The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-07
PREPARED WHILE THEY PRAYED.

TIlET AfIED WILLIE HEY FRA Ell
The preparedness of the Beers for
war has come upon the world as a sur
prise, and yet many military men have
warned England that no inland coun-
try in the world was better prepared
for war than the Transvaal. Mr.. How
ard G. Hillega, in his book, "Oom
Paul's People," described in detail the
work that has enabled the Beers to
press down so hard on the British ar
my at the very beginning of the cam
paign in Natal. He related that Ger
man experts were employed to formu-
late plans for the defense of the Trans
vaal; that European artillerists were
secured to instruct BOer officers in the
arts of modern gun practice, and that
Americans of military training were
busted for some years in teaching the
science of war to young Boer in the
national military school at Pretoria.
Seven million dollars, Mr.. Hillega
declared, were spent annually in Eu-
rope for armament, and the whole
country was placed on q war footing.
Every important strategic position vas
made as nearly i~mpregnable as pos
sible, and every farmers cottage was
supplied with arms and ammunition, so
that the volunteer army might be mob
ilized in a day. Three large ware
houses at Pretoria were filled a year
ago with ammunition, and the large
armory was packed to the caves with
Mausers, Martini-Henry and Wesley
rifles, Pretoria was fortified with heavy
guns, some of them having a range of
fifteen miles. Each fort, moreover, re-
ceived thirty Calling guns. In addition
to these, there in the city fifty
light Calling guns with mule teams
ready for service.
Many people have wondered why the
English at johannesburg have been SO
quiet in the midst of war excitement.
Mr.. Hillega's book tells why. The guns
of the extensive Notifications at that
point are so planted as to rake not
only every street OF the city, but ten
of the principal mine works. Strong
forts east of the city command the
railway approaches. In fact, the Beers
seem to have thought of every possible
point that they might in antici-
patton of a defensive campaign. From
their advance into Natal, moreover, it
looks as If they considered as carefully
all the preparations for an offensive
campaignl
The author of Dom Paul's People
predicted that the plans of the Beers
would contemplate not only the capture
of Ladysmith, but the capture of Dur
BAN, the seaport of Natal. He said
that there were several thousand Irish
men in South Africa who had been or
ganiZed to assist the Beers. that the
Of a majority of the Ameri-
cans in the Transvaal was with the
Boer cause, and that, as the officers had
been instructed in military strategy,
and the regular soldiers of the repub-
lie had been drilled by German non-
commissioned officers, the Beers would
give a good account of themselves in
the field.
Up to October / the port of Laurence
Marquee on Delagoa bay, was open,
and vast quantities of German and
ordnance were imported into
the Transvaal. With the. modern
guns came men born or trained in Eu-
TO handle the batteries and TO
charge of the Notifications.
Doubtless the Beers believe implic-
that the God of Battles is on their
side. AT the same time, as Mr.. Hille-
gas book shows, they believe that the
God of Battles helps those most who
1elp themselves. = Chicago Inter-
Ocean.