DISCARDED WAR HORSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 200, 28 September 1900, Page 1

DISCARDED WAR HORSES.

The " Case of the Wounded War," as put by Mr. Lawrence M. Pike, in a recent " Nineteenth Century," indeed a "cruel" one. The correspondents of various papers have told us how the horses of Lord Roberts' Army had, on the march from the Modder to Bloemfontein, to be abandoned by the thousand. Horses in all stages of injury—some only very slightly wounded, some suffering from disease or saddle sores —were to be seen lying or wandering along the river side in a pitiable condition, finally falling a prey to vultures. As the traveller rode by the prostrate horses would turn "most pleading, woe-stricken eyes" toward him, and fix them upon him until out of sight; and he would be haunted by those eyes for days after, " The wreck of an army," in the shape of horses, " lies scattered in and about Bloemfontein," said one correspondent, and similar wreckage will now be found in and Johannesburg and Pretoria. Notwithstanding Mr. Wyndham's statement in Parliament, the soldiers have had no time to shoot their wounded war horses, or transport and the Geneva Convention gives no protection to those who attend to the wounds of horses on the field of battle. The " Nineteenth Century" writer points out that many of the horses, which, during Lopd Roberts' march, have been sacrificed at the rate of 5,000 a month, might have been saved had they only a little proper veterinary -Streatment at the outset. But until lately no effective veterinary arrangements have been nmile, and the Army "Veterinary Service is in a disorganised condition. There were only fortyseven army veterinary surgeons to attend to the 150,000GovernmentanimaIs in South Africa, which were valued at .£4,000,000. later, in response to re- . presentationers have been temporarily hired in a huriy." The waste of horses during the present war is very largely due to the disorganised condition of the veterinary service, and this is one of the shortcomings for which the Wai j ■ Office needs to be called to account j The Army Veterinary Service is not popular, owing to the way in wliic! ' the assistants are treated ; they have no " Staff" status. In order to sav< the lavish and unmvessaiy waste o ; horseflesh in time of war, an extension of the Geneva Coiivetitw:i to the case of veterinary surgeons and their am bulance corps is needed, and the Army Vetgpnary Department should be reorganised and put on the same footing as other departments of the Army. Badly-wounded horses should, of course, be destroyed at once, in order to present such sights au l scenes as have; w

J been described by the correspondent 'between Kimberley and Bloemfontein This service a properly organise veterinary staff might discharge, with out interfering with their othei J duties.