THE BOER WAR.

Evening Star, Issue 11680, 12 February 1902, Page 8

THE BOER WAR.

TO THE EDITOB,

Sir, —1 occupy a peculiar position in your issue of this evening. One correspondent, referring to my letter under above heading, says " it exactly expresses his sentiments " ; while another, with more zeal than wisdom., makes a ponderous attempt to " sit" on me. It is not my intention to charge " Pure New Zealander," as he charges me, with having ''over-read himself" —the Gods forbid! The fact is, some " Pure New Zealanders" (particularly the species who have never been beyond Otago Heads, and who certainly have never " over-read" themselves) have got it into their poor noddles that New Zealand leads the van 'n soldiering and everything else; and a little wholesome criticism, however much needed, tends to reveal a skin of very transparent texture. Far be it from me to deny that some Imperial officers are fools, and destitute of tact. But can "Pure New Zealander " name any body of men in any profession numbering thousands which does not contain tactless individuals; or does he wish us to believe that all our New Zealand officers are gifted with this wonderful "tact," and quite devoid of "side"? A story is told by Russell, the famous 'Times' correspondent, which seems very much to the point—an episode in his letters with regard to the American Civil War. Evervone who has read the story of that stupendous conflict fl am not referring to " Pure New Zealander") that for a lime the Northern army was simply a ridible, without, drill and without discipline, when Jack was as good as his master and a great deal better. It was not an uncommon firing for the men to tell their officers to " mind their own bJoomin' business." Well, Russell's story (find 1 fancy he was an eye-witness) is to the effect that a soldier disobeyed his superior's orders at the camp near Washington, and that at the moment General Sherman passed in company with President Lincoln. Russell goes on to say that the officer appealed to Sherman, and he (.Russell) wondered what the general would do, seeing he was in Lincoln's company, who, at the beginning of tlie war. was very weak-kneed in the matter of enforcing discipline. " Pure New Zealander" could have given Sherman a few points, ajid advised him to address the erring soldier thus: " Now, my good man, this is not right, you know. Please, please obey your officer's orders, like a good fellow"!"' But Sherman was a soldier, and all he. said was: "Obey your orders at once, sir." The sullen idiot stood still, with a disobedient scowl on his face, whereupon the general whipped out a revolver, and, painting it at the man's head, quietly remarked : " 1 give you one. minute to obey your officer's orders." Poor Sherman! He must have been a student of military history, and must have sadly "over-read" himself. He also sadly lacked a course of " over-reading " " Pure New Zealander's '' letters to the Press. Pity it is. sir, that "Pure New Zealander" did not sign his name to his letter, so that when he is old and grey-headed he might have shown it to his grandchildren as a specimen of "vouthful indiscretion.'' I claim, sir, that in my letter J did every justice to our soldier lads as a whole; but it was surely the irony of fate that in a column adjoining "Pure New Zealander's" letter you should print a cable telling us that a "dozen New Zealanders were missing when the Surrey sailed—the very stump of men doubtless, whom I was aiming at; the go-as-you-please, free-and-easy soldier, who would probably have "cheeked" their officers had they hunted the men out and threatened them with arrest, and very likely have written to the pajiers about the amount of " side " put on by their superiors. —I am, etc., Scoto-New Zbal/AJSTdbe. February 11.