England's Use Of Black Men In War

Mr. Chamberlain's action in declaring that the Kaffir chiefs who fought on our side against the Boers shall receive medals marks the end of a long hypocrisy, says the London Speaker. Up until the close of the war the government strenuously denied that any natives had fought for us at all. If they did not fight, why reward their bravery? If, on the other hand, they were noncombatants, to bestow medals at all is to abuse a coveted distinction. But if they were combatants then Mr. Chamberlain convicts his government of a deliberate and complicated lie. It Is of course a matter of history that the natives did fight on our side and further, that their employment was one of the two main causes that induced the Boers to surrender.