The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-08
N The FIELD
Results of a British Count of
Military Noses.
B0ER STRENGTH MEASURED
BY the Number of.PeopIe Who
Can Shoulder a Gun.

Copyright, 1899. by the Associated Press.)
London, Oct THE scope of Great
Britain's military preparations can
scarcely be grasDed by the mere read
ing of individual items as these appear
from day to day. A fair notion of their
immensely can be gained from the semi
official statement that for the transport
OF the army corps, about seventy ships
transports already on the way to the
Cape II these vessels effectively dis
embark their cargoes of men, horses and
equipment within FIVE weeks from their
date of sailing, the program will have
fulfilled the forecasts Of the most opti-
mistic British military experts. If al the
troops are able to take their places as
component parts of the army corps by the
end Of November. they will have done,
according to the best available opinion.
remarkably well. The disembarking of
General Skaters army from its thirty
seven transports is not forgotten by Brit
ish officers. Although the vessels to be
employed in the Cape service gre Of
considerably larger average tonnage than
those which carried the Americans to
Santiago de Cuba, the admiralty, in ac-
cordance with the existing regulations,
IS supplying them all, and taking com
plete charge from waters edge to waters
edge This means a tremendous outlay
Of capital. Nor do the arrangements es-
cape criticism. Letters begin to appear in
the newspapers alleging favoritism and
declaring that some Of the transports are
rotten hulks." The recent break down
of the two vessels with troops on board
is cited as substantating this charge, but
there does not seem to be any serious
ground for supposing that the admiralty
is actuated by wrong motives.
Although the impending army corps Is
matter Of pre-eminent military inter |
est the troops already on the scene Of
probable action constitute no insignif- /
cant body. The original Cape garrison /
was 5000 men, and this has been increas-
ed by 400. There are 1900 men at sea, |
on the way to the Cape. and their arrival /
wiz make the approximate total Of Brit /
ish troops in South Africa prior to the ar
rival Of the army corps. $500. These
troops Go not include the irregular forces, |
the Cape Mounted Rifles, the Port Eliza
beth and Crahamstown Volunteers, the |
Natal Police. the Durham Light Infantry, |
the Australian force and the regular ma
val brigade.
The Cape squadron now includes ten |
Uarships. all heavily manned, and the |
British frst-class protected cruisers Ter !
rible and Powerful viii soon arrive, en- /
sbling the navy to land a brigade Of |
about 1000 men.
Against this array are opposed the /
Transvaal and its ally. the Orange Free
State, with perhaps a sprinkling Of ma /
lives. This IS about all that can be said /
REGARDING the Roer forces. They are vir-
luaH nou-regulars. and attempts to esti-
mate their fighting strength are hope
less. although various calculations APP
pear daily in the English newspapers,
ranging from 20G03 to 1880. the latter
figure being absolutely extravagant.
The whole question was summed up to-
day for the Associated Press by an in
nuential member of the house Of COM
mons, who said: Before this is ended
Great Britain viii have to face every
Boer-man or hov-strong enough to fire
n gun for the sake OF his country"
The part which the foreigners who are
volunteering under the Boer standard,
and especially Americans. will take in
the expected conflict provokes much sup
position and comment. The correspondent
Of tho ST. James Gazette at Pietermaritz-
Beers to 6i=mantle the Netherlands rail
way IN the eevnt of n Boer retrograde
movement upon Pretoria. They will GER
-
treatment II taken prisoners. Something
like a dozen OF these adventurous Yam
KEGS are professional railroad wreckers,
now living IN comparative clover in Pre-
doria"
The Boer ranks Will certainly include =
number of Irishmen and former officers
OF the &c rman army.
Tt IS said the Beers viii adopt the poll
ley they adopted in 1881, when ten sharp
shooters were detailed out of each COM