THE BOER WAR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4868, 26 June 1901, Page 1

THE BOER WAR.

LoNDOir, Jane 20. Colonel Colenbrander's Scouts are olearlng up the north east portion of the "Transvaal. They have many prisoners surrenderors, and waggons. The Boers ' are trying to break through the British cordons and j nn Beyer's free.f >rce. Commandant Barrand "Venter had arranged with his commando of 100 to surrenderf but one of his men informed General Badenhave, who imprisoned Tenter. The latter and two of bis' sons," however, managed to escape to the British lines at Merino. De Wet and Steyn recently made an unsuccessful attempt to cross the line be* tween Sanderton and Heidebarg. Lord Roberts has pardoned several volunteers who we.re sentenced to .penal servitude for sleeping at their posts. General Butler declares that the South African campaign showed, want of accuracy in tbe Btitlah rifle fire at short ranges, thus allowing the foe to escape with insufficient punishment after their positions had been gained. ' Mr Balfour, addressing the Oonservaparty managers- at the rlolborn Restaurant, said that Sir H. Campbell*Bannerman's assertion that -the war was conducted barbarously was a scandalous *Dd shocking statement, since no war had ever been conducted with equal humanity. Several iudignant meetings were held outaide the Queen's Hall, and resolutions' condemning the pro-Boer campaign were ' enthusiastically carried, also resolutions to support the Government. June 21. Mr AsquUh, addressing the Essex Liberal Federation, protested against Liberal Imperialists being denounced as schismatic-*. They neither repent nor recant their view 'hat the war was forced upon Great Brit tin without adeqnate reason, and entirely against our will. There was no authori'y in the Liberal party, pontifical or otherwise, empowered to excommunicHte holders «f that view. A. nsoluiiou passed at the Queen's Hall inculcating unconditional surrender to the Boers was not an authoritative exposition of Liber tl opinion. la his address to the Essex Liberal Federation Mr Asquith declared that the South African war was most humanely c inducted. No man in the Empire was more penetrated with the spirit of humanity than Lord Milner. Tt was impossible to restore the states of tbe Republics, but ha hoped to see a free, federated dominion on the model of Canada or Australia. Mr Austen Chamberlain, speaking at a Conservative luncheon in London, declared that the- meanest scribblers ia the meanest journal never made a more Infamouo or unfounded charge than that made by Sir H. O. Bannermarin in alleging barbarity by Lord Kitchener or the army. The Boer refugees' camps in the Orange' River Colony, besides nine for the natives, require a waekly importation of 88 tons of foodstuff. The average mortal!. y in these «amps is 116 per thonsand per annum — largely the result of the Boer's disregard of sanitation and the women's neglect of the children.