AN IMPERIAL OFFICER'S VEIW OF THE SITUATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9071, 13 February 1901, Page 3

AN IMPERIAL OFFICER'S VEIW OF THE SITUATION.

Captain Evelyn Wood, of the Imperial ' Representative Force, who saw a good deal of the war , in its earlier stages, stated his view of the situation to a Christchurch Press reporter. " I think,' 1 I he said, "the press is making very much t more of the Boers than the positior i really warrants. ! In my opinion, wher: s sufficient mounted men get there — that is i to say, the troops it is now proposed tc c send— the war will ..be over within a ] month from that tune. There has noi s been a real fight for a long time, and ii 1 is the temporary inactivity of our forces that has magnified the importance of recent Boer movements. The Boers ; now never stand to fjght m force. Many ol them know they are beaten hopelessly, but continue fighting because of theii personal hatred of the British, and because they have little or nothing to lose. I don't think anybody who has not been to South Africa and mixed with the Dutch and English, as I have done, can have any idea of how bitter the i feeling is between the two races." s • In answer to the question, "Do yo« t think we have treated the Boers too c leniently?" Captain Wood said:" "i f think we have been far too tender from i a. soldier's point of view, but not from i the p*hi of view of the people who have < to live with the Dutch m South Africa 1 It is all very well from the soldier's l standpoint to adopt harsh measures, but i I have heard people who think remark that there is something more than the i Buddiu ending of the war to be con | 1 sidered, arid I agree with them. If yon < adopt harsh measures now you may end ( the war a little sooner, but you accentu- | ate the bitter feeling already existing < to an inestimable extent. It was bad ] enough before the war, but it would be \ worse than Ireland m the moonlighting ; days if too stringent measures were ] adoptel, and therefore the matter has tc | be approached with the utmost care. It i is not a simple problem, I can assure i you." - f