SOUTH AFRICA

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 86, 8 October 1914, Page 7

SOUTH AFRICA

INVASION IV GERMANS. BOERS FIGMF*THE ENEMY. The steamer Crewe Hall, which arrived at Sydney from Capetown direct k»b Friday, brought further news of the invasion of the Union by Germans ivx» German South-West Africa. j The Crewe Hall left Capetown on 28th August, and a week before that daU it had been officially notified in Prfc> torn, the capital of the South African Union, that German troops had crossed j tho border in the neighbourhood of Nakob. and had invaded Union territory, where they were entrenching themselves. It was officially pointed out that th. force could not be a large one, as thft total strength of the troops and police in German South-West Africa was only 2171, and the toUl European population only about 9000. The units of the Coast garrison and the active citizen forces in the Union, were accordingly calkd out, and the municipality of Simon's Town, the British and naval base in South Africa, wa» placed under martial law, Attd tt was directed that air-craft seen in the prohibited area should be fired on without warning. On 23rd August it wag officially an* nonnced that the South African Mounted Rifles at Uphiffton had reported that a telegram from Kakam^s, conveying a despatch fiom Schuit Drift, had been received. This stated that a German ptrol attacked & small force of Afri» kandor refugees on nn island in the Orange River. As a result of the engagement the Germans wert repulsed, and left behind one eergeant killed, one wounded, ahd one prisoner, who surrendered rather than run the gauntlet of the Boer rifles. It appears that the Germans ordered the Boers to hand over their cattle, which they considered munitions of war. The Boers refused to do this, and went into laager on the island, The Boer women helped their men folk to entrench and defend themselves, and tho engagement which followed was sharp and decisive, though the numbers engaged were small. Naltob, where the Germans invaded the Union, is about 19 horn's' journey from Upington by toad, the postal road from Upihgton to Warmbad cutting the German border at Nakob. The German and British police stations face each other at this point, and there are usually four or five South African Mounted Police at the British statibn. Not far from Nakob is Ukamasj where the Germans have for some time maintnined a strong military post, which was under the command of a major of the German nrniy. Six months ago they w«re known to have had from 600 to 600 regular cavalry at this point, the neighbourhood being used as a remount camp.