The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-11-06

past, and can explain why Hanniba
crossed the Alps, rejecting with scorl
your unprofessional and miserably civ
ilian notion that Hannibal went owe
| % because he wanted to get to thu
other side, Qi.) becatise he could not ge
through, and DID because he was in {
| hurry, and had no time to go around
mo, Sir" he replies, folding his arms
| IF Hannibal landed to-day at Dur
ban l know exactly what he would dc
first" Have drink" you ask hum
bly-and to your chagrin you find thai
the expert has taken your suggested
explanation of Hannibars first step fol
an invitation addressed to himself, anc
has accepted 1t.
| Or you may catch him in a milder
mood, when he tips back his chair
lights a cigarette, and clasping his
| hands behind his head, he will say:
| Mind you, Butler is not bad sort. He
has some knowledge of the country; he
| knows his enemy;~he is brave but not
too rash. 1 shall be disappointed If
Butler does not acquit himself with
credit in this matter. Yes, am almost
inclined to say that Butler will do,
though L doubt whether he is versed in
the inner subtleties of the art of war.
Few men are Now supposing you were
suddenly confronted with Joubert in
force, what would you do?" You reply
you would hit him, give him good big
thump, but the expert dismisses the
notion as elementary and puerile
Anon the military adviser tells you,
with an easy sweep of the arm, Pooh,
Sir, all war is a game of chess. Look
here now, this is your first firing line
(the pastpot is dabbed DOWN. and here
is the second (bang go the scissors)
while here Ga matchbox is placed in po-
sition.) is the commissariat" You will
probably keep your eye on the match
box as representing one of the most i'm
portant and certainly the most attrac-
tive department of the service. well,
then you have your artillery, your cav
airy, your reserves, the band, the post
office, the hospital the balloons, the
pigeons, and so forth. Now you have
only to manipulate the lot, and then go
in and win, land there you are But 1T
requires no ordinary mind to keep all
these things in their proper place. He
leans his head on his hands and signs,
while you say Yes Sir"
For he proceeds to show that if you
get your band in front of your artillery
disaster is likely to ensue, including the
perforation of the big drum. Or if at
the crucial moment of an engagement
the enemy outflanks the oanteen a de-
preston falls on all ranks which may
end in panic.e Moreover, if the first fir
ing line gets behind the second then the
second becomes the first, and converse
ly the first the second. condition Of
things which is apt to confuse the sim
pie mind of Thomas Atkins. All these
things have to be thought about. and
the expert is evidently in doubt as to
whether Butler will be equal to the
strain.
You suggest that perhaps the General.
in the excitement of the moment, may
forget to feed the pigeons, but your
fears are dismissed as childish. while
the utmost contempt is aroused by the
mere supposition that British pigeon
is likely to show the white feather. You
ask whether the lager is always kept
in the canteen, and again the military
adviser intimates that you are fool
Of the cheapest description.
The Office boys are enthusiastic adj
mirers of the expert, and though in
times of peace these necessary, but by |
no means harmless, adjuncts to an Of |
flee staff continually leave the building |
FOR the larger opportunities of Tommy |
Dodd on the pavement, yet to-day they |
fight for the privilege of moving the lit
lie flags on the big maps, they roll down
stairs locked in a deadly embrace as
hey discuss the chances of Kimberley |
holding out, or differ about those puz-
cling personalities Harry Smith and I
Lady Smith.
And thus while the brave Butler is
fastening across the seas his work is
being done for him, in theory at least,
n score of newspaper offices here at
home. And out there the war CORE
pondents are dicovering the best places
or battes-places which are strangely
neglected by the military authorities on
10Th sides. Our troops and our journal
SITS have much in common. In the field
md in Fleet street the object of the
Boer or sub-editor-is
o cut down our columns and to reduce
ur lines. In the field and in Fleet
treet this attempt is resisted with the
,reatest gallantry. Our troops, thank
eaven, seldom meet with checks, and
he few they have encountered are in
ignificant. The checks of the Journal
It, too, are few and small.-From the
london Leader.