The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-21
Duration of the South African War.

Oufbuou Oh inc bouSh Airicnu war.
Tho prediction made by Sir RopHRIcK
CAMERoN ct the Canadian Sooiety's dinner
in New York on Tuesday evening. that the
Transyaal war will be over In ninety days,'
may turn out to have been true. but the
opinion Of the gentleman on the subject
has no real value. He 10 Canadian doing
business "a merchant In New York and In
not In the way Of finding anything more
about the situation in South Africa, mill
tary or political. than 10 disooverabls by the
run OF people.
worthy reputation for military or political
Judgment will venture to set such limit,
or any other precise limit. to the war with
the Beers. Too many elements enter into
the question. As the outlook now Is. how
ever. . much longer war than ninety days
seems probable, II not inevitable. The de-
termination Of England to persist In tho
contest continues relentless. and up to
this time all the events OF the war have
tended to stimulate like determination in
the Beers. England, moreover. Is making
ready for the possibility Of prolonged
hostilities. The raising. equlpping. trans
portation and training Of tho great
bodies Of troops, largely raw leves.
which she is preparing to send to South
Africa, will occupy much time necessarily.
Lord RoBKRrs leaves for the field Of war
next Saturday. but II will be about the mid
die Of January before he reaches II, and tho
new campaign upon which he is expected
to enter may not begin before February.
The strategical defects Of the pest cam
paian, which he goes to remedy. whether
they were caused by bad generalship or
the domination OF military movements by
purely political considerations, are radical
In their division Of the British forces, and
may necessitate longer delay than the get
ting ready for IN original campaign would
have taken. He Is the most ilustrious
of British generals. but he Ia not super
human. and the advantages already secured
by the Beers will be difficult to overcome
with the fresh troops supplied to him.
Unquestionably he has proved himself
resouroeful and q successful soldier but
his long military experience has been con-
fined to warfare with peoples very different
from the Beers. His first distinguished
service was in the Indian Mutiny, for which
he received, in 1853. the Victoria Gross for
personal bravery. In the Abyssinian cam
paign. ten years later. his service was as
Assistant Quartermaster General. In the
Afghan campaign he was In chief command
and returned to England to be loaded with
honors as victor and to be created q
Baronet In the first war with the
Beers, In 1881, he saw no service. it
having ended before his arrival to take
the command Of the British troops in
Natal and the Transvaal. In succession
to Sir GEORGE CoLLEY, He cannot, there
fore, be called an expert In the sort of
war In which he will now engage against
the Beers. Neither can Gen. KITCHENER.
who has been appointed his Chief of Stan.
be 80 regarded. 1t Is true that before enter
ing the British army as a Lieutenant OF
Engineers he saw some service In $40 "a A
volunteer on the French side In the Franco
German War. but probably 1t was slight,
His real military experience has been
wholly in Egypt, against enemies In Tight.
ing whom he cannot be said to have 40.
CURED the best training In the methods OF
civilized modern warfare Gen. BUTLER
on the other hand, had experience In the
last Bocr war, In 1881, when he served az
Chief Of Staff to Sir EVELYN woop, and
accordingly there was good reason for his
selection for command In the present war.
Assuming, however. the distinguished fit
ness OF Lord ROBERTS and Gen. KyTcumxz