THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12242, 30 June 1900, Page 7

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

—I—I —H'l I I THE HOSPITALS. MR RURDETT-COUTTS CONTRADICTED. DR TREVES’S OPINION. : AUSTRALASIAN CASUALTIES. WET’S RAID. SPIES IN PRETORIA. : United Press Association—By Elec trio Tdegmph—Copyright. LONDON, June 28. Dr Tntws, who recently spent soma mpnth.9 as commlting-surgeon to tie unny,' in South Africa, interviewed with reference to Mr Bnraett-Goutts’s statements, declares that charges are incredible. The following casualties areannounced: —* ppxporal Dolts, Tasniania, killed at D’ankerhock; Bugler Hortle and Private Kingston (Viotgria), and Privates Pope, March and Forbes (South Australia) 1 mining at Pretoria; Private Flint, of New South Wales, died of fever. DEATH OFA NEW ZEALANDER. H LONDON, Jane 28. W- Anderson, of the New Zealand Mounted Infantry, died of enteric fever at Pretoria. DE WET’S ATTACK ON THE RAILWAYS. SPIES SWARMING IN PRETORIA. GREASED RAILWAY LINES. LORD RORLRTS’S PROCLAMATION. PRETORIA, June 28. During his recent attacks on the railways, Pcsjumandant De Wet captured and burnt the winter clothing of the First Army Divi. sion. Pretoria swarhs with spies. '■ . The Boers have greased the railway inclines, and Lord Roberts has issued a proclamatidn that he will levy fines on farmers where, the railways are damaged, and com*.; pel them to accompany the trains where the route is threatened. ■■■ -:>:■■■ A SKIRMISH AT RUSTENBERG. CAPTURE OF-BOERS. REINSTATEMENT OF OFFICERS. (Received June 29, 9.12 p.m.) < CAPE TOWN, June 28. General Hutton’s and General BadenPowell’s forces had a smart skirmish near Rustenberg, capturing 150 of Commandant ; Snyman’s conunando and two guns. Lord Nfethuen. expelled the Boers from a ; Strong position near Vereeniging. AU the officers taken prisoners -by the Boers and since liberated, have been reinstated in their former- positions, Lord Roberts reporting that no blame attached to those who had surrendered. THE BRITISH SICK AND WOUNDED. (Received June 29, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, June 29. In reference to the indignation at-the Cape, and Mr Burdert-Coutts’s charges, Lord Roberts admits that there were abnor- ' mai sickness and hardship on first reaching Bloemfontein, but directly the railway was

termed, the Requirements of the sjck-and wooded were-the first consideration.: .He • adds that fee had since heard that everything was working satisfactorily. OPERATIONS AGAINST DE WET. CAPE TOWN, June 29. -The movement to crush Commandant De Wet' has commenced. Already the British Shave had several small successes near Sene'feait and Eoodivalsprmt. EXPULSION OP HOLLANDER y. . , Officials. ’ PRETORIA, June 29. , to their insolence and treachery Lord" Roberts has ordered the Netherlands toflway officials to leave the country within three days. THE PRESENT POSITION, ’ OPINIONS OP AN EX-MILET-AiRY . OFFICER. ; ‘ ‘ (By RHAAIABIDISWI.) NOTES. As there is.no fresh cable; news frmit . tne BKt rf war, these notes must necesanlyte. hrieL It is stated with regard to the Free State that the Boers have greased therart- ■ wav inclines, which, in itself, is a cowardly, to do, and only bears .out what .the writer said some two months ago, that tie leniency of the British cap- ‘ tured -Boers in the Free State was smgy childish, and would bear very se "° l “^ m 2 in. the further ■prosecution of, , war ’ the British. advanced northwards. These acts performed, in ’cases, by previous combatants, who n_Ye Wmii down-their -arms,-. and, on their .wotd o Eohr and to -'Mhdstile acts.^ fer, 5L /reefer number of tu© Boers hare no fp.™ a honour.' -, Xnrt Bobeits - -Eh'may have- a deterrent aid is good 'as far as it goes, and as ste he could not, 2iave done much more; but if treachery and 3S acts of this sorb, and brsanhes of S&T are to be fairly brought-home to Ssi or two, the best course to pursue, m <rf humanity, wouid to bang SL who are proved to be guilty of such

sd«s who swam 1 in. Pretoria and •Bloeiitftmtem should be ftoNiame way, without loss of tune. h»«n e roritv to such men as these, it has iaJL- teen sufficiently proved,. is ateurd, SfLmer methods > must be adopted to SafTXtorrent to others or the lenmt -saSsity of to® British will be masmterSTL s weakiiess. If &mer measures are ■ the war will drag on other nine miserable months, and hundreds SrolSle lives oh both’‘sides will be unneand millions of money SS b/spent that might have been SdS to this, there is nhb the shght«?daubb that; at aU-coats, to*: Snild be stamped out promptly in toe. Free ■ fitata . What is now- urgently needed there, to accomplish this -effectively and rapidly fc aTStional/SOOO ' mar , e twirras. with horse artillery; and, as General ffis now aggre^TOinthe TraSvaal, the wnter thmks it would be a good, move • for- Lord Roberts TZ, f > rsioxiel Carrington s mounted Rhode toTSSh » paS of Olonel Burner’s W General Baden-Powell’s seasoned veteSns to stiffen them up, march then; down to" Pretoria, use them, it ■fSsaxy, first of all to repel Bothas fresTSalened attack,, threuah to Roodeval, an tod Free State, - and commence operations in ■the crushing of Commandant Do Wet and the rebellion generally in the Free State. TlSSice of news may, ,of course, mean that Lord Roberts has already tahensome stens to thoroughly deal with the rebeUion .inthe’Free State-, as 'there is that ths -action of the enemy, there during, the St three weeks or a, month has constitated a serious menace to his position m the . Trans Aa it ia satisfactory to note that the Homo authorities are continuing to take steps for 'the punishment of rebels lately “ “ nitja Colony, and .it . is to be., hoped that Sber“r Ato-rf North in tto Cane Assembly, and several' others, and of the ministers of the Dutca Refomed ' Church, will be dealt with severely, as there ig^ ample proof °- f toeir having encouraged ■ rebellion all through Cape Colony. - rps» Psess AssocxATipif.] ... WELLINGTON,: June 29. ‘ ■ A ■rrwrtmtr of the Lansdowne House'.ouh-. lid ol W . how serving, .m South Africa-, , Government House . this evmng, tloimless of Ranfurly m tiechair. letter was read from- the Duchess of York,; president of the New Zealand and Tasmanian Branch, explaining the objects of the Fund ■ and the mode of distribution, and asking to ■be informed of any - deserving cases, relief. PEACE CELEBRATIONS. Tbs Rangiora -Peace Celebration Commit,tee held a meeting bh Thursday evening. There was an attendance of eighteen members, and Mr A: B. Blackett, Mayor, was ■in the chair. Mesdames Furby, Mackett ’and Boyd represented, too Ladies’, GonimitW; and reported that £lo would be required . ‘to provide refreshments for the children iLetteis were received from the; Ashley qnd -Southbrook Schools, accepting,, the mvita--1 tio.fi to" take pato in the 'celebration. Satis■factory reports were received from sub-com-•'miutees- The Sports Committee reported ■lhaving arranged a programme of twelve 'events, including a sham fight by the volunteers, manual exercises and a skipping- com- ' petition for girls. It was recommended that a charge of 6d for admission to the grounds ' should be made to adults; chiMtoff, to be free. .Tha meeting was adjourned until Tuesday ■ ■''Evening to receive a report from the Finance Committee. '■ ... ? About twenty persons attended a meeting , ef the Peato Cdebratipn Committee ahKaiapdi. The Mayor'(Mir E; FelcbvitoLpresided.It was decided to ’ ato the Government to allow children to travel free on the railway •oh Peace Day, It was stated that Mr Parnham had offered to give a bullock to- the Maoris who would take part in the proceedings. It was decided to ask the Red,, White ‘ and Blue Brigade to call a ..meeting of its members to’ decide whht part the Brigade "should take in the proceedings. V. ,'i