GENERAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 27

GENERAL ITEMS.

CAPETOWN, May 3.

The German recruits who enlisted in the Boer service on the strength of a promise of £1 a day and a farm are complaining that the terms are now repudiated at Pretoria.

Twelve prisoners at Simonstown escaped to sea in a boat, and were rescued by a passing ship, which landed them at Delugoa Bay.

A sentinel at Green Point shot a prisoner who was wandering out of bounds. The prisoner was a relative of Cronje's.

LONDON. April 30.

President Kruger's reluctance to cancel the preparations that had been made for the destruction of the Rand mines '■was finally hastened through Commandant Botha threatening to resign" if the preparations were continued

The hospitals at Capetown are being cleared with a view to Lord Roberts's earlyadvance.

Mr Frederick Treves, who accompanied Sir William M'Cormac to the front, has returned. He was banqueted at the Re« form Clubj and in his after dinner speech declared that amateur nurses in South Africa were an absolute terror, ait:l a. worse plague thai' t Ua *«*

A section of the New South Wales 'Ambulance Corps visited the Boer lines east of Bloenrfont£_.i waterworks and were well received.

May 1.

In tlfe House of Commons Mr Wyndham said that Lord Roberts, and not the War Office, communicated with General Buller prior to the publication of the despatches with reference to Spion Kop.

Mr Balfour has fixed the Spion Kop debate for Friday. All British subject? have been expelled from Johannesburg since the recent explosion at Begbie's foundry, which has been converted into a shell factory.

Mr Eeitz lias declared his intention to expel every foreigner in the Republics who refuses to fight.

LONDON, May 1.

" Sir Redvers Buller offered to resign his ' command, 'but Lord. Roberts declined to 4 accept his' resignation.

The British Resident at Beira gave a ball in honour of the officers of the Queensland Bushmen's contingent.

Lord Methuen, at his own expense, has -erected a tomb over the remains of General Villebois. The French people warmly appreciate the act.

May 2.

Major. Hornby (.son of Admiral Hornby) has received the Victoria Cross for his conduct in defending the guns during the recent engagement at Sanna Post.

Trooper Ransley, of the Australian Mounted Infantry, died of enteric fever at Sterkstroom.

A thousand additional ' Boer prisoners have reached St. Helena. The Right Hon. W. St. John F. Brodrick, Under- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, speaking at Portsmouth, said that no war had been conducted with so much satisfaction to the nation and with fewer mistakes than had the present war in South Africa.

May 3. The Monowai has arrived at Beira. .General Carrington has reached Marantlelles

The Australian bushmen have arrived at Salisbury.

May 4. Captured correspondence shows that friction exists between President Steyn and Commandant Botha, the former protesting the insecurity of the Boer position at Kroonstad, while raiders are looting the grain .district and causing intense irritation amongst the Free Staters.

William Begbie has been remanded on it charge of murder.

King Oscar, of Sweden, who is on a risit to London, has authorised the Press Association to tell the people of Great Britain ' the v following : — " My sympathies and my hopes', are with you in the present conflict. -Your Empire will derive good otic of evil. In fact, the good thing has already sprung out of the reverses you have received — viz., the magnificent support of your colonies, and the splendid fighting qualities the colonist has displayed. The results prove not only that you are good colonisers, but also the justice of ypiir cause."

Preparatory to to-night's debate upon the action of the War Office and the British generals in reference to the Spion Kop reverse, the Government have published a number of telegrams throwing light upon what has occurred. The telegrams, are those which passed between Lords Lansdowne and Roberts and Sir Redvers Buller. Lord Lansdowne apparently feared to disclose the information, as he held it might have proved useful to the enemy. He therefore consulted Lord Roberts as to the advisability of issuing a selection from Sir Redvers Buller's reports, with Lord Roberts's criticisms thereon, or else the securing through Lord Roberts of a fresh narrative from Sir B. Buller, with a view to its publication, and inviting Lord Roberts to add modified criticisms.

The Times and Daily News unite in blaming this attempt to shift responsibility in connection with the affair. The Times also, while denouncing this official request to the generals to cook opinions with the idea of deluding the public, •warmly commends Sir R. Buller s refusal to co-operate in white-washing anyone, even him&elf.

Lord Roberts did not object to the publlcp.tion of (-elections from his criticisms, Lord Lansdowne to make the selections. This was accordingly done.

lbs Imperial Government have responded to the Natal Government's reque&t for temporary financial support.

May 5.

In the Spion Kop debate, the Government was strongly attacked in both Houses for shirking the responsibility for the publication of the despatches. Laid Lansdowne and AEr Balfour indignantly denied that they wished Sir Redvers Bul!er to "cook"' his despatches. They considered that the censures which Ind been pa&sed on General Buller were mild. A division in the House of Commons resulted .in the Government securing a

majority of 99 out oi a- total of '361 votes

cast. The vote ib taken as- no test of the extent of the Government supporters' dissatisfaction with ito action in publishing the despatches at all.

The Duke of York and the Prince of Naples were present during the Spion Kop debate.

Begbie has been released on bail. The charge against him is reduced to attempted -murder.

General French's despatches dealing with the fighting round Colesberg in the earlier part of the year commend the excellent conduct and bearing of the New Zealanders. General French specially mentions Major Robin's signal services, and states that Captain -Uadocks's services are well worthy of recognition. Lord Roberts adds a note that I'he New Zealanders specially distinguished themselves.

The deaths o: Trooper Scebj-, of the Victorian Mounted Infantry, from enteric fever, and Gunner W. Edwards, of the New South Wales A Battery from tetanus, are announced.

May 6

There is a strong impression in official circles at Capetown chat Lord Roberts will advance rapidly upon Pretoria.

Included in the division with which General Hunter is advancing northwards to the relief of Mafeking are many of the Yeomanry from Cape Colony.

The Boers are busy fortifying and provisioning as a new capital Lydenburg, to the north-east of Pretoria.

Trooper Smythe was recently intercepted and disarmed by the Boers at Donkerpont. He was then told to go, 'but as he attempted to leave the enemy fired and shot him in the head, shoulder, and leg. He immediately dropped and feigned to be dead. The enemy then came up, and after kicking his prostrate body left him. He was ultimately rescued and taken to Mafeking.

Mr W. T. Stead accompanied the Boer delegates through the Channel as far as Boulogne.

The War Office has decided to form a volunteer reserve.

WASHINGTON, May 1.

Mr Hay, the American Secretary of State, has intimated that he would receive Mr Fischer or his colleagues unofficially merely as distinguished individual visitors.

The Senate, by 29 to 20, declined to discuss Mr Pettigrew's resolutions of sympathy with the Boers.

Mr Bryan, speaking at Chicago, declared that if he was elected President, a Democratic Government would express moral sympathy with the Boers, and tender its good offices at the proper moment.

Private* 'J. Anderson, of jSlew Zealand, has die,d aY Driefontein.

[This may be a correction of the recent cable which announced the death of Private G-. Anderson, of the second contingent, at Bloemfontein. 'There are in the third contingent two troopers of the name of Anderson— Private J. T. Anderson, of Napier, and Private John Anderson, of Rtiahine station, inland from Wanganui—but this can hardly refer to either of them.]

Mr Fischer's manifesto declared thab his visit to America was to urge the nations to apply the principles of The Hague Peace Conference. He appeals to America to stop a fratricidal and needless war, and expresses his readiness to submit to American arbitration.

CALCUTTA, May 6,

The Ceylon Times states that a healthy site has been selected in Ceylon by the Imperial authorities as a temporary place of imprisonment for the balance of the Boer Xjrisoners.

MELBOURNE, May 1.

The Victorian has sailed with , 608 imperial Bushmen and 779 hor.scs, Lieuieuanlcolonel Kelly being in command. They "were given an enthusiastic send-off.

Out of the 30 Imperial army commissions offered to Victoria, it has been decided to reserve 10 for those now serving in South Africa. The rest have heen allotted within the color.v.

SYDNEY, May 4.

Tne transport Manchester Port has arrived here from Brisbane. After she has been docked the Queensland bushmen will come overland and embark here. The gunboat Albert will be utili&ed as a plague hos-pital in the event of an oiitbreair

May 6

The injuries 'to the troopship Manchester Porfc are serious," and will take at least a week to repair. Five plates and 11 frames will have to be removed.

ALBANY, May 1.

.About a score of stowaways from Sydney were landed from the troopship Armenian.

BRISBANE, May 1. Following the example of Jfew Zealand, the Government has made representations to the authorities at the Cape with regard to the delay m foi warding communications to the <-oldiei«. Mr Philp has asked the general ufiic.r commanding at the Cape to effect an improvement.

May 2. The result of tha inquiry into the acci-

dent to the transpoit Manchester in port is* that no blame is attachable to anyone for alleged tampering with the rope. The 1 court did not think it was maliciously cut. Though it bears slight cuts in two or three places, the&e were probably made by ' a careless person cutting tobacco while the rope was coiled on the forecastle. ; The transport hah 1 sailed for Sydney, where she will be docked. No arrangements, have yet been made for the despatchof the Bushmen. | -i-ELAIDE, May 1. j The Government have been notified of the , death of Corporal Heinjus in South Africa ! from enteric fever. May 2. The Imperial Bushmen sailed in the transport Manhattan. There was much ! enthusiasm at the send-off. f May 7. j Lieutenant Dowling, who was entrapped i and taken prisoner at Slingersfontein and ■ released when the British entered Bloem- j fontein, has returned invalided. He is al- ] , most blind from the effects of his wound, . but hopes to recover his sight. |