BOY HERO

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 5, 5 December 1931, Page 12

BOY HERO

BOER’S COURAGE BEFORE FIRING

SQUAD.

A lively controversy has arisen from the story in Major-General J- E. • Seely’s war book of how during South African War, he threatened shoot a 12-year-old Boer boy if he d not reveal the whereabouts of m father’s commando (body of troops)For an English general to have to put a boy of 12 years under such an ordeal is a disgrace to the whole B ish nation, says a correspondent in a letter to the News-Chronicle. General Seely, in his book says: Jwonder if I did right.” In an interview recently he said that he did n agree that he had done very wrong, he had done it to get information which might save the lives of his men, and he would do it again every time . “General Seely is a kind-hearted English gentleman,” says the NewsChronicle, in a leading article, but it is difficult to believe that many other English gentlemen would acquiesce m the implications of this unhappy viewpoint." . ~ , The boy was put against a wall and a firing party ordered to load its rifles, but the lad refused to play traitor. Major-General Seely said tnat he never intended to shoot the boy. He thought it wonderfully brave of the lacL . General Smuts thought it a glorious illustration of courage, and neither he nor General Botha took exception to my action. I would like to meet the boy to get his views.**