THEY MUST AGREE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2391, 28 December 1899, Page 26

THEY MUST AGREE.

As to matters that have no practical oufcomc it is of no consequence whether we agree or not. The earth may be, rs some say ;t is, a molten mass (save for a shell a few mile* thick on the outside), or it may be solid and cool all the way through from London to Sydney. However it may be, we can DO nothing about it. So Ist' the scientific chap 3 go on speculating t othoir hearts' content ; the world will keep revolving as usual, and w f e shall have to continue picking up our living from its surface.

Recently in my reading I have come upon 'article* in cartain .medical journals — uncanny, .uininteresting publications, that ( they are, for norf-professional pirusal — going "to show that •it is not the heabt which impels the blood through the body, but the chemical action of I oxygen inhaled by, the lungs. A prodigious ; discovery, if it is a discovery at all. I Yet what odda would it make? None what1 over. Fair women would blush by tho help 1 of tliß capillaries aa of old, and we shonld j f.ie ragi around cut lingers just fehe same. It follows, my brethren, that some things may be mysteries to the end of the chapter, and no barm done, and others may differ without disturbing the serenity of our passing days — a moat soothing reflection. But tho advantags or otherwise of a person's food agreaing or disagreeing with him m NOT a mere matter of opinion. There is only one way to look at that. As a. whole, food MUST agrrea with us, and we with it, or we are ruined. A lady of Sheffield, Mrs S. A. Smith, suffered a long, wearisome, and costly illnes?, simply because her food failed to agree with her. For three years she was weak and wretched on account of it. The light and pleasure went out of her life. She needed to cat, of course, just as she neoded to breathe: yet, after every meal — commonly of light things taken in small quantities, and slowly— she was immediately seized with pains in the stomach, the chest, and tho left side. Was not this a hard recompense fer doing'what nature compelled her to do — to eat? Any act which causes pain is performed as seldom as possible, and aa incompletely. For who wants to suffer?

Eating so little — not half as much as her body railed for— Mya Smith lost flesh and ptren^th. Necessarily. Draw more money out of tho "bank than you deposit and presently the bank returns your cheoups marked "No fu<ndif." To be' sure. Nobody can make twice two equal five. '* I got to be so feeble I could scarcely gat about," says the lady. "I was like this for thrpe yeaT3 from the spring of 1893 — being worse in the spring than at other peasons. What to do more than I had done I didn't know, when one day. my aunt, Mrs- William Andrew, of Willoujrhton, urged me to take Mother Seigel's Syrup. After having done so for a short time, the complaint — indigestion — was better, and soon it wholly disappeared. lam now entirely cured, and strong and hearty as I was before my illness came upon me. Yob may rest assured that, after so fortunate an experience with" Mother SeiKel's Syrup, I recommended it to all my , friends, and in Bending^ you this short statement it is my wish that you should print it for 'the good of others if you co desire." — (Signed) S. A. Smith. 44-, Ditchingham Road, Sheffield, June 3, 1898.

"In April of this year (1898)," says another, "my health began to fail. I felt drowsy, and tired with the lost exertioa. After every meal I had oppression at the che9t and Bides, and a, great deal of pain. "Whatever food I took disagreed with me, and I grew weak. I seta, a dressmaker, and when at my work I had so great pain I could hardly bear it. I tried a.ll the usual medicines for indigestion, but got worm and worse. One day in July, I read about Mother Sagel's Syrup, and got a boltle of Mr Hattersley, chemist, West India Dock Road, and in a few days felfc better. After taking a second bottle I was cured, and' have been well ever since." — (Signed) (Miss) Minnie Wyatt, 46 West India, Dock Road, London, E., October 14, 1898. Ye 3, it is true, health and life depend on a perfect agreement between ourselves and our food. This is not a matter of opinion : it 18 a vital and living relationship, and nothing docs so much to promote the ajrreement as the frequent and timely use of Mother Seigel's Syrup. It is officially reported that at least 60 per pent, of the cattle of North Queensland mi* climbed to Ike tick £>lagu<3- /

brigade of troops that have been ordered from India to Natal, as I consider the repulse on the 15th to be far less serious than it appeared by first reports. I regret to notice that the enemy are still committing acts that justify the severest condemnation, as they are reported to be shooting unarmed civilians and firing upon stretcher-bearers covered by the Cross of Geneva.

Turning to the Cape, a report reaches us from Capetown, dated the 20th inst., informing us that the New Zealanders have again distinguished themselves. General French states that having shelled Wasfontein farm, the New Zealand contingent occupied the farm and an adjacent hill, and were most steady under a hot fire from the enemy at short range. I only regret that instead of the 200 men that compose Major Robin's command they were not at least 1000 strong, as with that number of our mounted infantry the position of affairs in the northern part of Cape Colony -would have been materially altered. Had Great Britain and the colonies recognised the difficulties with which our armies had to contend, and the numbers of the enemy, the probabilities are that the war would now have been ended, and the losses in killed and wounded and through sickness would have been insignificant compared to Avhat in all likelihood they will be. December 22. Additional particulars of the fighting on the Tugela River on the 15th state that the enemy dammed the river below the drifts so as to make the water too deep for our infantry to ford, and in consequence of this four of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers were drowned when crossing. It is probable that these four were wounded while in the water struggling to gain the northern bank of the stream, and were washed down below' the drift and drowned. My readers can form a very good idea crf-the difficulties of crossing such a stream as the Tugela, as*thei - e are many mountain rivers in this colony Avhere the crossings are impassable when the river is in flood. In addition to the ordinary peril there is the hurry and danger from shot, and shell to be added before a just appreciation 'of the gallantry displaj-ed by our men can be full}' understood. That the struggle was a grand one is beyond doubt, as our men advanced over a plain without cover, and faced a terrific hail of lead as they advanced for a distance of 1800 yards. The troops moved forward in column, and fought for two and a-half hours, and were then forced to retire to the south bank of Hie river, being beaten back. This did not, however, mean to such troops defeat, for a second time Hart and liis gallant brigade faced the enemy, and forced their way to the north bank. Again they were compelled to fall back as the enemy was in too great force, and his position too strong to be captured without sacrificing too many of our men. for. owing to the disaster that caused the abandonment of 10 of our guns, the infantry were unsupported by artillery at a critical moment. The withdrawal of our troops from the exposed position to which they h?.d advanced must have been conducted in a very cool manner, as the enemy appeared to be unable to reap any advantage or.t of the impulse. The noble example set by Canada is well worthy of being copied by New Zealand. '■ Our Lady of the Snows "' has plainly shown the world that Canadians are prepared to stand by the Empire, cost what it may.

Advices received confirm my views regarding the position of Lord Methuen's command on the Modder, and, as his supplies are said to De only sufficient for two weeks, it will be necessary for General Warren to move quickly to his relief.

The report that the Boers have recognised that the British soldiers are brave is very good news, as previous to this war the Boers taught their children to look with contempt on the British, as they were all cowards ; and this in a great measure has helped to bring about the conditions that existed in the Transvaal prior <o the war. The Boers believed that England would not fight, and could not if she would. The recognition by the Boers that the English are brave and that it was not through fear that they delayed and tried to avoid war will have a beneficial effect after the war is over, as the Boers, being a brave peop'e, will be more willing to abide by and live in peace with their British fellow co l onists if the two races can have the old feeling of contempt for ever buried. Had the Boers realised that they were mistaken in their estimate of British courage Oom Paul and his henchman, Mr Steyn, might have carried on the war alone. Knowing the Boer as he is, I can give him credit for being brave, and this is about the only good trait to be found in his character.

December 25,

The message of Field-marshal Lord Roberts to the colonies will sth- popular feeling to make further efforts in support of the Empire. Sluggish must be the blood that is not roused up when the words of the veteran speaks in encouragement of ■what has been done, and what is being done, in all the colonies in support of the Motherland. All who have known the frrand old man since the days when he first became prominent as a soldier, in the days of the mutiny, consider him the greatest soldier Ireland ever gave to the British army, and the Green Isle has furnished a long list of illustrious sons whose names are written in the pages of history as examples to tliose that come after to take up the honourable profession of the soldier. Words of praise for our colonial troops from such a general as Lord Roberts are something to be proud of. Let us hope that many of our New Zealand lads will have a chance of fighting under his command.

The cables inform us that General Cronje has arrested a British officer when lie was covered by a flag of truce. To the protest of General Methuen against the enemy capturing the officer tinder such protection the Boer commandant was very insolent when replying, and justified his act by declaring that the officer was a spy.

coupling the statement with a curt refusal to discuss the matter further. If officers are liable to be treated in this fashion few will care to act in any capacity where they may be placed in danger of arrest while attending the duties of a position that are in many cases of, as much importance to the_,enemy as they are to our men. Unless the officer is released unharmed it is quite possible that all communications between Cronje and Lord Methuen will stop.

It is reported that 150,000 rifles have been imported by the Transvaal Government through Delagoa Bay, and that Portugal defends her action in allowing them to land and being delivered through her territory by citing the fact that the enemy was importing many guns through the British ports of Cape Colony. I am at a loss to account for these 150,000 rifles being passed by the Portuguese officials. I am of opinion that the cable relates to a shipment before the war was declared.

It is very evident the War Office is at last alive to the necessity of moving quickly, as the names of the ships chartered for troop service at the Cape include some very fast Atlantic liners, P. and 0. and Castle mail steamers, showing quite a contrast when placed alongside of the slow old cargo boats that were deemed good enough for the first iirmy corps sent to the seat of war.

There seems to be no lack of volunteers for war service. This is encouraging news, and particularly so in view of the fact that many of the volunteers are of a class that will reflect great credit on the army as a whole, and will prove of great value to the volunteer branch of our defenders at the end of the war by reason of the services they have seen and the strict discipline of camp and field.

In spite of the fact that the cables reported that the 10 guns abandoned -.near the Tugela River on the 15th inst. remained in the positions where they were left and that the enemy had not dared to cross the river to remove them, several correspondents allege that they have been removed by the Boers. We shall probably be able to tell when the history of the war is written which of the two stories to believe.

Reports to hand giving details of the British losses at the battle on the Tugela show that the engagement was very hotly contested, and {hat our tioops suffered very severely for the time tl>ey were under five. Unfortunately the position of the Boers rendered them comparatively safe, and the probabilities r.re that their losses are very small in comparison, for alter our guns were put cut of action they had little to fear from Ihe rifles of our infantry, as, lying close hi the bottom of their rifie pits and trenches, they were perfectly covered while our men were fair targets as they advanced over the veldt. Although we were at first informed that the Connaught Rangers had suffered the heaviest losses, it. now appears that the Royal Dublin Fusiliers were even wore severely handled, as the losses of that gallant regiment are much greater than that of their comrades of the Ranger.--. Another .serious and uncalledfor infringement ot the rules and regulations of the Geneva Convention is repoited to hive taken place after the fight on the Tugela. Colonel Bullick and three other officers with 40 men of the Devon Regiment were surrouuded by the enemy and captured while they were" displaying 'a flag of truce, they being at that time engaged in the lawful and laudable work of succouring the wounded.

Friends of Major-general Butler, who was lately superseded by General PorestierWamer in command of the troops at the Cape, declare that he fully advised the War Office regarding the Boer preparations for war, and two London journals — the Daily Mail and the Daily News— allege that the War Office were fully aware of the condition of affairs in the Republics. The News states that the London manager of a Johannesburg Bank was snubbed for warning the War Office that the Transvaal was making large remittances to the Creusot factory and to Krupp's works for war material purchased, and the Daily Mail states that Field-marshal Lord Wolseley urged the despatch of an army corps months ago to the Cape. The writer of these notes is well aware that the War Office had been kept well infoimed regarding the Boer preparations for war. and that prior to the Jameson raid and from that until the outbreak of actual hostilities, every round of ammunition as well as every gun and rifle that entered any of the South African ports shipped to either of the Republics was reported to London without delay. There is no use in hiding the fact that the desire for peace at any price by a large section of the British public is alone responsible for the disregard shown by the authorities in providing troops to protect British interests against the encroachments of Oom Paul and his legions. The Britsh War Office can hardly be held either directly or indirectly responsible, as unfortunately the military necessities of the Empire have often to be subverted in order to satisfy a class of people who are ever ready to cry that we are forcing on a war, when in" reality we are only taking precautionary measures. This is one of the prices we pay for the privileges of democracy, and, as a result, when war comes our little army is found unprepared to ,take the field "and our officers are blamed for failure to do impossibilities, while the persons who cry the loudest are those who have cried " Peace, peace,"' until our enemies were at our throats.