NOTES ON THE WAR.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10522, 7 December 1899, Page 5

NOTES ON THE WAR.

[BY AH Ex-JiEMBEB OF THE IntELLKJBNCE Bkahch, South Akuca.]

The arrival of the New Zealand Contingent at Naauwpoort, the base of General Gatacre's command, is reported, and we may expect to hear that our lads have had a brush, with the enemy, as from a personal acquaintance with. Major Robin, hie officers, and- men, I feel certain that the «nemy will not have to look "very long for a fight if our Contingent, in the ordinary course of events, come in contact with them! I feel confident that the New Zealand Government and people will have every reason to feel proud of their countrymen, when, in the course of their duty to the Empire, they re-

ceive their baptism <of fire. Having lad ample opportunity of judging officers and. men alike, I can ody «a.y that any officer might well be proud to serve with each a command, and doubly proud of having the honour of leading it into Action. It is a gieat pity that it was not 1000 instead of 213 that "composed its strength, and particul&rJy so, in view ctf the necessity of mounted troops and -the especial fitness of mounted infantry for service against tie Boers.

Cables report that & portion of the enemy became demoralised doting the battle' on the Modder, and bolted from the positions they held, and the Free Staats Artifiery are especmlly mentioned for cowardice. These reports come from corresDonderits at Capetown, and do no* seem to~be justified by previous reports of the battle, or of the official reports by Lord Hethuen. He stated that the enemy fooght with great bravery, and the foot thai, they held their position front early dawn until darkness set in, and were able to carry off* their artillery, is strong evidence for believing theee reports of cowardice to be groundless. It is probable that the portion of the enemy that occupied positions south of the river were forced to retire, and , in doing so moved to the eastward towards Jacobsdal, in the Free State, and the movement of these troops may have given rise, to tie reported act of cowardice by peiraaxis not capable of judging the difference between a hasty retreat to escape capture, and an act of cowardice. Judging from tenxxr of the cables ftin&sned, the parties sending theni are not I the be*t'possible'judges-as to what is the difference between a rapid, retreat and a rout. : • . . _; ■ v The report that the enemy used.the Red Cross of Geneva as cover for their forces unusual for them; in fact, such ■'!tiic3B^ : 'i«^ , d°°? for much comment, bat, ssfwe pointed oat on, previous occasions* these acts w»H.»con* ' tinua until severe punishment is, meted, out to some of tie prisoners that are captured after committing such offences. i ( , The cablemessagesreport* tliat the enemy lost 150 killed and; hundred^ wounded at the Modder river fight, and that Qeneral Lord Methuen considers that the "morale"* of the enemy naa been seriously shaken by the recent 'defeats, and especially by the heavy losses they suffered \ , but, nothing daunted, they, seem to be preparing to offer lurther resistance to Methuen's advance about six miles north of their late position, so it je probable that their outposfe are now I about six miles from MethuenVpresent headquarters, while their main force is entrenched at Spytfontein- As we stated some days ago, it is evident that Spytfontein will be *t-he scene of the next engagement, which wiH decide the raising or otherwise of the siege of Kimberley. It is the delay in relieving Kimberley that renders the position at Mafeking" so very Serious. Further to the South General Gatacre has occupied the country at Putter's Kraal, just south of Sterkstroom, and reports that he has checked the rising of the Dutch colonists, but time will tell this better than General TJatacre or anyone else. . The news from Nata.l is very meagre, but; states that the bridge over the TugeUv at Frere has been finished. We will probably hear of an advance from that place to Colenso very soon, when heavy fighting may take place.