CAUISTRY OF GENERAL BEYERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 74, 24 September 1914, Page 6

CAUISTRY OF GENERAL BEYERS

m — The resignation of General Beyers of ! the South African military command [ must be considered from two viewpoints — that of General Beyers as a Boer, I and that of the Dutch-speaking population of South Africa. There can be no burking the larger issue, because the retiring Commandant's arguments raise the whole racial question and the British conduct of the Boer war. He emphasises the injustice of that war and certain barbarities alleged to have been committed in it; but he sacrifices any claim to fair-mindedness by ignoring the fact that Britain has expiated — has given South Africa a free constitution which prevents General Beyers from being treated as the writer of sucli a letter would be treated in Germany. If, in his mind, the events of the Boer war have a practical bearing on the events of to-day, to the extent of determining his attitude as Commandant of the Union Forces, then his acceptance of that position is utterly indefensible, either on personal or on general grounds. As the alleged barbarities of 1899-1902 cannot possibly excuse the quite unnecessary devastation and alleged barbarities committed by the Germans in 1914 — even in the mind of General Beyera two wrongs can hardly make one rightit becomes necessary to conclude, as General Smuts has done, that this part of the letter of resignation " can only be calculated to sow hatred and dissension among the people of South Africa." The attempt to draw a distinction between attack and defence is something like the parallel word-jugglery about "forgiving" and "forgetting"; concerning which it need only be said that some people's memories are much more damaging than other people's resentment. In this war the aggressor was Germany ; and, once war begins, it must inevitably comprehend both attack and defence, for all parts of the Empire, according to their needs and ability. And if General Beyers wishes to exclude himself from a war of attack oil personal grounds, what answer has he for General .Smuts's statement that he (Beyers) made the plans? The fact is that the present attitude and the recent past of the retiring Commandant are quite irreconcilable. Despite his evil inspiration, the Dutch-speaking populace will, it is hoped, recognise that if Britain was wrong in the Boer war, she is right toJ day; that she has atoned ancient errors, and that her championship of Belgium should not be ignored because of her parallel interest in the maintenance of the European balance of power. If the Boer people do not take this view, i coercion of them would be hopeless. General Smuts, in his denunciation of lip-loyalty in fair weather and of proGerman sentiment in time of stress, has eloquently sounded the true note.