SOUTH AFRICA.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume III, 1 October 1900, Page 82

SOUTH AFRICA.

The long-deferred peace proclamation in South Africa has not yet taken place. The pertinacious obstinacy displayed by the Boers in carrying on a beaten game is amazing. The defection of ex-President Kruger, with his ill-earned stores of wealth and the absence of the distribution of his conveniently-coloured bulletins of British disaster, does not appear to have had anything like the discouraging effect on his burghers which one would have imagined. They are determined to continue to give as much trouble as they conveniently can, although the end must soon arrive. Offers of land grants are already being made to oi'ganise a system of military settlements, which appear liberal enough on the face of them, but a New Zealander, guided by past experience here, would find out for himself what was the quality of the land, and also whether it was fairly accessible before he ventured an opinion on the liberality or otherwise of the offer. Everyone concerned will be heartily glad when the weary struggle ends. It has certainly taught our fossilized War Office some very necessary lessons in modern warfare, but one is apt to get annoyed with them for requiring to buy their experience at such a fearful cost of valuable lives. We read with pleasure that the result of past experiences will be very considerable army reform. Better latethan never.