New-York tribune., 1899-11-17
4 MILITARY EXPERTS VIEWS.
ADVANTAGE NOW WITH THE BOERS' But
THE TIDE WILL PROBABLY
TT-RN QUICKLY.

,vosbirqton Nov. 1G (SpeciaD.-"In order to
c-,ticise ,ntelligently the military situation in
South Africa" said a high military authority
yesterday "and TO appreciate the reasons for
,bo cornnaratively small success Of the British
arms I'M 10 this date IT Is necessary to UNDER
.+and the immense difficulties and peculiar nat
ura of the problem involved. large section OF
the American press generalizes the war as d
conflict between a great military Power and
tvo small republics struggling for their inde-
nerdence. Passing by the political aspect or
the situation I wish to demonstrate that the
balance Of advantage. in military sense up 10
.bo nresent has been on the side Of the two
small republics
..ro give the ordinary American reader fair
idea Of the military problem and the immense
distances and difficulties involved. ! make the
following comparison: Let 1t be supposed that
the Territories Of NewMexico and Oklahoma
were 10 revolt against the United States Govern
rnent and were TO begin by overrunning the
oos,arr norton OF Texas Let us further sup
nose that the population ot those Territories ls
constituted very much as at present in numbers,
and that IL consists. IL does. OF hardy cow
bovs and ranchers well mounted and peculiarly
rroAcIent in the use Of the rife and frontier
warfare Let II be supposed that these Terri
tories had been preparing for this revolt for at
least ten years: had European officers to in
struct them in military tactics and had pro-
cured an immense supply Of all the latest NUM-
tions Of war in the shape OF magazine rifles,
heavy siege guns. quick firing field guns and
Maxim machine guns that the people OF the
surrounding States were TO great extent
friendly 10 the revolt and were secretly aiding
and abetting It: also that the colored population
OF the South was In excited and dangerous
frame OF mind Then. suppose. that the only
regular Federal troops available TO suppress
this revolt consisted OF about 1000 Regulars
stationed al Fort Worth. Tex, and about Sooo
at New York. Also suppose that the only avail
able ports for disembarking reinforcements are
at New-Orleans and San Francisco. Then re-
move the headquarters OF the United states
Government and it's executive machinery as fhr
away as Berlin; and, accepting all the above
suppositions conceive the difficulty OF speedily
suppressing the revolt.
This comparison is fair and moderate, ana
gives some idea OF the difficulties which nave
been confronting the British Government up TO
the present time in dealing with the IransVaal
and Orange Free State republics. General
whites small force OF ten thousand or twelve
thousand men was confronted with the task or
nreserving the colony OF Natal from Invasion
from two sides by an enemy three or four times
ifs superior IN numbers. Under these clrcum-
stances ne has done remarkably well In infict-
ing severe punishment upon the invaders. in
maintaining his position at Ladysmith against
enormous odds and from a strategic standpoint
IN OBTAINING the bulk OF the Boer army at one
point, while preparations for attacking them IN