THE TRANSVAAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2949, 22 November 1900, Page 3

THE TRANSVAAL.

CANDIDATES FOR COMMISSIONS

Per Press Association.

WELINGTON, November 22. The following is a list of New Zealanders nominated lor Imperial commissions:

Field Artillery. Banks (.Second Contingent), Auckland ; Trooper Miller (First Contingent), Oamaru; Trooper Eller (Third Contingent), Auckland ; Lieutenant Collett (Fifth Contingent),Waipawa ; Trooper Wildblood (Roberts’ Horse), Auckland ; Sergeant Sykes (Second Contingent), Canterbury. Cavalry.—Lieutenant Seddon (Fifth Contingent), Wellington; Lieutenant Hawkins (Third Contingent), Marten; Trooper Lascelles (Fifth Contingent), Napier. Garrison Artillery.—Sergeant-Major Jacked (Fourth Contingent), Nelson. Infantry.—Lieutenant Collins (Fourth Contingent), Wellington; Lieutenant Hovell (First Contingent), Napier; SergeantMajor Dawson and Trooper John Watson (Third Contingent), Waikato ; Corporal Rolleston (Fourth Contingent), Wellington ; Captain Garcia (Second Contingent), Canterbury; Trooper G whips (Fifth Contingent), Canterbury ; Sergeant Fjtzgerald (Second Contingent), Wellington; Sergeant F. Krull (Third Contingent), Wanganui; Sergeant Farrell (Third Contingent), Canterbury ; Lance-Sergeant Nelson (Third Contingent),'Waikare ; Corporal Hewitt (Fourth Contingent), Levin; Corporal Overton (Second Contingent), Canterbury ; Trooper Dudley (Second (Contingent), Canterbury ; Trooper Richardson (Second Contingent), Wellington; L. i J . Russell (unattached), TTawkes Bay; Trooper Steel (Fifth Contingent), Auckland; Trooper Wigmore (Second Contingent), Auckland : Trooper Whiteman f Third Contingent), Wanganui ; Trooper Witheford (First Contingent), Auckland). Banks, Miller, Seddon, Hawkins, Lascelles, Hovel! ,and Dawson (who is not known locally, and is supposed to have mined the Contingents in South Africa). Watson, Rolleston, Garcia, and Geddes, are Lord Roberts’ selections.

KKTURNINC TROOPERS. The Premier has received a communication from the Premier of Victoria, inviting Die New Zealand troops on the' Harlech Castle to laud at Melbourne, and take part in a, procession in connection will) a demon-'•drat-ion of welcome to the Am! ratin' troops. Sn'bbm rentier] that (ho men will join i»w- oro if the Harlech Castle remains „i,r • >■<■.•) at PdTt Me’broirue. MORE FENDS WAVT.ED. As Air Pilcher. Cnvornment agent at Capetown, lias exhausted the funds at his disposal to provide comforts for the Contingents, (he Premier is communicatin'! with the various patriotic committees in the colony asking for further contributions.

COLONEL ROBIN AND HIS ACCUSERS. Mr A. B. Paterson, (he war correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald,’’ Melbourne “ Argus,” and other papers, and who is on a lecturing tour of the colonies, arrived m Dunedin by the Mokoia on ?Wednesday. Throughout the major portion of the Boer war, Mr Paterson connected himself with Oenoral French’s column, to which Colonel Robin and the New Zealand Contingents were attached; and knowing this, one of (he Dunedin “Star” reporters waited upon

j Air Paterson with the object of finding out how the charges which had been made in j certain quarters against Colonel Robin would j be received by tnose who had been intiI' mutely acquainted with him in South Africa. When asked if he had seen much of Colonel Robin, Air Paterson at once said that he had seen a great deal of him, both in and out of action. This being so, the opinion of our visiting correspondent and lecturer should be worth a good deal. His exact words were : “ I have seen Alajor Robin (as he was known among the forces when I left) in action not once, but several times, and I know the name he had got in the army—an opinion not formed on first performances, but strongly held right up to the time I left, when the forces were well to the north of Pretoria, and that is a considerable time after these extraordinary charges were formulated. You might say that the same sort of charges have also been made in the case of almost every New South Wales officer that some discontented grumblers have always taken the opportunity of accusing their leading officer of incompetency or cowardice, or both. The charges against Alajor Robin are absolutely ridiculous. No man has worked harder for his men, and no man has more ability to do it ,than Alajor Robin. He is a very able man.” This statement is not one made for the occasion, in order to place Air Paterson in a favourable light in the eyes of the New Zealand people and the Otagans an particular, for, when lecturing in Sydney, Air Paterson said that if they wanted a colonial for a high position in the Federal forces he thought so highly of no man as lie did of Alajor Robin, of the New Zealanders. This statement in. Sydney was received with cheers, and when he showed a picture of the New l Zealand First Contingent, whom he described as the finest body of soldiers that had been sent from the colonies, the cheers were renewed with fresh vigour. In South Africa, among the forces engaged in the fighting, Air Paterson heard nothing but praise for the conduct of the Dunedin officer in charge of the New Zealanders, and he expresses surprise that on landing in New Zealand the first thing he should hear .about Alajor Robin was doubts ns to bis ability and bravery. He looks upon him as a certainty for the decoration of the Distinguished Service Order.

THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE CONGRESS ON THE WAR. Biitain’s responsibility in the Transvaal War occupied the whole sitting of the International Peace Congress at Paris on October 2nd. The subject was adjourned from the previous day to allow the committee to draw up a more moderate vote of censure upon the British Government than that' originally brought forward, and the amended motion proposed read as follows :—“ That the. Ninth Peace Congress, after having heard the report upon the events of the past year from the International Bureau at Berne, without pretending to arrogate to itself the right of intermeddling with the affairs of friendly nations otherwise than emphatically to affirm the immutable principles of international justice, declares ; —“ First : That the responsibility of the war now devastating South Africa rests upon the British Government, whch throughout has refused arbitration. “ Second : The British Government, in not recognising the principles of right and justice which have hitherto been the glory of the British nation—that is to say, in refusing arbitration and in proffering threats that were inevitably calculated to bring about war over a quarrel that might have been settled by judicial or legal means—has committed an outrage against the law of nations tending to delay the pacific evolution of humanity. “ Third ; The Congress also regrets that the majority of the Governments that took part in the Peace Conference at the Hague have made no apparent effort to assure or obtain respect for the resolutions then adopted, which are morally binding upon them. “ Fourth : The Congress desires to make an appeal to public opinion throughout the world on behalf of the Transvaal. “ Fifth : The Congress expresses its profound sympathy with the British delegates present, and its admiration for the courageous declarations they have made at the Congress, and expresses the hope that their example will be followed by the delegates of other nations.”

Many people, M. La Fontaine (Belgium) said, thought all was over with the Transvaal, and that it was now too late to do anything. He did not agree with this, for, first of all, the war was not yet finished. It was impossible to learn the truth in regard to the situation in South Africa. The only news to hand came through Lord Roberts, whose despatches were not to be relied upon, (Hear, place, President Kruger was coming to Europe to endeavour to induce the Powers to intervene, and it was the duty of the friends of peace to support him in every possible way. ■ M. Le Foyer, President of the Paris Peace Association* thought it a pity the discussion should have taken so anti-English a turn. Mr Jaffe, of England, contended that England could not accept arbitration with the Transvaal, seeing that the Transvaal was a vassal State. (Cries of “ Oh !”) M. Novicov, of Odessa, held that the mere fact that the Boers had a national army of their own entitled them to rank as an independent State, and to have the benefit of arbitration. (Hear, hear.)

Mr Fred Passy, of England, concurred. He asserted that England's recognition of the Republics as belligerents was an admission of their independence. It was, therefore, absurd to say recourse to arbitration could not be had.

Mr Hodgson Pratt, of England, referred to a remark that the Boers had actually begun the war. He said that while this was materially true, morally England was the aggressor'. (Cheers.) . The motion was then put, only one hand being held up against it. IST. La Fontaine moved :—“ This Congress ventures to hope that the mstake of depriving the South African Republics of their independence will not be definitely committed, •ind addresses a,n urgent appeal to civilised Covernments to intervene as mediators on behalf of the two Republics, and appeals to the British Government in the hope that it will not be indifferent to the voice of the universal conscience.” Hr Evans Darby, secretary of the British Society, warned the Congress that if it adopted (hat resolution it would nnlv stir up bad feehnu in l : 'ncrlond, and help to carry the election in the sense all friends o r Tioiipp vrudd deplore. The unscrupulous British Press would also seize on It to stir up hostility towards France. AT. La Fontajn’s resolution was put to tlie. meeting, and Inst by 80 votes against 126.