hed to the Red Cross. But what is the attitude of
the British officers towards us?

I trust your Excellency will give me a satisfactory reply to these
complaints, and issue orders to remedy them.

I am,

Your Excellency's most obedient servant,

B. J. VILJOEN.

_Assistant Commandant-General._

District Lydenburg,
_8th September, 1901_.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY, LORD KITCHENER,
_Commanding the British Troops in South Africa, Pretoria_.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's letter
to General Blood, dated Pretoria, 31st of August, from which I
understand that your Excellency essays to justify the use of the white
flag for the dissemination of proclamations through our lines, in
connection with which your Excellency offers arguments which I do not
hesitate to say are utterly untenable.

Firstly, it is asserted by your Excellency that the sending of these
documents addressed to individuals is justified under the white flag;
secondly, that your Excellency considers it your Excellency's duty to
render us conversant with the contents of your Excellency's
proclamations in order that we shall be informed what our fate shall
be after the 15th September next, &c., &c., &c.

With regard to the first argument introduced, I regret that I must
dispute your Excellency's contention that this is legal, and I am
assured that an impartial court would declare it as illegal. I enclose
herewith the copy of a letter from General W. Kitchener, dated 1st
September last, in answer to a complaint of my _locum tenens_,
"Fighting"-General Muller, with respect to the taking and removing by
the said General W. Kitchener's troops of our ambulance and hospital
attendants, from which letter it will appear that General Kitchener
considers the sending of a white flag despatch concerning important
and serious irregularities as "trivial communications." How am I to
understand British officers?

Your Excellency thinks that it is permissible to employ the white flag
to send pernicious and misleading proclamations within our lines,
whereas General W. Kitchener warns us not to employ the white flag
when we are compelled to complain concerning the British Army where
the latter removes and robs us of our ambulances, as occurred in
connection with the ambul