The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-26
ENGLAND DID NOT WANT wan.


If the wishes of the English people had
been respected there would have been no
war with the Beers. II is doubtful II
there would have been a war II the ma
jorty of the members Of the British gov
eminent had acted In accordance with
their Judgments. The government was
dragged into it by group of men who de-
sired for reasons of their own. complete
control of the TransYaal republic. Some
of this group are connected with the gov
eminent and some are not. Now, how
ever both the people and the government
are in favor of prosecuting the war to a
successful Issue. Peace could not be OBJ
tanned in any other way with credit 10 the
nation.
Before the war began, however, all the
world would have applauded Great Britain
if she had accepted President Kruger's Of
fer to arbitrate, or had proposed arbitra-
ton herself. In signed article in Sun
days issue of the New York World Mr..
Justin Mccarthy, a member of the British
Parliament says: 1.-THE British govern
ment would have done a wise and noble
act If it had offered to refer the whole
matter to arbitration, and had rendered
such an offer as the first fruits of the
peace commission of The Hague"
The group of men who pushed the Eng
lsh government into war, however, did
not want 10 arbitrate. because they knew
that arbitration would not give them what
they wanted. Their purposes was British
sovereignty in all Of South Africa. 1t is
probable that the Beers expected that by
means of arbitration they would get what
they wanted namely, complete independ-
ence. AS a matter of fact they had been
preparing TO make a fight for independ-
ence ever since the Jameson raid. The
war now is clearly for sovereignty on the
part of the British and for independence
on the part of the Beers. The questions
relating to rights and privileges for the
Uitlanders have dropped out of sight.
The British government is just beginning
to realize that it has undertaken ire
mendous task. 1t has ordered $4,000 men
to South Africa, and one of the generals
there has advised that 600 more be sent
In the opinion of this general it will be
cheaper to send an additional 100000 men,
and end the war quickly, than to have
it drag along for year or two.
The Beers are just as good soldiers as
the British and they have the advantage
of being on the defensive, and, hence can
choose their positions. Their generals
have thus far proven themselves 10 be bet
ter than the British. The British generals
do not seem to understand the kind of
fighting the situation calls far. The Eng
fish government and the English people
have unlimited confidence in Gems. Rob
erts and Kitchener, who are now on their
way to South Africa, but will they be
able to accomplish more than the gem
erals already there? Gen, Roberts is 67
years old and will find the climate of
South Africa very trying. Both he and
Gen. Kitchener will soon discover that the
South African war presents problems al
together different from those they solved
in campaigns in which they made their
regulations. Before they are on the field
of operations long they may agree with
the general who advises that 100000 men
be sent TO the seat of war in addition to
fbose already ordered there