By mid-May, Rock had been in charge of the refugee camp for two months. Under Rock's management, the situation in the refugee camp continued to improve. Before Rock came, the mortality rate in the refugee camp was as high as 20%. In the first month after Rock came, less than 50 people died in the refugee camp, and the mortality rate quickly dropped to 2%. Last month, only six people died in the entire refugee camp. The effect was remarkable.
This time when Henry came to Oak Town, he brought more than 700 people. This time they were not all women and children. There were also more than 100 members of the Boer coalition who had surrendered. The commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force changed his previous cruel policy and allowed the members of the Boer coalition to lay down their arms and surrender. According to the intelligence obtained by the British, there are only more than 20,000 Boers still fighting.
Four hundred thousand versus twenty thousand, no wonder Henry was so optimistic. If Rock did not know the course of the Boer War, he would probably think so too.
"In a while, a lady named Emily Hobhouse may come to visit. You'd better be careful. This lady is not easy to deal with." Henry reminded Rock that some people in the UK have begun to pay attention to human rights issues, and this lady Emily Hobhouse is one of the leaders.
"What are you visiting?" Rock had no impression of the name, it shouldn't be important.
"What else is there to visit? Soldiers are fighting on the front line, but a group of people in the country are accusing the military of having barbaric policies. They are against any violence in war. In fact, I think they should all be thrown into Transvaal, where they can influence the Boers with love. Maybe the Boers will be willing to give up the gold mines." Henry said with disdain. Some people are indeed naive.
By twenty-first-century Internet standards, Ms. Emily Hobhouse is the archetypal “saint of honor,” someone who is either willfully naive or simply stupid.
"Refugee camp - we can refuse her the visit." Rock didn't want anyone to interfere in his work, especially those outsiders pretending to be experts.
"I'm afraid not. Ms. Emily Hobhouse has a commission from the Anglican Church. And as you know, the mortality rate in the Stellenbosch refugee camp was as high as 20% some time ago . So Ms. Emily Hobhouse specifically asked to visit the Stellenbosch refugee camp, and the Governor's Office has agreed to Ms. Emily Hobhouse's request." Henry had no choice. Emily Hobhouse had a church background and he couldn't afford to offend her.
Rock couldn't afford to offend the church, so let's go. Fortunately, the refugee camp has improved a lot now. Rock believed that as long as Emily Hobhouse was not deliberately making trouble, the current refugee camp was worth a visit.
In other words, it can withstand investigation.
…
Three days later, Emily Hobhouse arrived as promised.
However , Emily Hobhouse did not appear in front of Rock through normal channels, but was captured by the police.
Emily Hobhouse came to Oak Town, but did not go directly to Rock. Instead, she communicated with the Boers working in the vineyard , trying to obtain first-hand information. As a result, she was discovered by police patrolling nearby, and then Emily Hobhouse and her group were escorted to Rock.
Yes, the group included Emily Hobhouse, two German pastors, three of Emily Hobhouse's servants and a guide hired by Emily Hobhouse.
"Ms. Hobhouse, it's a pity that we have to meet under such circumstances." Rock invited Emily Hobhouse to the reception room. Fortunately, Rock's men did not use violence against Emily Hobhouse.
"I'm sorry too. I didn't expect you police officers to be so rude, Inspector Locke." Emily Hobhouse was very angry. Although the police officers had a good attitude, that also resulted in Emily Hobhouse not getting first-hand information.
About rudeness.
After all, the police station is a violent institution, not a church, and the police are not priests. When facing criminals, asking them to repent on their own will not work, and trying to make the "Virgin Mary" understand the content of the police's work will not work either. They are just a group of people pretending to be asleep. No matter what you say, they will think it is a turtle chanting sutras and will not listen.
"Those criminals are more rude than us. No, they are not rude, they are violent, cruel, cunning and greedy. If you have any opinions on the way we work, you are welcome to report to the Cape Town Police Department. If the bureau asks us to change the way we work, then we will do it." Rock fought back neither softly nor hard. He was dissatisfied with the police's bad attitude and said, "Come on, here's the baton. If you have the ability, come and see if the baton can be turned into a cross."
"We are not the police. The women and children in the refugee camps need better care." Emily Hobhouse spoke aggressively and got into the situation quickly.
"Tell me about your work and what you want to know - by the way, why are you with two German pastors?" Rock didn't dwell on the issue of criminals. There was not much for a policeman and a church member to communicate on this issue.
Everyone knows that Germany's position in the Boer War was in favor of the Boers, and Rock believes that Emily Hobhouse also knows it, so Rock doesn't understand why Emily Hobhouse would "visit" the refugee camp with two Germans. Don't talk about boundless love, it's all nonsense, anyone who believes it is an idiot.
"Is it not possible? Mark and Hans are also concerned about the refugees in the refugee camps." Emily Hobhouse said confidently, not realizing there was anything wrong with it.
"Of course, if you say yes, then it's fine—" Rock was speechless. Now Rock was sure that Emily Hobhouse was really stupid: "If you want to know the situation in the refugee camp, then I think you can find out through formal channels, and you must be accompanied by staff."
Rock chose his words carefully so as not to give Emily Hobhouse any chance to find fault with him.
"Do you think that those refugees will tell us the true situation in the refugee camps in front of you policemen?" Emily Hobhouse looked at Rock as if he was a mentally retarded person. Of course, Rock looked at Emily Hobhouse the same way.
"I think so. The situation is not as complicated as you think—" Rock raised his hand to stop the emotional Emily Hobhouse from interrupting: "If you want to understand the situation, you must abide by the regulations of the refugee camp. This is the first prerequisite."
It was impossible for Rock to allow Emily Hobhouse to act freely. If it was just Emily Hobhouse herself, it would be fine, after all, Emily Hobhouse was British. But now there were two German pastors, who were two unstable factors.