The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
THE BOERS LOST CHANCE.
EXPLANATION or THEIR FAILURE
TO STRIKE SOONER.


rboir Commis.arint Was Not Ready ss soor
as Their Soldiers and So tho Invasion oi
Natal was ondents'
views of the Beers and the situation.
LONDON, Nov. 10 - Now that the cable news
OF the war has dwindled 10 the barest negative
announcements the story as told In the unocn
sored letters from muzzied correspondents bo-
comes increasingly important and interesting.
We arc told for instance by tho Times cores
pondent who in Pretoria at the outbreak
Of the war. hov II happened that the Beers failed
in their plan to seize all Natal they might have
done u they had begun tho campaign q single
week earlier. Writing under date Of Oct rs.
this correspondent says
From the Boer point Of view there was, II must
te admitted, great deal 10 be said for the policy
Of taking the bull by the horns II they were de-
termined to fight sooner than make the least con-
cession II was evidently better 10 fight with 10 900
men than with 10000 They werc confident
they could crush tho small foroo in Natal long
before re. endorsements could arrive. and could
raise vast region Of Cape Colony in revolt by
the mcrc presence Of their invading commanded
Mt Rcitz's utimatum. which was not handed
IN to the British Agent ill Oct o. was decided
on and actually framed before the end Of Septem-
her The intention Of the Trnnsvaal Govern
mcnt was 70 present that ultimatum ON Oct l
Of the forty eight hours. Al this moment hitch
occurred which temporarily upsc, tho whole ~
Management In the evening Of Sept 80 and tic
morning Of % I the Executive made two Gn.
welcome discoveries The first was that their
fnrcrs were not ready They had modified al
most the whole male population Of the country,
supplied them with arms and ammunition, and
srnt them to the front in the remarkably short
space Of four days; bu, they had done 80 only
iy dirt Of ncglectng all arrangements for trans
port and commissariat The men, and with
them tho rolling stock, had all gone of TO the
borders Of tho Republic, while the food was left
In Pretoria without means OF conveyance. The
other unwclcomc discovery was thnt the FREQ
State army was equally unrcady. Accordingly.
on Oct. L. The incorporating attitude OF Pro
toria slightly modified. Rumors Of somo
last attempt to make peace. Of an impending
visit to Pretoria Of Mcssrs, Schreiner and Hof-
meyr, Of divisions in the British Cabinet, were
given free play. After the Lapse Of another week
tho mobilization hal hccn really as well AZ NOM
inaIly carried out and the Transvnai was ready
to come out and challenge the British Empire TO
hattie. But in tina, short interval over 5000
troops from India had landed in Natal and tho
policy Of attack ad'aIready lost some Of It's iust
fcaton."
rho same correspondent uses strong Ian
the danger OF native rising in connection with
the war Hostile feeling Is SO strong In this |
country against the Beers that the idea OF turning
the 'DasutoS loose against the burRhcrs Is not |
everywhere rejected with tho scorn that such |
a proposition merits. The following clear state
nent OF what such thing would mean for British |
interests In South Africa Is therefore very timely:
The one serious danger that remains Is the |
possibility OF native rising, especially among
the Basutos or Swazis. Nothing could do such
incalculablc mischief TO the Imperial power as to
tolerate even for moment the possibility OF a
native attack upon the Beers. Nothing In such
an event az an invasion Of tho Free State by the
Basutos could prevent the Dutch in the colony
from going TO the help OF their knsfolk, and
nothing could do more to ALLEVIATE the sympathy
OF all colonists. English Dutch from Great
Britain than any weaknes or hesitation In dealing
with such an issue. II Is Tho absolute duty Of |
the Imperial authorities TO do all in their power
to avert such a rising. by sending up troops. u
need be. and to that duty all purely military con.
sldera'ions must for the time give way"
There is no ADLER war correspondent in Lady.
smith to-day than William Maxwell Of the Stand
ard, His descriptions Of Kitchener 8 march 10
Khartoum were perhaps the best III were printed
and he has already distinguished himself in the
present campaign. lie sends to his paper this
week description OF the Boer as he finds him |
which Is the best and on the whole the most i'm.
partial character sketch that has como from an
English pen. In the course Of most interesting
letter Mr.. Maxwell says:
Between the Boer Of fiction and Of fact there
3 no an nifty. They differ as much as tho noble
redman who scalps his way through tho pages
81 Fcnimorc Cooper differs from his squalid, de-
generate son in the native reserve The Boer
81 fiction u a chivalrous. though somewhat sleepy,
gentleman In corduroy-a mountain OF beef and
bone given TO solitary musing and to tho shooting
" buck or 'redcoats.' whichever happen 10 cross
his path. Hunter and hermit patriot and philos-
'pher. Is tho mixture out OF which he Is COM
pounded. The Boer OF fact 10 a creature Of another
lay He Is dull. lum2ish, lazy animal, with a
'apacity for ignorance superstition and tyranny
by any white race His good quail
ios-for he has redecming characteristics appeal
strongly to the Imagination. He clings with the
passionate fcrvor 81 Covenantcr TO the simple
md sublime faith Of tho literal teaching of the
3iblo Love Of independence Is deep rooted In
'is nature. The history Of South Africa during two
md half centuries Is full OF examples OF his
logged and uncomfortable spirit But no has
N overpoworing degree the defects Of these quail
les. His piety Is apt 70 degenerate into super
'tsion and sanctimonious Pharisaism. Love
'f Independence has begot in him hate Of every.
hing that might tend 10 disturb his reverence
or tho past, and suspicion Of tho stranger who
threatens 70 tread him to death. in the solitude
Oh tho veldt Tho uncomfortable spirit that has
made him one Of the boldcst pioneers tho world
has seen has become corrupted into obstinate
ronceit
The absolute seclusion and independence Of
he pastoral life Of tho Boer farmer are account
,b'e for his ignorance. His education Is limited