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

"A little British army goes a big
deners after victory at Omdurman and
the crushing of the Soudan rebels. The
same song, with "Boers" substituted
for British, might now be sung by the
fighting farmers of the Transvaal in
the face of the foemen who are gath.
ering at the narrow passes leading to
the land rich in gold that the English
men covet. Putting figures in par
allel columns gives no idea of the COM
parative strength of the British and
the Beers. The Boer in his own coun-
try has so far proved himself to be in
and his huge cartridge belt filed, he
does not fear to face an army of Brit
ish soldiers, though they outnumbe1
the Boer forces 10 to one. "One shall
chase a thousand and two shall put
10000 to flight" is a biblical promise
that the Beers believe was written espe-
cially for them. With Majuba Hill
still fresh in the minds of the present
generation the sturdy Dutchmen may
be excused for the seeming conceit.
But great changes have taken place
in the Transvaal since Majuba Hill.
Then the Boer army was simply col
lection of patriotic farmers who were
organized only so far as men with
common cause coming together for
common purpose to fight for their
hearths and homes would naturally be
organized. Such a thing as fighting
according to the European method
was not thought of, and neither was
1t necessary, as the crushing defeat of
the British regulars proved. The willy
Boer, however, realized that it would
hardly be possible to repeat the vic
tory of Majuba Hill. The lesson could
not fail to have its effect and the Boer
must be ready to try new tactics the
next time. The next time, now close
at hand, finds the Boer with his new
tactics learned and everything as much
in readiness for a coup in 1899 as 1t was
in 1881. Now the Transvaal is fortified
with modern strongholds that are
crammed with ammunition and brist-
ling with ordnance. The soldiers are
organized and trained in the art of
war: every branch of the service, and
especially the artillery, is thoroughly
equipped. and considering the small
ness of the territory they are called
upon-t to defend there is no reason why
the Boer army should not be every
inch as good, II not superior. to any
force that Great Britain could send
against them. 1--WE shall probably lose
lot of men, but we must win event.
ually," was the way in which promi-
nent British diplomat summed up the
position to the writer a few days ago.
This seems to be the accepted idea of
most who take a cursory glance at the
size of the two nations. But look at
the situation:
The Boer army to-day numbers AS
900 men, every man of whom is sharp
shooter, an athlete, a man accustomed
to life in the open, imbued with a
love of country that Is almost fanatical
in it's intensity, determined to fight to
the last gasp and confident of the abil-
ity of the army of which he is a unit
to defeat anything that can come
against it, numbers being of no account
at all In his calculations. To form a
correct idea of the formidable nature
of this army imagine a force made up
of $4,000 men of the calibre of our
Rough Riders, fighting to the death on
their native soil. Could any army of
European makeup force passes guard
ed by such body of men as these?
Gunners toiIng I'D the passes to place