The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-26

their pieces would be picked off at long
range like deer on a hillside. To In
crease the attacking force would only
add to the slaughter.
Should the sharpshooters fail to keep
back the storming army that must
force Laing's Neck to get to the Trans
vaal, the British will find they have to
cope with as fine a body of artillery as
the worlds armies possess. The guns
are of the very newest pattern, the
gunners trained marksmen. This mag
nificent artillery comprises the second
line that the British must face after
forcing back skirmishers who have
never yet been beaten at their own par
ticular style of fighting.
After the forcing of the passes into
the Transvaal, what? Then the Brit
ish must win their way step by step,
for the Beers will only allow the in
vaders to gain ground over their dead
bodies. Should the first line OF defense
be killed to a man the British must still
capture the forts that the Beers have
built. These forts were planned by
skilled engineers, and built and armed
by men who understand modern war
thoroughly Who helped Dom Paul and
his associates in the building of these
Notifications ii is not necessary to in
quire. Those who did 1t certainly knew
nesburg the British will encounter a
fort that has been declared to be little
short of impregnable. If the British
could not held a hill against the ter
ribIy accurate Boer fire, how can they
storm a fort that Is armed, in addition
to the Boer rifles. with modern ordnance
and manned by gunners who know as
much, If not more, about the science
of gunnery than the invaders?
On the other hand, there are many
who predict that the Beers will take
the initiative and, with a quick dash
across the border before the bulk of
the British forces can arrive have Cape
Colony at their mercy. Here the mis-
take is made of supposing that the
British have not taken warning by the
signs of the coming storm. Never We're
the troops of the queen in better shape
at Cape Colony than at present. 1t
would be well to glance at the map
to get an idea of the strate-
On the east and southeast of
the Transvaal and to the east of the
Orange Free State lies the colony of
Natal, of which Zululand is now
province. This region teens with bat
tie memories in connection with both
the last Boer and Zulu campaigns. In
it there are now three military stations
l<duS anu
Eshowe. A railway runs up from Dur
ban or Port Natal through Pietermar-
itzburg and Ladysmith to the border
is continued through Transvaal terri
tory to johannesburg. The angle
formed by the Newcastle district,
which juts out between the South At
rican Republic and the Orange Free
State is a position of great Importance,
a fact clearly recognized by the Brit
ish military authorities in the forma-
ton of a camp at Laings Neck.
OF the British regiments in South
Africa at the present time several are
fully educated in the guerrilla style of
warfare that the Beers would practice
in the event of war breaking out. The
most efficient and best equipped troops
is the body of Natal mounted police. $50
composed of men who are ready
for immediate service, know the coun-
try thoroughly and are fully trained to
the requirements of South African war;
fare. The term police" does not con-
vey right idea Of the equipment OF
these men, for they are really body
of splendid mounted cavalry, complete
ly armed and having attached to them