Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-22
SOLDIERS OF ENGLAND.
What the Beers Think of Tom
my Atkins.
WY BURGHERs AIM FOR OFFICERS

Reasons the Beers Have For Hoping.
In Spite of Fearful Odds. That They
May BE Able to DemOralize Eng
lands Armics-DOers' Contempt For
English Workmanship.
The following interesting account of
how the British soldier is regarded by
the Beers is written for the New York
World by Allen Sangree. an American
who has lived among the Beers:
The Beers have studied the British
soldier US closely. as shrewdly as they
have studied the habits and powers Of
Africa's wild beasts. For this study
they have had every opportunity; Brit
ISL soldiers have been quartered on
their farms and along their borders,
and they have met them i'll actual COM
bat.
Here are the conclusions the Beers
have Neutrality-suspicious. which the
writer has heard Boer officers express
again and again: In their opinion an
English officer is as brave as it is pos
sible for man to be, but the average
British private is u Iaggard. Said Gen
fral JoUbert To the writer at Pretoria:
Our burghcrs have been instructed,
If il comes to a war with England. TO
pick of every officer; to shoot straight
AT his stomach. When we cripple the
generals, colonies. captains and heuten-
ants. we have the men beaten. The
British officer is 4 lion; the British pri-
vate Il jackal.'
In talks with General Joubert. Com
mandcr Cronjc, Commissioner Smit,
Postmaster General Van Alpen and 9th
or BOer ctcrans Oh this feature, which
TO them in this struggle seems para
mount. l gathered that the Beers make
an exception of the rank and file of the
Scotch, Irish and colonial regiments.
In them. say the Beers. the officers
have confidence. As for the troops re
cruitcd in England prOper-DevOnshirc
Lancashire. Yorkshire, Manchester and
the other provinces. cities and rural
districtS-they are not counted upon
They require to be led every step of
the way. and only the most reckless
bravery on the part of the officers can
keep them from breaking under with
Criug fire. This is why so many OIL
GERS are killed. Ii is undoubtedly true
that regiment from the island of
England could not charge up San
Juan hill without officers. 10 lead, as did
our own troops in the Spanish war.
Your typical Tommy Atkins is Il good
bit OF Il craven. lie is very ignorant
He is not patriotic. He loves to strut
about in Il scarlet coat and twirl stick
and ogle Hursemaids. He can fight
blacks very wei. At moving them
down with Maxim he * expert.
The writer has heard a British officer
in South Africa say that the best fight
'crS in his army are hiChlandcrS. Irish.
colonials. Sudancsc and the HaUssa
boys from the African west coast. He
has little respect for the others. When
1t comes to "A charge where desperate
and steadfast courage is needed. high
Ianders or Irishmen are called To the
front. This is an unwritten but also
unbrokCn rule in English military sci
cnce.
The Irish soldier is Il fighter pure and
simple. lie viii put his foot through
the whole Ten Commandments from
revcillc to lights out" He will curse
the queen until blue in the face and
the next moment rush to battle yelling.
III ffaH Tor tllt W luuN. lie VIII
curse the flag from daylight to dark,
but let an outsider insult the emblem
and he defends * to the death. He
looks and acts like 4 rebel. but when
il comes TO q fight he forgctS 'Ireland's
wrongs in joy over the pressing bust
ness in hand.
The Beers say il is impossible to
leaven Il regiment of English cOckneyS
and farmhands with Irish or Scotch.
Sprinkle them about and they become
infected. They must he kept together.
The Scotch or Irish i'll the same regl-
ment must be from the same county
or district. This is the secret of their
bravery. If a highlander or fuSileer
shows the white feather. it is Il dis
grace not only To his friends, but TO his
relatives. \ coward among those men
is likely to be shot by his comrades
General White has been making good
use Of this well known quality in the
Irish.
Tie courage OF the Scotch is differ
ent from that of the Irish. They. too,
are inspired 10y the ties Of clanship