The evening times., 1899-12-11
MONDAY, DECEMBER IL, 1899.
Ga.acre's Reverse at stormbers.


In England the week opens with the Brit
fish public in a condition of mingled sur
prise. sorrow, and anger. The defeat sus-
tanned by Major General Sir ". F. Gatacrs
at Stormberg Junction comes as an amaz-
ingly bad campaign opening, although from
military point Of view it is not nearly as
serious as it appears when regarded politi-
rally. In the present condition of Afri-
kander sentiment in Northern Cape Colony
1t may be looked upon disaster almost
certain TO lead TO rebellion open and seri-
Gus enough to occupy the sole attention of
more British troops than are now in the
Colony, without thinking of any operations
against the Free State.
Merely considered as military reverse,
while it seems sufficiently bad, there is
nothing intrinsically terrible about the af-
fair and there is no just reason apparent
as yet TO criticise General Gatacre severe
ly. As matters look, his loss in killed and
wounded was not great in the circum-
stances reported-if the truth has been
told. The fact that nearly six hundred of his
troops are reported as missing is uncom-
Portable. and indicates that more of Bull
ler's officers and men will eat their Christ
mas dinner in Pretoria, than was con-
sidered probable a few days ago. OF course,
Gatacre comes in for a sound rating all
around, for not knowing his ground, for
not having the position he proposed to
attack thoroughly secuted. and for trust
ing in native or Afrikander guides He
is entitled % be heard on all these points
: before it would be just to condemn him.
Gatacre evidently walked into trap but
whether he could have avoided 1t by the
+ exercise of his wits or means remains to
be proved. He is an officer who has seen
much and hard service in India and Afri-
ca, is graduate of the Staff College, and
ought TO be a strategist. Probably the
whole trouble with Gatacre arises from the
fact that he has been left to keep the Beers
between Queenstown and the Orange River
moving and watching him, with one beg
carly little brigade and has been unable to
act strategically, or to spare troops for
Necessary reconnoitring purposes. He ad-
n'its that he was unaware of the superior
force ready TO meet him at Stormberg. This
might readily be and no blame attach to
him. The Beers are SO mobile, being all
mounted and habitually moving with
minimum of impedimenta. that they might
readily have tricked the British brigadier
as to their numbers. They could have had
the small force at Stormberg exactly as
it was reported to Gatacre. and they could
also have had three or four extra thou
sands scattered over radius of twenty OF
thirty miles, ready to concentrate when
their enemy should move. This represents
a risk which will always be found grave
one to small British columns throughout
the war.
On the whole the greatest admirer of the
British army will feel bound to admit that,
SO far. its commanding officers have not
demonstrated generalship equal 10 that of
their antagonists. The most friendly anal |
ysis of Methuen's movement from the Or |
ange River to Modder would hardly fail to
show that in strategy and grand tactics he
has been outclassed by Cronje. But this is
not an exceptional instance, and for that
reason we are inclined to suspect that if
number of well-known staff officers belong |
ing TO two at least of the great European |
armies were TO be looked for at their home |
addresses, it would be found that they were |
absent on sick leave, or in South America |
on scientific Missions
1t is quite apparent to the disinterested |
observer that Sir Redvers Butler and his |
division and brigade commanders will |
have to allow for this probable factor in |
future operations. 1t is to be feared that |
they all went into the South African war |
~,
were good enough against Pathans and |
Dervishes would serve equally well |
against Beers. If so they are paying |
dearly for the mistake. The truth is that |
the British army and its officers have not !
met civilized enemy since the Crimean
war. Their experience and successes have
been won altogether in war with saw
ages or barbarians. Some of the London
military writer's doubtless would hold
that the difficulties of the South African
campaign were quite paralleled by those
encountered by Lord Roberts. in his Abys-
Sinian expedition. He had a worse country
to advance through, but his foes were not
equal to the Beers in fighting means, were
WITHOUT artillery, were not scientifically
trained or led, and, what Is important |
were disunited. so that the British gem
eral was able to buy up one native chief
after another, as he moved into the coun-
try toward Magdala.
Gataere's caeck LAY perhaps affect the
further advance Of M.thuen, and even de.
lay operations on the Tugela River lire
in Natal. Probably the dispersion of Tie
Beers at Stormberg was intsndsi to open
the ball. II so, the chandelier has fallen
on the first quadrille. and the dancers can
not be much elated.