NEWS OF THE WAR.

Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 140, 11 December 1899, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WAR.

GENERAL JOUBERT'S SUCCESSOR. On Friday wo werij. informed by cable thai General Jouberb Had been compelled tw relinquish tho command of the Boer Army in Natal to Commandant Schalk Burger; and that he is now at Volksrust, on the Transvaal border, under medical treatment. Mr. Schalk Burger, who has assumed command of tho Boers, was (says tho military contributor lo the Chriotchurch Press) born in the Transvaal, his father being President of the Republic at the time (1677) that Sir T. Shepstono annexed the country^ to the British Crown. Mr. Schalk Burger was one of the candi dales for the Presidency at the last general election m 3898, m opposition to Paul Kruger and Jouberl. i\ir. Burger stood as a progressive candidate, and was backed up by the Chamber of Mines of Johannesburg, as prominent Outlander.s believed ho could carry the burghers with him to adopt liberal measures. But tho progressive burghers divided their support between Jouberl and Burgher, and many progressive Boers became disgusted, and would not supporb either of the two candidates, so thab Oom Paul was returned to power with over twto-thirds of the burghers in support of his policy of repression. Mr. Schalk Burger was educated at Durban, and at Gray's College, Bloemfonlein, in the Orafige Free State, and speaks and writes English freely. He has occupied tho position of Chairman of the Vq|ksraad, and was very ambitions to carry out his ideas in regard to the treatment of the Oullanders. THE SITUATION A MONTH AGO. Writing under date 6th November, the •correspondent of the Sydney Daily Telegraph at Capetown said: — The week just ended has been one of what can only be described as terrible suspense, relieved at last by the glorious news received yesterday that General White has not only cleared his reputation as regiirds ihe Nicholson's Nek disaster, but has inflicted upon the Boers such a. drastic thrashing as will make them very wary how they tackle the pluck little Lady.smith. garrison again. Tho reason why our hearts misgave us was this . — We are kept by the censor almost in utter ignorance of what is being done with our own troops. At the same time we are confronted by the undoubted facts that the Boers are in possession of Northern Bechuanaland and of Northern Natal, where they are positively introducing their own form of government ; that Mttfcking, Kimberley, Colesbcrg, and Norval's Pomt — all colonial towns — and Ladysmith, Colenso, Dundee, and Glenco?, in Natal, are invested by the enemy; that, so far as outward appearances go, the Boers, not the British, have won all along the line. Of course, the inwardness of the thing is that the Boers have, only taken entirely undefended positions, and that in* eveiy pitched battle British arms have been victorious. And if it is true that they have captured a considerable number of our men and officers, it is equally true thai we have an entire set off even in that particular ; whilst recent advices show that the loss to the enemy in killed and wounded has been far in excess of our losses. You will &cc, then, that there has been a cloud ; nor has the cloud been yel by any means dispelled, for whilst ail the places I hay& named are beleaguered, we have no reinforcements here at present to effect their relief. Whether it be the wicked blundering of the Capo Colonial Government or the equally fatal failure of the Home authorities to realise our peril, the question remains thai wo have been terribly undermanned here. MARTIAL LAW IN CAPE COLONY. Two or three days ago (writes the Capetown correspondent of the Otugo Daily Times, under date 7th November), a proclamation was iviucd by the Governor proclaiming mailiol lnw in ceilain districlß of thih colony wliich me itl prtxrnl occupied by Brit Hi tioopi, and the cir cuimtanccs alli'ijding (lie Hmu; of tin 1 proclamation tlnow a curious MiiJeli^lil, ou the position of u(fiiii,«. The proclamation Avas, <►{ eouiv, toiiuh'JHgiit'd by Mr. SchrciiH'i", th<» I'ii/yc MujikUt, who, however, ft' lt railed Upon to take lilt; ('Xt)iiordinary hti-p ol i- -<um/j; a :>oil ol apology for the pi oclariiul ion, which wan generally circulated Uiioughoul Hie colony by the agency of iicld-coiuetH. It b unpwhililo to avoid contrasting this stale ol thiii|?K in Cape Colony with that whicli prevails in Natal. Tho Governor of JNatal pro*

claimed martial law throughout the colony weeks ago, but no. Minister of th" Crown felt it his businesK to i^-iiie an apology for Mich a cour.se. Here, however, theiv .>ccm.s to be s-ome such necessity, and the Prime Minister is ready immediately with a pacifying and a -"Miring message. As the leading daily paper of the metropolis of the colony remarked, if one contrasts this timorous halting policy on the part of the Cape with the hearty vigour displayed by Natal iv the assistance rendered to the Imperial cause, il Is enough lo make one blush to be a citizen of the same colony as tho.,e whoso loyally demands these apologies and explanations from the Prime Minister of the day. The "apology" referred to by the correspondent run.s as follows :—"lt: — "It is reported that in *some parts of the colony rumours aie circulated and .statements are made, lending seriously lo disttu'b the public mind, to the effect that in consequence of the present unhappy war between Her Majesty and the South African Republic and Orange Free State the free Parliamentary Institutions and Constitutional Government of this colony will be detrimentally affected or wholly lost, to the great injury of the people. I think it right in order to check the possible anxiety, unrest, disturbance, or other evil results whicli -such rumours or statements might produce if uncontradictcd, to request you to give Iho most direct contradiction tncreto wherever possible in your district, in your ward, and to a&sure the inhabitants that they may rest satisfied, while maintaining their attitude of loyal quiet and submission, despite all influences or sympathies which may strongly urge some to disregard their duty, that their constitutional privileges and rights or their free institutions and Parliamentary Government are nob and will nol be- endangered. In certain districts it has unfortunately become necessary, in consequence of actual invasion, or military occupation, for defence of outposts immediately threatened, to proclaim martial law, -with a view lo the taking of steps and precautions necessary for defence ; but this measure, occasioned by urgency while such invasion continues or is threatened, is only temporary, and does not, as has also been erroneously supposed by some, compel the burghers of this colony to be called out to lake part in these deplorable hostilities." AN AUSTRALIAN DOCTOR'S nEROISM. The following appeared in the Times of Natal of 25th October, as an extract from a private letter wliich had been received from the front, giving particulars of the heroic deed of Dr R. A. Buntine, on account of which he was recently mentioned in Sir George While's despatches "for conspicuous gallantry." Tho letter was dated 21st October : — "Little stoiies of individual gallantry are cropping upas the war progresses. One of the most brilliant so far was the plucky conduct of Dr. Buntine, of Maritzburg, who was out with the Carbineers during the brush they had with the Boers when Lieutenant Gallwey was lost. As the Carbineers retreated one of the horses fell and threw his rider .heavily, who was partially stunned. Dr. Bunline vode back and picked him up, and was helping him along on foot, liotly fired on by the Boers. On seeing this, Dr. Buntine 1 s orderly, called Duke, came back lo their assistance. The injured trooper was put < n the horse of the orderly, and Dr. Buntine brought his man back holding on to his stirrupleather. Doctors arc often described as non-combatants and in consequence are often looked down upon by their more warlike brothev officers. Well, at least, sometimes they can be heroic. Dr. Buntine is an Australian.," In a letter received by Dr. Morrison, Principal of the Scotch College, Melbourne, from an old^pupil, the Rev. J. i\l. Macdonald, an army' chaplain then in Piotermaritzburg, Ihc writer makes the following reference to this incident: — "The other night Dr. R. A. Buntine and J wete yarning aboijt our old school, so, though I am working under high pressure, 1 hasten to tell you that a despatch from the general officer commanding in Natal, Sir George White, V.C., goes home by tomorrow's mail, bringing to the notice of Her Majesty the conspicuous bravery under fire in the face ot the^cnemy oi Sur-geon-Captain R. A. Buntine, of the Natal Volunteer Medical Corps. He is recommended for the VC. H would be nice if the first Australian to get the Victoria Cross should be an old Scotch College boy Please put up a shield in the long classroom for conspicuous bravery, civil or mi litary, and put Dr. Bunline on it for 1899." JOTTINGS FROM VARIJU3 SOURCES. Mr. W. F. Monypenny, Lite i-riiioi: of the Johannesburg Star and The Times correspondent in Johannesburg, is now a member of the Imperial Light Horse, and fought gallantly with his regiment at Eland's Laagte. He also holds the Queen's commission, being a lieutenant in the 16th Volunteer Battalion of the Riiie Brigade (London Irish). Colonel Summer, Major Storey, Captain Gibson, and Captain Slocuni, ol the United States Army, have been detailed to proceed lo South Africa, to observe and report on the military operations there There is .something gruc.;oincly comical in the notion of the luneral undertakers of Pretoria having worked up their republican patriotism to the pitch of offering to bury the Transvaal burghers who come into their clutches as corpses free, gratis, and for nothing. — South African Review, Capetown. According to the Transvaal Agency at Brussels, tho Boers have 100,000 men in tho field. The force includes Boer regulars 35,000, artillery 1250, police 1750, Free State force (including Outlandcrs) 35,000, Natal Boers 3000, Boers from Bechunnaland and Rhodesia 8000, Foreign Legion (composed of 4000 Germans, ouUO Dutch, 2000 Irish, 1000 Scandinavians, 600 Americans, 600 French, Swiss, and Italians), and 200 Jews doing police work. The British troop. 1 ) have gained a brilliant victory in the face of overwhelming odds and under the most unfavourable conditions. Albion's \voi\sl enemies must udmit this. — Neuo Freie Prcs.se, Vienna. A little incident that may Ix 1 mentioned in connection with the attack on Fort Molyncux, near Colen.su, is that volleys from the Lce-Mclford i ol the "Dubs'' were very effective at 2000 yards, while Mauser bullets, fired by the Bocr.s in return, were falling far short. The victory of the British nt Glcncoo is a surprise lo everyone. No one ciedited the British Army wilh the qualities idiown by the olliceis and men who inllicted no f-.evero a dclcat on Ihu Boers.— Tagblalt, Vicniiii. Vvhcn the news of the Glcncoc victory reached Capetown people went wild with delight. IVifi'd Hlniiif{i'i'h hliook hands, mid "God Have tins Qiii'on," tlic "Nuldici.-i of tint Queen," and "Now wo hliuu'l lie loHtf," WOW jtopilllll" flil'i. Tin; "pluggi'd" ■•liHh iv i'il liy the lloith in Llm ( Jli'iicoc lij.',lil, M<'Hi .'-lii'llx in which the liibu-hnliM wcic plui^'d with wood. A.s Jlniy didn't lnnM, Ihey nii^ht iih well liuv<* Ih'< j ii lirinjj only lound '<lml, Mt'Asi,-. N. .\1 Holli'-cliil.l ,iikl Moii'i pie icnled 1000 pipe, 1000 |i<iu.lies, nml 1000 pound* ot tulj.i'vt, lo tin- nitui ol the Ist N<o(h Giiaid* IhsJoih llioy U'tl tor the ('ape.

Tlio fiHonliwii of ilijvuix <tf <'<»il /'iirl.ri h (lirccl.iul I,d mi iidvcrli (!Mii!iil< li.y Tliniii|iHiiii JJioo, mid Co., \vlil<'h uji|iuuit. in iiiiothui 1 column. |- Mi'hhi'h. i-ii'luy mid <'o. will Mill Hi'sL-oliinm furniture*, piiuio, ynuiliuphuiiuM, ulo,- lo<iuui> row at 2 o'oluuk. without rumem*