GENERAL POLE-CAREW ON THE WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4301, 9 March 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

GENERAL POLE-CAREW ON THE WAR

Major-General Pole-Carew,. Messrs. H. E. Duke, Ivor Guest, and J. ! W. Spear, M.’sP.,-were among the guests at the annual banquet of the Plymouth Mercantile Association.

Replying to the toast of “The Army,” General Pole-Carew said that with the trouble still gomg on ia South Africa he felt 'he ought not to be' at that gathering. When he-’left Koomati Poort it was thought that the war as a war was over, andthat only more or,less unpleasant police work had to be carried on; otherwise he should hot have come home. It was vary annoying that present disturbances have broken out, and tiresome that it should continue. ; It was absolutely necessary that we should see the business out to the bitter end, and. to teach the Dutchmen a lesson. For a considerable period they had treated Englishmen in South Africa like dogs. This arose very largely from our own mistakes.' - The greatest of those mistakes was the continual giving way to the Dutchmen. We gave way after Majuba, and fromthat moment Dutchmen had considered our., fighting capacity to be extremely small.

This war had taught them that in a stand-up fight they had not very much chance against the British. But ih« Dutch had found that continual asking and demanding had wearied our statesmen, and there had been all sorts, of potventions and agreements made in .theuf favour, simply because of their, persistence, which had' made us grow tired. Those mistakes were possible because the English people had not taken sufficient interest in the .Empire. We were pleas-, ed to call our giving-way: in South Africa magnanimity. That was a word absolutely unknown iu the: Dutch language. The Dutch would call it weakness, -tind they thought they could lickiis, andfhey were going on because they thought this jf they continued their opposition ■ w© should tire and make some oompfomiseHe looked to all present to make that impossibleWe must make the Dutchmen recognise that we were their masters. When that was accomplished he felt .sure they would become peaceable British subjects. Whatever mistakes had been made in. higher quarters in connection with the war, the rank and file and regimental officers had made very few. No matter what expense; was necessary, wo must complete our task, and, above all things, there must be no compromise.