The age-herald., 1899-07-09

could hope to put in the field. Two notable errors have made the situation worse than it need have been; the Boers have held our strength too cheap and we have qulte overrated their fighting quality Despite Gen Sir William Buffers very warm eulo- gy of his dear friend, Sir George Colley, TWO fatal blunders characterized the con duet of operations at Laings Neck and Maiuba Hill, either of which, had they been corrected, would have reversed the result.
 Although we have fairly large garrison in South Africa, practically an army corps would have to be sent tither if we mean to support our demand for the maintenance of the convention. And the force would have to be as mobile as possible-i. e., consisting largely of cavalry and horse ar tilery. Infantry, of course, there would De, and the operations would be confined as much as possible to the more open portion of the country. An army corps of 30,ooo men is a huge force to feed, and the 1or- age and provisioning details, apart rom the purchase of the necessary quantltleS oI fresh supplies are not to be made Tn a oay' But all perhaps, in good time and some thing in that direction is already being done.
 As for transports, there are not only the excellent ships of the two Cape lines avail able. the Union and Castle steamers, but the government, no doubt, could ana should take over the temporary service q few of the big, swift, North Atlantic liners. such as the Campania and Lucanla. These craft are retained for cruisers Tn the event of war, and could not De put to pet- ter use than the conveyance of Brltlsh SOL diers The Americans found their liners very useful in the contest with Spain lhe transport of cavalry horses is one or the more serious problems the wor office would have to face in preparing Tor cafnpalSn so far afield. The money value Whlch edch troopers mount" sent from this country
 1ay1 dad Africa. would be between eSO and 9g0. on the whole. therefore it would be much cheaper costing considerably less than moiety of that sum. were the horses poush. abroad say. in South America, and shlppeo direct to the Cape and Natal. Animals in every way well qualified for the service and of a superior class, could be had ln nny numbers, and a few week training would soon see them fit to carry our sol- diers anywhere. That would propaply pc the course the authorities would adopt, the troopers being sent out from home with the necessary trappings, and finding horses awaiting them on arrival in Africa.
 finder ordinary circumstances the troops for tha expedition should mainly be drawn from the First army corps On paper tnere are three or four army corps presumed to be virtually ready for mobilization. Tne public however, have come to be skepucal' and would be glad to believe that, on touching the proverbial button, without further delays one or two army corps or regulars would be in readiness to embark for war That modest condition or pre- paredness has never yet been perfectly reacbed. hence, whenever war clouds arise on the horizon. there is always great ex- tra pressure of work in Pail Mall There would we imagine, in case of hostilities' be three brigades of cavalry. full com pIement of batteries. some of which would be of the new howitzer guns, and over ho+ of linp9nan, That IS how things might possibly shape thcm- selves if unhappiIy. our efforts for peace able issue should be unsuccessful; bat everything is as yet very much in the air, although applications from officers to be included in any expedition are crowding fin