Evening star., 1899-11-04

Guilty came IN to claim his services before
he departed to that post.
Another Victoria Cross Hero.
The general is sixty-five years of age
but judging by the vigor of his preparatory
operations in Natal, there is plenty of fight
left in him still. His intimate knowledge Of
the Indian forces that are relied upon to do
much of the fighting in the present confitc,
is expected to make him a valuable COM
mander in the TranSVaal. Like MS superior
SIS George w hIte wears the NIc,oI.e, ,rusa
and numerous other decorations that testi-
~ to his personal ValUr.
On the other side, the British find opposed
TO them a leader, whose mIll.arY "a ter.-
ence is as long, if not as varied, as their
own anu who is certainly a worthy foeman.
General Joubert, the commander OF the
IransVaaI troops, comes to the present con-
fict with the prestige of having twice VIII D.
ped the British. lie was in command of
the Beers at Majuba Hill, in which engage
ment, aside from the question OF ulaNelA
the Boer forces displayed the better gen
eralShip.
years of age. His period of service to the
Iransvaal is nearly as long as that of
President Kruger himself and ne is the
most influential man in the Transvaal next
TO the president 1t is a curious fact that
neither of these men is of Dutch descent
Kruger being of GetmaE origin, while Jou-
bert comes of French Huguenot stock
which is one of the strains that have gone
The general impression of Joubert is thai
he is an ignorant man. who is qualified only
to be the leader CT a bushwacking force
But l have 1t on the authority Of a man
who has known HIM Intimately In the
TranSvaal that Gen. JOubert is perhaps the
best informed man among the Boer lead
ers. He possesses great native sagacity
has visited Europe and knows much better
than most of his countIymen the strength
of the power against whi n the Tranygaal
is fighting.
JOubert Was Against War.
1t is a significant fact that Gen Joubert
has opposed war with England, believing
that in time it would be possible to realize
South African federation independent OF
England, but on friendly terms with her
without an appeal to arms. Now that the
struggle is on, however, ne doubtless will
do his best TO lead his CoUntrylnan 20 VIC
tory.
As his immediate subordinates Gen. Jou-
bert has six division leaders or field com
manders. Chief Of these is Commandant
Jut Cronje. Cronje is Of middle age a
burgher of wealth and influence. I:ut he is
a man OF no education and of violent pref
| udlces. whose hatred of the English is
equaIed only by his contempt -or thom 1t
was TO trOHle that DR.. Jameson sure nder-
ed on the occasion of his memorable raid
| and he IS regarded as the most active and
next to Joubert, the most able of the Boer
leaders.
From present accounts the Beers viii he
able TO put in the field all told about 80 900
men. These are all mounted; they are not
Durdened by heavy artillery or by a heavy
commlssariat. They will be Tighting prac-
ucally on their own ground. Therefore they
| should be able to hold their own against
the troops which England Will put IN the
| held, and there should be some very pretty
hShtinS, in which the result is by no means
certain TO be always the same way.