DE WET AND PRO-BOERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9639, 14 January 1903, Page 4

DE WET AND PRO-BOERS.

UNKIND REVELATIONS BY THE BOER GENERALS. It was maintained throughout the war by the British pm-Boers that their unpatriotic allies m England could have no influence upon the progress of the campaign', a.s it- was. they said, impossible for the Boers to know what was happening m England. General De Wet's history of the war tells, however, quite another stoiy m its appendices, from which it appears that the agitation m England had the most mischievous results. Many passages from the book mightbe quoted to prove this. De Wet himself, when the acceptance or refusal of the British terms was hanging m the balance, urged that the Boer cause was not hopeless, as there was widespread sympathy for the Boer cause. "Even m England," he maintained, "this sympathy is to be found, as is shown by the largely attended 'pro-Boer' meetings which have been held m that country. And that feeling is widespread m our favor is evident from the reports which we received by word of mouth." Other references m. "Three Years' War" show that the enemy watched all that passed m. England with the closest attention. Judge Herzog, for instance, thought that the outcry over the coin tax, raised by the same pro-Boers m England, showed the desperate condition of British finance, and proved that Great Britain was going to have serious trouble with its taxpayers. De Wet thought, he te.lls us m one of his speeches, that if the English Government were pressed it would concede more. . "England," he said, "will negotiate again if we continue the war. She will offer still more favorable terms ; will not even stick at independence." It was always maintained by the proBoers that England provoked the war. Yet up gets General Smuts at the Vereentgmg conference and affirms : "To me the situation is all the darker because I am one of those who. as members of the Government of the South African Republic, provoked the war with England." And General Scltalk Burger follows with another cruel indiscretion : "We began this war, strong m thefaith of God. ... We had considerable, confidence m our own weapons ; we under-estimated the enemy; the fighting spirit had seized upon our people; and the thought of victory had banished thatof the possibility of defeat." The pro-Boers told us that a. policy of severity would only spread disaffection and heap fuel on the flames of rebellion m Cape Colony. Yet what say the Boers themselves? General Smuts states tltit "was exceedingly difficult for colonials to rise, for they know that if they were captured they would be severely punished by the "English," though willing enough, "have been cowed by the heavy penalties imposed upon all those who did rise. Many of those who are well disposed to us dare not join us now."