The Blue-book on the refugee camps, issued on Friday week,
leaves nothing to be desired in regard to fulness of information or frankness of statement. It is admitted that at the outset the organisation was in many cases inadequate to cope with the influx of refugees, and that one camp was badly laid out and supervised—before September. But on the other band, there remain to be taken into account the °deplorable condition of the refugees on arrival, and the invincible ignorance of the Boer women. This ignorance showed itself in a variety of ways,—in concealment of cases of infectious disease, rooted disinclination to go into hospital, constant violation of doctors' orders, disregard for the simplest sanitary rules, and a preference for barbarous and mediteval remedies of a revolting description, one of the favourite modes of treatment being to smear the body of the patient with green paint. In other respects the discipline of the camps seems to be excellent, and over seventeen thousand children are now reported to be receiving instruction. We do not deny that the Report is depressing reading, but in view of all that has been and is being done, to charge the Government with deliberately adopting "methods of barbarism" in regard to the refugees is a monstrous calumny. The "methods of barbarism" have been practised not by the Government, but by the Boer women.
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