"A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 62, 14 March 1900, Page 2

"A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE."

REMARKABLE FORECAST BY SIR ALFRED MILNER. A very remarkable statement, or rather forecast, by Sir Alfred Milner has inst been made public m the new Blue-book on the Transvaal question. Writing on November 30 to Mr Chamberlain a letter which was received on December 16, and in which he makes a crushing reply to the purely fictitious account of the now notorious interview Mr James Molteno received at his hands, the High Commissioner remarks: — "I have always regarded war with the Republics as a very formidable war indeed, owing to the colossal armaments of the' South African Republic. In view of these armaments 1 could not but anticipate a terrible struggle, the last thing in the world which I or I any man could look forward to other- j wise than with the gravest solicitude. But as to the after effects of the war, I deprecated the tendency to anticipate a condition of permanent bitterness and hostility between the races. The future would depend upon the system adopted when the war was over. With a policy of fair treatment and equal rights the wounds inflicted would heal in time, and there would be no enduring discontent where there was no grievance. Moreover, South Africa would cease to be what the policy of the South African Republic

had unfortunately made it, a huge I arsenal, and become like other young !countries a peaceful agricultural and I industrial State, intent upon the ma- ' ferial development of its vast resources." j Finally, Sir A. Miluer strongly denied that he ever used the words that | "he was determined to break the idominion of Afrikanderdom," but rejpeatsb his view of "the real root dififerences between our policy and that lof the South Afrcan Republic and its j sympathisers, viz., that the latter aimiccl at maintaining throughout South 'Africa the predominance of a single race, while we were contending foi equality." HOW THE MAUSERS SING. The "Pall Mall Gazette" correspon dent inside Ladysmith, writing Janu jary 20tih, gives an effective little pic turc of being constantly under fir there. Uc says; "It is the first tinin our history that the British Arm;

has been engaged with troops using Jilhe most modern rifles and smokeless powder. I had heard the Martini bullet on many occasions singing 'Where are you?' Now it is my luck to listen for hours dai y to tiho song of the Manner. It has two notes only 'ping' and 'swish.' and the speed of the nickeljacketed fiend is so great that when ] fired at- us from 2,000 yards range and farther, it strikes the' town with terrific velocity, and buries itself in a wall or ricochets for a greatdistance. The bullets pierce the iron verandahs and there is : scarcely a wall facing the enemy's • position that is not studded with lead and holed in all directions. How we have so few casualties to report is a. marvel that I can never begin to understand. All day Jong they sit in their trenches and snipe us, and sometimes when they give us volleys (a style of firing that the Boer has lately adopted) or serve us with rapid independent, fire, the bullets come in like a hail shower. On Saturday night, for j example, with some others, I was j crossing the big open market-square j in the dark before moonrise. Our men in a, redan near us opened a heavy; fusillade on the enemy, and in a- few moments our friends beyond the outI post line replied vig-o'rouslv. The I i swishing and pinging of the bullets | about our ears was constant and ter- J rific. House roofs rattled, and on the: roadway around us the dust was \ thrown up in all directions. Yet no-1 body was even 'wigged.' " j