New-York tribune., 1899-11-17
THE BOERS AT A HALT.
Philippines

II NAV have seemed curious TO many that
after comparatively small parties of British SOL
diers We're cut off from each other and COM
pletely isolated the Beers got no further IL
an understanding of the methods and limitations
of Boer warfare will readily explain this. The
situation is not only interesting but instructive.
Here are three South African towns, fortified by
military skill rather than by nature, and each
occupied by a handful of trained soldiers who
have had nothing to look for in the way OF as
sistance except that which their own weapons,
their military skill and their own bravery could
afford. In each of these cases Of isolation the
English soldiers who are hemmed in are greatly
outpnmbered by the surrounding Boer forces.
At Ladysmith the outnumbering is about three
to one and al the other towns the disproporuon,
although not definitely reported. is probably
greater than this. For long time now the SIT
uation has remained practically unchanged. Inc
brilliant sorties that have been made nave ac-
complished nothing and have only resulted III
an uncertain amount Of loss on both sides.
TO the casual observer this lack Of alteration
in the general situation seems 10 leave both
sides pretty much as they were at first. But
this is mistaken view. The delays have shown
the limits of the Boer methods Of warfare and
in this way they have been most valuable TO the
British Boer warfare does not include long
taught discipline for the storming Of well de-
Tended fortifcations. Boer methods end when
the ability of the sharpshooter and the ability
quickly TO Sniff ground have no further uses.
Their methods so far as they go, are the best III
the world In the field they inf1ict on an enemy
the largest possible amount of punishment al
the smallest possible cost; but in making at
tacks. when attacks are necessary they do not
tend toward the heroic levels.
Tommy Atkins brought back the story
many years ago that he would have been glad
to kill more Beers, only he could not see them
At that time the English who were killed were
nearly always shot through the pith helmet
Even when under cover the English soldiers
could not be made TO secrete their heads, and
The white pith helmet was all the mark the
Boer wanted For the last thirty years officers
4 have tried TO teach English forces something
about this style of fighting, but the trouble is
that the officers themselves know very little
about il. 1t is not instructive with them. 1t has
but little place in the training, traditions or In
stincts of the nation. Americans were trained
10 it, forced to ii, by one hundred and thirty
vears' hard fighting with the savages before
they utlIlZc0 IL 10 wipe out I%HSASH pVNOi III
this part of North America. Its values are, un
der certain conditions, admitted TO be supreme
by the highest military authorities, but 1t Is one
thing 10 admit its values and another thing TO
teach IT, At the present time no nation seems TO
possess both methods. One is personal thought
and the other IS the discipline that trusts TO the
thought of another. Probably the Americans
come nearest to the possession Of both methods,
hut 1t will take them n long time TO get back TO
the cleverness Of their great-grandfathers whose
lives depended on their sharpshooting subtletles.
Peace and the parade ground soon cause the
guerilla instinct 20 become lost With the Beers
It is their chief possession and their limit
Discipline and fanaticism are the only two
qualities that will take force across the open TO
storm well defended fertilization or a bristling
square. Fuzzy -Wuzzy' can do it--like bird
A life training as soldier can do II. But Boer
warfare and all kinds OF sharpshooting warfare
come to an end when a reasonable regard for