The times., 1899-11-08

LONDON. Nov. When one considers
that an army corps in the field requires
800 tons Of stores and supplies every day.
it is easy TO realize the vital importance
Of The transport and supply services, and
the working OF lines OF communication
in such campaign as that which has
commenced in South Africa
The Duke Of Wellington. as a Cape Town
correspondent. writing on this subject re
minds as prided himself less on his ta-ti-
cal skill than on mis- success in feeding
the army under his command During
the PeninsuIar war more orders were is
sued on the subject Of feeding the troops
and on the working Of lines Of
communication than on any ot-er
question. IT remains 10 be seen
whether Sir Redvers Butler win be abe
TO make similar boast 10 that OF the
Iron Duke But whatever shortcomings
may be revealed in South Africa within
the next few weeks. and already there are
grumbIings TO be heard the criminal 70 "
OF lS5z cannot be repeated. When the
British troops landed in the Crimea the
transport for The whole army consisted
Of scveDIy-fve mules and a few carts.
while the supply service was equally parsi-
mOni0us Thus the army before Sebasto-
pol though enCamped six or seven miles
from the harb0r OF Balaklaya filled vita
ships and stores-was losing men daily
for want OF food and FIRE. As a contrast
one may turn TO the Soudau campa gn Of
1895. when a British army was operating
in the heart OF Africa with q single line
of communication extending over 1000
miles from its base
south African Conditions.
But conditions IN South africa are very
different. and the lines OF communication
especially viii be far more difficult prob
lem. According TO the scale for mobiliza-
ton in the present instance, each bat
talon Of ,0G8 officers and men has l6 We
hicIes, s. draft horses. 3 pack animals
and 80 drivers. AS the plan Of campaign is
not yet fully revealed, il is, Of course. inn
possible 10 lag down what viii be The exact
plans, routes. etc. for the supply. transport
and communication. The general character
OF the scheme has. however, been deter
mined Assuming that there Will be a sin
gle line OF communication through Natal 10
the Transyaal frontier, Durham VIII be the
base and Ladysmith the advance depot
The correspondent proceeds:
sir Edward Chichester-who was ia
command Of the squadron al Manila when
Admiral Dewey had his memorable passage
ct arms with the German naval oficer-is
responsible for the 5mbarRaiion of troops
and stores. The work viii be difficult for
10 large ships can safely enter the hsrboI
al Durham on account o. the bar and the
heavy seas that tend 60 diminish the depth
Of water Horses have 10 be landed in
lighters-a costly and tedious operation
which Is entrusted UH8eT military and
naval supervision 10 civil contractor. As
soon as the stores are received they will
be sorted and sent 10 the front by rail
and road.
The single line Of railway from Durham
winds u0rthward through hilly country
there being q steady ascent along its entire
route i.adyEmith l6s miles from the coast
is 3 .Zs4 feet above the sea.
The carrying capacity Of This line is
accordingly limited, and must fall far short
Of The requirements Of 300 tons q day. not
TO speak of men. sick and wounded and
ammunition This deficiency has 10 De-
made up By wagon transport along roads
which iu many districts are little better
than tracks and are likely 10 become quag-
Fnires in the rainy season. which. in Natal
Is already upon us Wagon transports will
be by mule and trek-ox Owing 10 the
rinderpest these animals are rather scarce
in South Africa. and large purchases OF
mules have been made IN Spain, the south
of France. Chicago and elsewhere Fiji
teen thousand mules have been reQuisi-
toned and VIII be used for drawing Wag-
ons OF American pattern These vehicles
arc strongly built, and weigh from sixteen
TO twenty-five hundredweight. their track
being feet 2 inches. Twelve mules can
carry a load Of 1900 pounds, and the