The Wanganui Chronicle AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, MARCH 14th, 1901. FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1901. THE WAR.

Wanganui Chronicle, 15 March 1901, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, MARCH 14th, 1901. FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1901. THE WAR.

Thk news that Steyn has at last confessed himsslf hopelessly beaten and admitted that there is no chance left of regaining tho country, coupled with the intimation that the negotiations between 'Lord Kitchener and General Botha are hopefully progressing, affords the best proof that' we have yet had as to the approaching tcrminuf.on of the war. It is, indeed, not too much to hope- that the Conference of Boer Commanders to be held to-day will decide that it is in the best interests of the Boer.i and of South Africa to sue for pe?.ce. It is possible that De Wet and his remnant—if the slippery general maintains hia attitude of criminal obstinacy—will be ignored by the other Commanders, and that their decision will be unaffected by further consideration for his likes or dislikes in the matter. Popular fancy is prone to build its heroes and its villains to 'order, and it is possible that most of us have attached a good deal too much importance to the achievements of Christian De. Wet. After all, his daring has been of a kind more conspicuous in flight than in attack, his cleverness of an order enabling him to "get away from" rather thaai to "get at" his enemy. Still, it needs must be a pretty cuts rat than can escape from a hc'le when the cat. ?s watching at the mouth, and this, in effeot, is what De Wet has done on quite a number of occasions. For this he is entitled to credit. His elusrveness, in so far as it has enabled him to keep out of tha clutches of his pursuers, is praiseworthy ; in so far as it has i-esulted in the prolongation of a hopeless struggle it is criminal. Mobility has been a striking characteristic of the Boers in the field, and probably De Wet is approximated at something approaching his real worth when he is described as an expert among experts. The remarkabje sp»ed at which ho moves his forces from point to point, and evades all efforts to capture him, have occasioned much speculation as to bis methods. Tlie experiences of an English officer captured by De Wet and forced to travel with his commando have been published in the London Times, and throw a good deal of light upon the Boer mode of travelling when campaigning The officer in question was captured at Dewctsdorp, i>.hd for seventeen days he was compelled to share De Wet's hurried trek, General Knox chasing the Boers from place to place. From the outset, he says, it was apparent that tKe Boers could outpace the British, and it was wonderful how. Knox managed to cling so closely to his flying foes. The Boers travelled at least twenty •niles a day, frequently across the roughest jountry, and their knowledge of the different localities was such that when it was deemed advisable they could proceed p.lst' at night. One of the main reasons of their being able to move faster than the British is stated by their captive to -be their system of transport. In the first place, as a rule, they only half-load their waggons, and a great pa-it of their transport consists of Cape carts, of which they have hundreds These carts are drawn by mules and can travel much.faster than the ordinary ox-waggons. Then the burghers do all their own driving. They have two native boys attached, to each waggon, who at the halts look after the mulns and inspan and outspa-n when there is no immediate hurry. In the case of a surprise or sudden start, however, the burghers do the work th-mselves, and in a space of time almost incredible. There is no doubt also that they are masters in tho art.of; driving, and thry force mules and oxen; {■.long at an astonishing pace. In the trek! in question there were only two ox wag-! gons, but they were made to keep up with: the mule cai'ts by the oxen being flogged j.long unt-'t exhausted,'when the tired an-, imals were replaced by frnsh ones*. By this means a surprising rate -of speod was maintained for many hours. , For De Wet ;;nd his followers the officer ha.< mixed feeliras While admit ing tlseir courage and o&ring, the brataht/os many of the n-.cn and tho wanton destruction of property revoked him. The British prisoners were treated in a monstrous manner, the men in the ranks frequently being struck with tho sjambok or -.prodded with, the butt of a rifle a,s they tailed wearily along. endurance under the strain of tlie rapid marching and tjje j^oor provisions ottered them w.iis worthy of the highest admiration. It was a mosjt distressing I sight when the Boers arrived at alarm. i They turned their horses into standing torn, stripped the farm absolutely naked, an<J commandeered every m;ile over fourteen years to come and join their forces. Do Wet's prisoner, writing about this, trays: —"It was perfectly obvious Miat many of these boys had never seen a rifle before, bub they were excited by the stories told, and, witji fire in their eyew, they f.uok tho rifle and ammunition offered, and, mounting a horse, rode off quite happy. It was a melaucholy sight." In conversation with his captors the officer lound that most of them realised that they were hopelessly bciiten, and yet they were determined to fight on. They were influenced in this, to a large extent, by De Wet. It fctruck him as being a curious thing that jio one he spoke to liked De Wet. They seemed to fear him ami admire the way in which ho was prolonging the war, but not a single Boer spoke well of him, one Commandant going «» far as to describe him as 'a heartless brute' Despite the rough timo they had in following him tUey bore their hardships uncomplainingly. Il must be borne in mind, however, that this was written sjjme mouths ago. De Wet and his Mjforluuate followers have had a terribly trying tinjp since thea, and al«

though they have spifar been able to avoid capture,, it has only been by unceasing vigilance, contiuVigl motion and aevoror.dirig anxiety. The news of late seems to confirm tlie statements of the officer abovo quoted as to De Wet's brutality find unpopularity, and there can be no doubt that his commandoes have suffered greiUy by desertion.' Ilenie it >T);iy bo that he. Mill not count;for much in to-dpy's i conference, or it may-even be that, having "run:full tilt to the end of the tcthor, he himself will now recognisi! the wisdom oi submission. In any case th*: result of the conicrcncj will' 1)2 hopefully awaited.