THE BOER WAR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4923, 8 January 1902, Page 1

THE BOER WAR.

London, January 3.

Heavy cannonading has been heard southwards of the Frankfort-Tafelkop blockhouse line. I>s Wet waa previously at Leeuwkop, The War Officß has ordered from a Montreal firm a thousand tonß of Manitoban flour for South Africa. Commandant Snyman, formerly of T)e Wet's staff, in the course of an interview with President Roosevelt, declared that England would welcome Congress intervention to end the war, and that the Boers were willing to make some concessions. January 4. Lord Kitchener has telegraphed to Lord Minto asking that trained troopers accompany the Canadian contingent. lioet circles in Brussels deny the depletion of the Boer forces, and declare that the losses by deaths, captures, and surrenders are easily filled from the ranks of the Afrikanders. The Johannesburg ' Star ' has resumed publication. Lord Milner,- in starting the machinery, wished the paper a brilliant future. General Botha has forwarded a message to all commandants to continue fighting. He declares that the British Parliament will shortly be asked to grant more money to continue the war. The nation will refuse, and the troops will be withdrawn from South Africa. De Wet has ordered his followers to retard the construction of blockhouses at all cost. I Thirty Boers were killed and many wounded at Tweefontein. General Bruce Hamilton captured a laager, with 22 Boers and 14 waggons, towards Swaziland. Lord Kitchener reports that General Bruce Hamilton, operating east of Ermelo, has captured, since December 29, 100 prisoners (including General ErasDauß), much stock, and waggons. Continental calumnies regarding the British army have been acutely revived, especially in the German newspapers. They make the monstrous accusation that State soldiers and officers ravished one-third of the Boer women, and that children were also handed over to the Kaffirs. The statements are baaed on the authority of alleged eye-witnesses. There is intense indignation in Britain. Lord Roberts, replying to a German lady's statements in the newspaper ' Deutsche Blatt ' and other publications with reference to the alleged violating of Boer women and girls and the removal to Pretoria^ of females above 12 years of

age from the Irene Concentration Camp for immoral purposes, declares that the charges are absolutely baseless. January 5.

The total reduction of the British field force m South Africa to the end of December was 3,602 officers and 80,130 men, including 931 officers and 18,033 men by deaths and 2,664 officers and 61,666 men invalided home. The war reduced the effective strength of the army by 24,299. Melbourne, January 4. The steamer Fortunatos, from the Cape, brings over 100 returned soldiers, including Lieutenant M'Laine, a New Zealander. Sydney, January 4. Volunteers for the contingent are plentiful in all the States, and enrolment has commenced. Wellington, January 4. The Governor has been advised that Trooper W. R. Dfvies, of Medbury, Canterbury, was severely wounded In the chest near Ingogo on the 29th ult., and that G. A. Sargeson, of the Scottish Horse (a son of Mr William Sargeson, of Bawera), died of enteric at Germiston on the 19th ult. The following members of the seventh are dangerously ill of enteric fever :— Trooper M'Nairn£(Westport), at Mool River ; Lance-corporal R. F. Flower (Blenheim), at Newcastle; Trooper B, B. Reville (? D. R. Revell, Christchurch) at Charlestown.