The times., 1899-12-14
EneInnd.r Plight

The British taxpayer, aided and abered
by an army Of angry relatives Of the slain,
VIII be sure 70 demand a reckoning at the
hands Of the Salisbury Government when
Parliament meets again. The South AZ
rican war. unless its tide shall quickly
turn. viii become the terrible and disas-
trous South African scandal before many
weeks. It's consequences viii not involve
individual Ministers or a political party
merely; but the interests and possibly at
last, the territorial integrity Of the EN-
pire. For we may not lose sight Of the
fact that EngIand's preparations and pro-
visions for the struggle with the Boer Re
publics have been looked upon by Europe,
and accepted by herself, as a supreme ex-
preston and test Of her military resources,
and Of her fighting ability on land. II she
fails British prestige viii so suffer that
the hold Of the Empire on India, South
Africa, and the Nile Valley viii be Ger
tainly and perhaps fatally shaken.
Considering the character, accomplish
ments. and experience Of British statesmen
one would think that, with a clear four or
five years Of certainty that the war in
South Africa must be fought, and that be-
fore long, the Queens Ministers would have
been thoroughly prepared for the event.
They have seen Kruger buying arms and
military supplies with a lavish hand ever
since 1895 at least. They have had the
opportunity TO watch the development Of a
great plan Of scientific fertilization in the
IransVaaL They have actually known that
the Beers were getting ready for hostniues
with feverish and ceaseless activity for
more than q year. and yet the Kruger uIti-
matum found them completely unprepared.
How utterly so, neither they nor their mil
ltary colleagues seem 10 have had the re-
m0test conception
Now during all these fifty months or
more Of active and open preparation in The
Trausvaal. what vas the British military
Intelligence division OF the War once do
ing. That is question which The Mar
quis Of Lansdowne will perhaps find diff
hculty In answering when the Earl Of Rose
berry asks ii in the House OF Lords, as he
surely VIII. Kruger had only five avenues
by which TO introduce artillery into his
country. namely, by way Of Lourenco Mar
ques, Durham, New London. EUzabethport.
and Cape Town. Three Of these are Brit
ish ports and the two remaining could
readily have been kept under scrutiny.
When the war broke out the intelligence
divisions estimate OF the Boer artillery
was only thlTty-three per cent Of the truth
and it was quite unconscious that il snclud-
ed.a siege train. How win the War Secre-
tary or army headquarters account for
that?
We have been told that the little force
under White ana Symons caught in Natal
when the Beers crossed over Laing's Mex
could not have been made larger without
exciting suspicion. and thereby precipitat-
ing the trouble But there might have
been force held in reserve ia India which
could have been quickly utilized. The ex-
cuse was ridiculous. Ineficieney. delays,
and blunders have marked the whole his
tory q the war. so far The British Gov
ornmeHt had siege train, and a good one.
No one thought OF organizing and sending
ii out until Joubert's siege guns were
pounding Ladysmith, aud the howitzers are
but nov reaching thelr destination.
airy FOR scouting purposes would be the
first and most pressing need Of the field
commanders. who would also need artillery
as fast as il could be supplied. The trans
portation department selected the sIowest
old tramps it could find 10 convey the cav
airy and artillery. So the sad game Of
mistakes has gone on. Generals do not
know the distances to places sixteen miles
away from them on main lines OF railway.
and make frontal attacks without scouting
on their TANKS TO guard against possible
traps As far as the returns show the
British commanders have been outma-
neu6red, outwitted. and outclassed in gen
oralshiD by their formerly desplsed antag-
oHisis on nearly every occasion. Poor Sy-
mons fight at Dundee was a blunder, for
which, however. he probably was not re-