New-York tribune., 1899-12-31
"WAR UNDER 4 MICROSCOPE"

Some of the English leader writer's are taking
almost as active a part In the conduct OF the
South African campaign as did some of our own
n few months ago in the detailed management Of
the war with Spain. Every movement is mat
ter for criticism almost before 1t is completed,
and every light offence must bear It's comment,
TO the disbursement and unsettlng of those
who bear the responsibility. This Is what has
been called "war under a microscope some
thing quite different from any wars known up
to within a recent period. One trouble about
waging war on a microscope slide is that 1t
creates the impression that the principal party
in interest is the spectator at the eyepiece. This
was specially manifest when we were at war in
Cuba. Then 1t was impossible to persuade
many people that our armies had any reason
for existence If they did not furnish good read
ing matter every morning hot for breakfast.
The same class OF people hold the same notion
In London. The creatures on the slide must
wiggle. and wiggle to suit the onlooker, or there
Ia trouble
Then. when they do wiggle. and no matter
how WELL there is a new difficulty. Everybody
who is squeamish is horror struck and begins TO
grow faint and shrek a bit at the revolving
sights seen under the glass, just as people do
when the microscope shows them living and
moving things in their articles of food. 1t is
new experience to look AT war through micro
scope 1t used 10 be seen at a distance, Its out
lines softened. Men went off to the wars and
after a period OF silence word came back that
they had won or lost Some were killed and
were mourned and glorified. but the battlefield
itself was not photographed with every gaping
wound and every mangled face revealed TO
move the pity and excite the qualms Of the
millions. Every obstacle encountered was not
heralded instantly as reverse by those at
home and followed by loss OF confidence In
generals Every death was not described as
one more sacrifice to official incompetence or to
murderous instincts Of rulers in carrying on
any war at all Hardship and death were ac-
cepted as the inevitable accompaniment OF war,
and the sum total Of results was counted up
without too close scrutiny of revolving processes.
The microscope may, indeed, make war less
popular, but IL certainly makes II more difficult
TO wage, as every general acknowledges when
he strives TO leave the public behind him. I'm
doubtedly the detailed reports of all that is
hard and pathetic and CHASTITY In battles do
Of men to kill each other. Perhaps they do
promote love OF peace and tend to discourage
nations from plunging into unnecessary wars.
Perhaps they cool the martial ardor that teaches
boys that fighting is something fine for its own
sake, as the young knight OF the Middle Ages
was taught. So far. then, they are instruments
of civilization. But when II comes 10 the prose
cution OF war itself. when the time comes, as
sometimes II does come when the sword must
be drawn, when force must be used to accom-
plsh something, the microscope is anything but
an effective weapon against an enemy Wolfe
lay for weeks before Quebec. and met defeat In
his attempts TO fight the French below the town,
before he finally scaled the cliffs to victory on
the Plains Of Abraham. Suppose daily cable
had told England all his reverses and discour-
agements, had chronicled his movements when
they were half finished and their outcome did