17 OCTOBER 1914, Page 3

On Tuesday evening a despatch from Lord Buxton, the Governor-General

of South Africa, announced that Colonel Maritz, who had been entrusted with the forces in the North- West of the Cape Province, had gone over to the enemy with a number of his officers and men. Colonel Maritz, who has been under suspicion since General Beyers's resignation on September 15th, refused to report himself to Colonel Brits, who was sent to take over his command, and sent back Colonel Brits's emissary, Major Bouwer, with an ultimatum to the Union Government threatening to invade the Union territory unless certain specified leaders were sent to confer with him. Major Bouwer further reported that Maritz had been appointed General commanding the German troops, and that he had Germans with him besides his rebel commando, He boasted of being supplied with German guns and money, and showed an agreement in which the German Governor of the German province guaranteed the independence of South Africa as a Republic, and he (Maritz) promised to, hand over Walfish Bay and other portions of Union territory to Germany.