TRANSVAAL WAR

New Zealand Mail, 29 January 1902, Page 46

TRANSVAAL WAR

RECENT FIGHTING.

LONDON, January 20. According to a hundred and eighty prisoners, who have been brought to Standerton, the Boer 9 recognise that their independence is gone, but persist in fighting because their leaders insist. General Botha is twenty miles east of the Ermelo blockhouses. He is in touch with several groups, but there is no cohesion among the Boer commandoes elsewhere. General De Wet is seventeen miles south-east of Reitz, in the east of Orange River Colony. LONDON, January 21. Colonel Kekewich surprised Klassen s laager at Paardeberg, capturing eleven Boers. C-ommandant Wessels surprised a patrol of fifty of the Cradoek (CUpe Colony) Town Guard. Most of the latter are missing. Commandant Wolmarans, who was recently taken prisoner, expresses contempt- for the Boers in Europe living at the expense of the late republics and sending optimistic reports as to their prospects, knowing them to be false. Lord Kitchener reports that the in-, oculation of cattle for rinderpest, enabling ox transport to continue, has surprised the oldest inhabitants. In view of the final resistance, women are cultivating the fields near the Zoutspanberg so as to relieve all male Boers for service in the field. Six thousand seasoned troops are starting from India to exchange places with young soldiers in South Africa. Mr Kruger, in a recent interview, said the Boers would never accept subjugation first and then autonomy, but would insist on independence. LONDON, January 22. i Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, Chancellor j of the Exchequer, stated in the House of Commons that during the nine i months from April to December last the war had cost £46,000,000. Privates James Considine and William : Bates, of the Seventh New Zealanders, ' have been wounded at Charleston. Thero are nearly five thousand blockhouses in the Transvaal and Orange Colony. They require a garrison of 50,000 troops. Lord Kitchener's weekly report states that continuous rains had interrupted operations. Thirty-one Boers had been killed, 18 wounded and 170 taken prisoners ; and 41 had surrendered. Dr Loyds has protested to the Powers ■ that the execution of Commandant Scheepers was assassination. In the House of Commons Viscount Cranborne, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, stated that £28,380 compensation had been paid for the detention and search of German vessels in South African waters. LONDON, January 23. A system of blockhouses, constituting a parallelogram 140 miles by 60 miles, enclosing General De Wet, has been almost completed. Lord Kitchener reports that Lord Methuen, after a running fight for eight miles, captured a laager, many cattle and twenty-three Boers at Boschpoort. General Bruce Hamilton, during s night march against General Botha, captured twenty-seven of the enemy at Witbank. Colonel C'olenbrander captured seven of St-eenkamp’s men in theMagaliesberg. Ho unearthed twenty barrels of gunpowder and twc hundred rounds of shrapnel. The sentences passed upon Lieutenant Botha and others, belonging to one of tho Capo District Mounted Corps, for misbehaviour and cowardice in surrendering to the Boers at Doornbosch in October last,have been reduced—Botha’s to one year’s imprisonment, and the others to lesser periods. LONDON, January 23. A hundred and fifty Boers surprised twenty-five Yeomanry who were acting as escort to thirty-five natives engaged in grass-cutting at Lindiquespruit. A gallant resistance was offered, but the British were overpowered, and lost one killed and seven wounded. Four unarmed natives were shot in oold blood. Six Boers were killed and four wounded. LONDON, January 24. The blockhouse line has been completed from Klerksdorp to Ventersdorp, and thence to Zeerust. It will be continued to Mafeking. Mr Kruger, in a note to the Dutch press, in reply ri> Mr Chamberlain, says the Boer leaders claim complete independence, and that without granting it negotiations are hopeless. Mr Balfour, speaking in the House of Commons, said no peace proposals had reached the Government since July from anyone able, to speak on behalf of tho Boer leaders. Mr Brodrick, Secretary of State for War, stated in the House of Commons that Commandant Scheepers was executed for seven cold-blooded murders of natives and for flogging a white man. Colonels Fanshawe and Barker have oaptured fifteen Boers. Three hundred Boer prisoners in Bermuda have offered to swear allegiance. Others are willing to swear neutrality. Great- inducements are being offered to British residents in tho United States to settle in South Africa, in order to eradicate race hatred.

or PARIS, January 21. M. Delcasse, Minister for Foreign Affairs, said it was impossible to mediate in the South African war. An attempt to enforce mediation inevitably meant war. WASHINGTON, January 20. Mr Webster Clavis, a pro-Boer advocate, has presented a petition to Congress bearing 200,000 signatures from the South-Western States, asking for American intervention in South Africa. SYDNEY, January 22. Both the morning papers endorse the sending of a further contingent. They accept the call for more troops as an indication of a determined effort to finish the war before the King’s coronation. SYDNEY, January 24. The first Federal Contingent for South Africa is practically completed, and the enrolment of the second has been started in the various States. The transports Manchester, Merchant and St. Andrew have arrived at Albany. The former brings a number of returned troops. MELBOURNE, January 23. The Senate has adopted resolutions expressing indignation at the baseless charges against the troops in South Africa, and its readiness to give all requisite aid to the Empire. The resolutions -were greeted with cheers. Excepting that of Mr McGregor (South Australia), who protested against it.e continuance of the war, all the speeches were strongly patriotic. Subsequently Mr Pearce (Western Australia) presented a petition praying that the Australian contingents in South Africa should be withdrawn. The petition contained several allegations of cruelty against the British troops. Colonel Neild ejaculated ‘Wholesale lies.” After a protest against the petition being read, the House received it in silence. MORE MEN FROM AUSTRALIA. MELBOURNE, January 21. I In the Federal House of Representatives, Mr Barton stated that he had received a cable message from Mr Chamberlain saying that in view of the splendid response of Australia to the recent request for troops, the Imperial Government would Very gladly accept another thousand men on the same terms as the contingent now being raised. He proposed to reply without delay that the Government would comply with the request.

In reply to a question, Mr Barton said he had offered to provide transports, but the War Office expressed a des ire to carry out its own transportation arrangements.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CARTERTON. January 23. Two Carterton boys, who have enlisted in the Eighth Contingent, were given a public farewell last evening. Private C. Smith was presented at the Council Chambers with a pair of binocular field glasses, and Private G, Hart was entertained at a ‘‘social” at Dalefield. Carterton and district seem likely to contribute a considerable number to the Ninth Contingent. Already one enlistment is reported, and numerous applications have been put in for enrolment. The Premier ha-s been advised that Private "William Henry Davies, of the Seventh Contingent, who belongs to Medbury, North Canterbury, was lying dangerously ill at Charlestown, South Africa, from a gunshot wound on the 13th instant. The Premier has received a cable message, through his Excellency the Governor, from the Casualty Department, Capetown, dated 18th inst., to the effect that Alfred Ernest McMarn. No. 4319, is dangerously ill at Mooi river with enteric fever. Our Wanganui correspondent says : Sergeant-Major E. B. Lockett, on his return home from South Africa, received a hearty welcome from his many friends. The Premier has been advised by cable that at Charlestown, South Africa,_ Corporal Kifney, of Marton, and Private William Cameron, of Grovetown, Marlborough, were dangerously ill on the 18th and 19th inst., the former from enteric fever. The disease from which Cameron was suffering is not stated. Both men belong to the Sixth Contingent. The same cable message also states that Sergeant W. Moore (Seventh Contingent), of Dunedin, was ill of enteric fever on the 18th inst. The Premier has received information cable stating that the following members of the Sixth New Zealand Contingent are dangerously ill .-—3402 Fred. Onyon, 3612 Samuel Gilbert, 3228 Frank Fahey. The above information comes from Charlestown, dated 20th January. A message from Heilbron, dated 21st January, states that 4270 H. Cullins is also dangerously ill. All are cases of enteric fever. F. Onyon has relations m Wellington. His mother resides at Mackenzie terrace. The following men from South Africa returned to Wellington by the Zealandia on Friday—Sergeant A. Bczar, Scott’s Railway Guards (Wellington) ; Corporal Collis, Cape Police (Oamaru); Privates O’Shea and Norton, South African Light Horse (Wellington).