THE AGENT-GENERAL'S CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11675, 7 March 1900, Page 3

THE AGENT-GENERAL'S CABLEGRAMS.

TO TIIK EDITOR. Sic, —Unjust criticism is one of the experiences which persons occupying public positions must expect. Much of it they very wisely ignore, but occasionally a public man is made the object for an attack of such a particularly outrageous character that for his reputation's sake he or his friends are forced to break silence. For this reason I have decided to reply to (he reference made by the chairman of the Dunedin Stock Exchange to tho war cablegrams sent by the Agent-general. In his address to the members of the Exchange on Friday, Mr Hcrdman is reported to have protested against the tone of the Agent-general's messages, and to have said, " If Mr Reeves was a pro-Boer, he should so declare himself." The only inference which I it is possible to draw from this remark is that the speaker desired to make his audience behove that the Agent-general's sympathies are with the Boers. A more unjustifiable attempt to bring discredit on the motives of a perfectly innocent porson was never made. I have no means of ascertaining Mr Reeves's opinions about the political aspect of the present difficulty in South Africa, but I do know that his loyalty will stand the test of the most searching examination. It the chairman of the Stock Exchange will refer to the back numbers of the newspapers he will discover that ever since the outbreak of hostilities the Agent-general has been active in promoting movements for providing assistance for the British forces, and also for collecting money to furnish comforts for the New Zealanders at tho front. Is (his the kind of work that is likely to occupy the attention of a proBoer? But it is over his cable messages that Mr Reeves's patriotism is called in question. Because his despatches are not embellished by the highly-coloured.and often misleading language of-'the war'correspondents, and because they relate simple facts in plain terms their author's loyalty is doubted! If Mr Herdman can reveal a single instance in which the messages he objects to have betrayed symptoms of pro-Boer proclivities, he will have disclosed a meaning apparent to none of Mr Reeves's fncncls here. In this part of the colony the despatches aro accepted for what they are intended—brief summaries of the situation from day to day. Their accuracy, save perhaps m their compiler's estimate of the nume■•ical strength of the enemy's army, has scarcely ever been challenged, and never disproved If Mr Herdman will take the trouble to inquire in the proper quarter ho will probably learn that the despatches are compiled from official records -supplied by the War Office. This accounts, no doubt, for the frankness thoy exhibit. They may not always flatter our vanity, but they are trustworthy, and very often they have the additional merit of celerity. The insinuation r^hat they manifest sympathy with the Afrikanders is so absurd that I am tempted to retort that Mr HerdmaVs mental vision must liave been temporarily affected by the cheering news received on -L'riday from Ladysmith.—i am, etc.. _-.!•__, , f. H. M. Reeves. Christchurch. March 4.

TO THE EDITOR. -Sip.,—"Why not at this happy time try to condone- even the hitherto ■ unbearable antiBritish bias of the Agent-general? Everyone seems to have arrived at exasperation point at a time when ive should be forgiviuo- all our enemies. Look at our own pro-Boers" (you can only pick them out now by reminiscence poor creatures: they are like their friends the Cape Dutch, slinking home and trying to look as if they had never been there). They want comfort badly, and their leader, Mr Reeves, is only trying to sufficiently overcome his own chagrin to give, it to them (at the public expense). Cronje surrendered because " the British were five to one " -, the Boer losses are trifling compared with ihe British—that Boer-hatched lie must be fostered to the utmost (at the public expense), aud sent along al this distressful moment to cheer the disloyal; a:id so oiv through dozens of otlier Krugerian telegrams, discounting the official ones of 21 hours enrlier—all at the public exDense. Cranjo's officers admit a loss of 8000 in the Western battles alone: we shan't hear anything about that from the Agent-general; he is too busy explaining away other little things suffered by the dear Boers, lest perchance it might be thought that our generals and soldiers have done something creditable, or even splendid. I feel for MiReeves in his present misfortunes, and. therefore. I plead for n little toleration for liim in his deep discomfiture. Besides, how do we know that he really is going on drawing our nay? His resignation may be in already. Poor Mr Cronje is ■" deeply depressed." ive hear, on his lonely hulk ; how do we know that Mr Reeves is not going to join the Doris, and cheer his months of captivity? Or—happy thought—-why should he not institute a series of daily .telegrams to that much-tried general? Judging from the samples before us, they would be most cheering to Mr Cronje, while they would possess the distinct advantage over their predecessors that the New Zealand public hasn't got to pay for tliem.—l ani, etc., - .Sympathetic. —^—-* .'