New-York tribune., 1899-12-31

ambuscade by undertaking he formidable re-
sources and wary tactics of he Dutch in South
Africa.
The history OF the first ar has indeed been
repeated large scale during the present
campaign. The Beers twenty years ago robbed
the cradle and the grave in defence Of their
country; and the Dutch allies now have called
into service old men too feeble to endure ex-
posure and boys hardly strong enough to carry
rifles The Beers then failed in their invest
ments of exposed garrisons, such as Standerton.
Potchefstroom and Rustenberg; and they have
been equally inefficient in the sieges OF Lady
smith, Kimberley and Mafeklng. although the
end of these three stories OF heroic defence has
not been reached.
In outmanpuvrng and outwitting their enc
mics by subtle craft the Beers were as sue
cessfu then as the Dutch have been in the pres
ent campaign; and their courage and endurance
were equally conspicuous in defensive warfare
Bronkhorst Spruit was an ambuscade lngogo
Heights successful defence of a strong
position; and at Laing's Mex and Majuba the
Dutch won when they were at the top and at
the bottom Of the hill. There tricks with
white flags at Ingogo and unarmed am
buance party fired upon at Majuba and
there have been similar outrages during the
and crafty hunters in the war Of independence
concealng themselves behind rocks and
trapping their foes in untenable positions. so
they have also battled at Ladysmith Colenso.
Stormberg Belmont. Modder River and Magers-
fonten. They have adapted long range guns
and European engineering science with singu-
lar fexibility to their own natural method of
irregular defensive warfare, and have remained
stakers of battaOns and hunters of men and
guns
The secrecy with which these two Dutch COM
monwcaths smugged heavy artillery into their
territories and prepared themselves for war
under trained European experts: the success
with which they have entrapped the hussars
at Glencoe. the battalons at Ncholson's Mex,
General Gatacre's array at Stormberg, the High
land brigade at Nagersfontein and Colonel
Longs artillery at Colenso: their sagacious
choice of defensive positions where the British
would be at marked disadvantage in attack
inG them, the remarkable use which they have
made of long range guns and the dogged per-
sistence with which they have held back their
artillery and rifle fire and concealed their posi-
tions, batteries and trenches until the right mo-
ment are cumulative proofs of a natural apu-
tude for war based upon hunters Instincts
hut their methods Of fighting might reasonably
have been inferred from their previous cam
paign and their racial history
The English people now understand the wary,
resourceful warriors whom they once despised
and they know also that unless disasters are
retrieved in South Africa, Cape Colony and
Natal will become Dutch possessions and the
power and prestige Of the empire will be fatally
impaired. SO the battle for empire goes on with
the best generals and the heaviest battalions
ordered to the front; for John Bull is not con-
WINGED that Prince Bismarck was a prophet
when in dreamy aside he forecast that Eng
land would find in South Africa the grave Of an
empire. l. n. f.