WITH BOTHA IN AFRICA

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11504, 28 September 1915, Page 3

WITH BOTHA IN AFRICA

OPERATIONS AGAINST THE GERMANS. NEW ZEALANDERS TAKE PART. [Fbom Our Correspondent.] INYERC AIIGrILL, September 27. Three sons of Mr R. C. Tennent, manager of tho local branch of the 1 Bank of Now South Wales, took part in tho operations against the rebel Boers and tho Germans in Africa. One of tho brothers, Captain L. C. Terinent, is a member of tho South African Union's oversea foreo, and the two other brothers, Messrs 11. T. and H. C. Tennent, are at present spending a holiday with their parents and have sent in their names to the local Defence office for .service with tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces in any capacity. In the course of a chat with a "Southland Times" reporter Mr H. T. Tennent, who first wont to South Africa as a member of one of the New Zealand Contingents, had something interesting to say regarding the operations that had been so successfully carried out in that country. When the trouble broke out Mr Tennent and' his brothers joined the Natal Light Horso and t-ook part in the operations against the South African rebels and later against the Germans in SouthWest Africa. Against tho rebels they first operated in Capo Colony. Tho rebels were trying to break through to link up with the Germans, but Mr Tennent said that they were mostly a rabble and were very poor fighters; The biggest fight was against the Bocrg who were led by Kemp, who was a noted leader in tho Boer war. They numbered 2000 men and they were beaten by the Natal Light Horse at Keis Drift. In that fight tho British had eight men killed and. thirty wounded. The rebels surprised the British force which, however, held them and drove them off. After that Kemp moved further along the Orange River, slipped through Botha's hands, and managed to get jj.cro.ss to the Germans, who seemed to have been short of provisions, and Kemp shortly afterwards surrendered. The surrender of Kemp practically ended the rebellion. De Wet all this time was also trying to get across, but in this he failed and also had to surrender. A SERIOUS OUTLOOK. j At the commencement, said Mr Ten- | nent, the position was very serious and | everything depended on the attitude j of tho other Boers. If General Botha had wavered at all the rebellion would have become general, but General Botha and General Smuts sized up the situation to a nicety and prevented; what at one time promised to be an uglv proposition. When tho rebellion had been crushed tho British force proceeded to Cape Town, where it was reformed and sent to German SouthWest Africa as the central force. General M'Kenzio had command and there were 12,000 men in the force. The northern force was under General Botha and consisted mostly of Boers. When Mr Tennent left South Africa things wore gradually settling _ down, but wero still far from being quiet, and seditious speeches were very common. The elections take place in October and he did not think that things would! quieten down properly until they were over. Hertzog had the biggest Dutch following but Botha would receive most support from the British residents. There were really five parties in the field, viz., the Botha party, tho Nationalists, led by Hertzog, the Unionists, led by Smartt and the two Labour parties, Mr Oesswell led one of the Labour parties and the extremists wero led by Mr Andrews, who was an advocate of " 1.W.W." Tho Labour parties were not very strong, but owing to the splitting of votes it was expected that they would capture a few seats on the Reef and along the coast towns. Mr Cresswell, was not a, working man, but the manifesto issued by him was very sound, and he was a good Democrat. Personally, Air Tennent said, if ho were in South Africa when the elections took place he would vote for Botha, whose return would make for solidarity throughout the Union. Hie Botha Government was a good one and. had been making great efforts to derelop the country', and he thought that it would again be returned to power. Hertzog preached open sedition. THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH. Mr Tennent said that the most dangerous factor that had to be .contended' against was tho Dutch Reformed Church, and he stated that a Predicant of the Church had expressed the opinion that Hertzog was not seditious enough. The Predicant had great power oyer tho Boers, who were ignorant and still very superstitious. General Botha, during his campaign, had been advising them not to listen to tho Church. A promising sign, however, was that one or two leading Boers, who during the rebel campaign had seen for themselves how the Germans had been running tho territory under their control and how they had been treating the natives, had veered right round in their opinions, notwithstanding the fact that they had German sympathies. During the military occupation 45,000 men altogether were engaged, and of these about 22,000 were young rebels. This campaign certainly had tho offeot of enlightening tho back-block Boers, and they had acquired broader views, a fact that could not help but havw a splendid effect. .Included amongst the documents that had come to light during the campaign were telegrams and letters from the Kaiser, and maps, which by their colouring showed that it was anticipated that the whole of South Africa would come under German rule. Since then General Botha had declared that the campaign had been entirely satisfactory, arid that ho had practically delivered the country from tho Germans' yoke. SOUTH AFRICA'S FUTURE. Mr Tennent said that he was emphatically of opinion that South Africa had a-groat future before it. It was on tho eve of a great period of prosperity when the war broke out. Things at present, however., were very bad. Tho ostrich industry had been rumed and the wattle bark industry in Natal had fallen rglit away. The diamond mines had also been closed down. The goid mining industry was going to continue big, and agricultural and pastoral interests were be- ! ing rapidly developed. Trial shipments jof frozen meat to Britain had been I made and he expected that in a few j years this would develop into a groat industry. Foi some years past tnere had been large importat.ons of stud sheep from Australia, and Tasmania. During the last, six years or ,-no the BmWhad been consistently improving i their farming methods, and this was due to a great extent to tho competition they had to mec" from British farmer.-.. At one time disease had made a clean sweep of the cuttle in tho cr.mtry, and, strange us Jt might appear, that proved to be the savipt' of the cattle raising industry. It had been found after research had boon mado rhat the disease known as Last Coast fever could be coned with bydipping the cattle, and for other di.sensos remedies had been discovered. The result was that fanners were now satisfied that they could import good classes of stock without the. risk of losing them. The climate was ;i good ono and Mr Teniiem;, mentioned that ' HOUSEHOLD GOODS.

one of the- features in connection with tite South-West. African campaign was tho lack of sickness amongst tho troops, who, however, had been inoculated against enteric and black water fever. General Botha had said that, lie was proud that he had earned through the campaign with tho loss or so lew lives, Out of -1.-j.OOO men only "30 liiwi been killed. ;md probably notmore than thirty Lad died from disease, v.liicli would mi doubt have beeu the ordinary average in peace time. H ERTZOG" S I N'T"EXT! 0N S. Asked what plans were in the event of his brjing returned to power, Mr Tenn«nt sa:d that Hertzog had himself stated thai he would not attempt to shako off tho Briti&Ji rule, but would adopt. neutral attitude. His policy was, " South Africa first, and arter that the Empire/' From an Empire point, of view, it i-Jertzog did not think it would suit South Africa to act he would do nothing. On the other hand, General Botha say* that- South Africa ha* an Imperial obligation, which, a.s a mortis ber of the J>i■ ii i■ 11 Empire., she is enGiled to nieei. In >hort, Genera! Botiia. e- working lor unieii throughout tiie .Empin.. tools, stmirjE!?.