STOP THE WAR PUBLICATIONS!

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11692, 29 June 1901, Page 3

STOP THE WAR PUBLICATIONS!

TO THE EDITOR. '• Sir,—Somo prpors have accidentally come ■.;/'/■ into my hands entitled " How We Aro Waging War," " The Truth About the War.'; etc. These leaflets are being- distributed 7 gratis about town, and I hereby declare ■ them to be for the meet part a tissue of lies, ' scandalous id traitorous publication*. I wish to state this plainly, that anyone who may pick up. the- said leaflets may not 'take the disgraceful state- : / / ; . ments as facts%. The paper contains what . are said to bo letter;) from a " British officer // in command in' South Africa," and boar on the face of them tlio imprint of ' falsehood. If tho British officer who is supposed to have written actually did so (which I do not for one instant believe), either lie is a blackguard -to remain in the service if . such things as ho reports bo true, or lie is a traitor to take his country's pay and under - / /; a nom de plume libel and scandalise her armies and their leaders. It is by.no means " conduct worthy of an officer and a gentle-; ; • man." He is wise not to sign his name; he is ashamed to do so, as weli lie may be. It is to be hoped ho will bo shot in. tho stead of some better man in the next encounter with these foolish and wicked Boers. ' Sir, I have many friends among the gallant /'.'- contingents who have left our shores—men / /'; who would scorn to lie, or atea], or insult defenceless women, and some have returned from the campaign, "and I declaro that in/-;:'/ not one case to my. knowledge has any one " > of them brought back loot of any value— s coins, stamps, curios—but valuablesno, sir! it is a vile slander to even hint at such & thing! As for our British Tommy Atkins,much loot can ho (poor follow!) carry away ' ; i-.' in his valise, who can hardly crawl, himself, ~ sore-footed and ragged! That some may have got a few valuables ;is possiblo, but , think of what Britain has lost by tho ignorant obstinacy of the Boor leaders; think of the lives sacrificed to their white flag treachery, which is a fact, repeated again and again, corroborated by those whose words are worthy //.'y of belief. And yet the slim Boer keep 3up his secret murderous gamewarfare it.is not,' • :'i when the foe so seldom dares to face us like fy} '• men. And yet there are persons in Auckland, our loyal city, who dare to take the : : ; part of Britain's enemies! Shame on. them! Bufc_ such men will take our money and' malign our country. Why don't they go to '-./ South Africa? .1 notice the Melbourne State Assembly have expelled Mr. Findley, and /. quite right, too! The Old Book says, "A - kingdom divided against itself cannot stand." But, sir, we ara not, divided; enly a few miserable malcortents .'who object to every--thing will, shout and scream, or crawl and poison, such . ' Living shall forfeit fair renown, And doubly dying will go down To the vile dust, from whence they sprun* Unwept, x'nhonoured, and unsung! It is time a stand was taken against such ." persons, lest simple folk may bo led to fancy that their lies were worth believing! / I am- proud to sign myself A Britisher. i:>' [The leaflets are specimens of the publications issved by tho " Stop-the-War" Committee in London. The allegations by a ./ "British Officer" have been completely ex--/VA'V posed in' England, but the Pro-Boer Commit- • J tee apparently consider they may have somo •r J effect in the colonies.— ",'jV