathbreaking. abuse of the white flag, and the like, while anything like general devastation has been emphatically denied. Well,' the official return admits the burning of six . hundred and thirty farms in the two Repikblies. It has given UN a full list, with the, reason for the destruction of each several farm. In the Orange Free State we find that only five farms were burnt for treuchcry, abuse of the white flag, murder, or oathbreaking. On the other hand, 157 houses— . a quarter of the total for both Republic,— ' were burnt in the Free State alone on the bare ground that orders had been given "to , lay waste" certain districts. A fifth of the total number (1N) were burnt for the ,1 simple reason that their owners were 'absent On commando." That is to say, we considered the fact that a Boer Wag fighting' , against us by the orders of his own Government for his country's independence sufficient warrant for destroying his house and , his property. Other farms were burnt down by the score on the ground that the woman in charge of them had -harboured Boers"; 1 that is to say, that she had neither the will nor the power to refuse food or shelter tol her own countrymen, her neighbours or herl relatives, perhaps, who happened to pass ' her door. These are the bare facts. No doubt our soldiers have performed their hateful task with all possible humanity, but the fact remains that this Government conducted the campaign during six months of its duration as even the Conservative -Standard" and "St. James's Gazette" admit—in defia.nce of the most elementary principles of civilised warfare. But indignation will not remedy the evil which has been done. We must recognise that it is al devastated country which we have now to settle, and a justly indignant race which we have to eoneiliate. A mental picture of ruined farmsteads and evicted families must be the background for any discussion of thei ' future. In the first place, we must make ' up our mind, to offer generously and frank-1 ly the fullest competuation. Bare justice. requires it. But even this will not remove the impression that the Boers have formed of us. We English are, to their minds, simply the nation which laid waste their country and burnt their homes in cold blood. They will not readily trust us. We must go' out of our way to show them that we did ourselves an injustice by our past harshness. Mr. Chamberlain, who condoned the Raid and whitewashed its author, who made the war and defended the fann-burnings— he. above all others, is not the man to entrust with the settlement. The Boers regard him 118 the enemy of their race. &edamd must approach this hideous problem in 11 new attitisle of sympathy. Anew man must undertake the task. He must resolve, as Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman put it at Bradford, so to act as to turn the Boers willing citizens. So soon as the havoc and the devastation have been repaired we most prove to these distrustful people. by the full grant of a reprtsentative colonial constitution, that we have no desire to suppress tli..ir liberties 26 we have destroyed their homes. I