INTERVIEW WITH DR. BURNS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11110, 31 October 1901, Page 5

INTERVIEW WITH DR. BURNS.

(SPECIAL TO "THB'PBESS.") ~ . r , i>UNEDIN, October 29. * * Dr. Thomas Burns, who has returned from the Transvaal aife,r,, serving with the First and Seventh Contingents, on beng. asked his opinion of oiur men when on , active duty, relied are really c&pital.. fdlows. They have little or no fear under fire j they can shoot straight, and although hard riders they know-how fto take care of their hones. In the latter respect they have a considerable advantage over the Imperial troops. They have a toorough knowedge of horses, and can take more out of the animals than the Home troorra. Our lads alea have another advantage over the Imperial troops, and that is, tbey can always be depended upon to w'ght th*ir rifles at the first tyro or three , shots." 4 On being further, questioned, he said:— 'There is a great difference in the- warfare of to-day, and when I was formerly in the Araosvaal The first time we had to fight almost every day. Now, it is a kind of guerilla warfare, where skirmishing may not occur more than once or twice in a week. The Boers have been compelled to give up their style of fighting. They, are now quite demoralised and disorganised* and the war is fast filling out. They are roaming about tiw country in small bands, and carrying on a, guerilla -warfare, bat they are being worsted in this. Likewise, the shelter that farmhouses formerly afforded these roving bands is being taken from them. There is scarcely a farmhouse left standing anywhere. Their food short; th«y nave no stores, except such as are buried or are captured from us. Jtfany o f the Boers are bootless, ragged, and tanned. Our policy now is to make life so hard for tiem tlxat they will he compelled to give up the struggle. We have captured their food supply horses, sheep, waggons, jranumtion, cUe we can ?et -old oi. xne Kaffirs and rmive population «rv suffering very much just n>w. wibj to the SI' 7 ° f ? t ««-«faM the next disrmng of these races, owing to this caase. fought aU through the Maori wax, did good work in commanding dm- lads. He is a capable officer, and very popular with his men. Major Bauchop, of rfort Chaimers. is another who has done good work. I believe he has been recommended for the V.C. He started as subaltern, and rose to the rank of major, owjng to his natural ability, and solfnd 1 ! rt t?- H e **» excelfenHffiS, and a good friend to his men. ServantMajor Gabitee, of Timani, has good account of himself, and many other* I could name whose names do not suggest themselves at the moment." au b&***