DEATH SENTENCE ON AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 82, 8 April 1902, Page 2

DEATH SENTENCE ON AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS.

(To the Editor.l

Sir—Before- condemning these men. let us pause and think. For Boers to dress in khaki uniform alone justifies these men's actions according to military Jaw, to say nothing of Boers robbing- and murdering a wounded Australian officer, who was left ou the ground. It is very well for General Button to try ami cloak his superior officers' actions, but can he tell us where those Boers got our uniform from to dress in, if they did not steal it from our wounded troopers. What was done to the Boer boy who shot one of our troopers dead in his saddle? I understood it was a. commander's first, duty to protect his own troops, but, we find Lord Kitchener reads his duty vice versa. For instance, when De la Key surprised Lord Methuen'.? column, we find one officer was shot who refused to surrender, and the same death was meted out later to a brave- Canadian who refused to surrender. Again, who ever heard of feeding the enemy and their families in concentration camps? In fact, recruiting them again for service against ourselves and starving one's own men. Mr Boer now either holds up the white flag, or forms up beside our troops, dressed in our khaki uniform. . No general is allowed to attack before sending to Pretoria to get Lord Kitchener's permission, thereby giving Mr Boer time to escape- May I ask if it is not time this nonsense was stopped? Have we not, paid enough in men and money? May God comfort that Australian widow iind her three children.—l am, etc., Ngaruawabia. E. J. MOFFATT.