The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-10-23
OPPOSING FORCES IN SOUTH AFRICA

The British have about 10000 men
near the scene OF operation. They are
armed with the Lee Metford and the
Mauser rifles. with light artillery and
Hotchkiss and Gatling rapid-fire guns.
The home force. to be dispatched the
moment war was declared. consisted Of
two cavalry brigades and six infantry
brlgades. including four battalions OF
the guards. one Irish and one Scotch
brigade. All these troops are now at
Adershot. and will be under the SUI
preme command of Sir Redvers Butler.
The Beers can muster nearly 5000
well armed men. mostly mounted, and
all armed with Mausers. Included with
them is the Stats artillery. mounting
at least fifty Gatling guns. besides the
heavy artillery mounted in the forts at
Pretoria and Johannesburg. The Beers
are well mounted on "salted" horses
/. e.. horses which have been inoculated
against the tsetse ly and the rhinder-
pest. both of which are apt TO play
havoc with the green horses OF the
British cavalry. There are three othey
factors which must also be considered
In this ~ame of military chess-the Af-
riSanders. or native born whites, the
Orange Free Staters and the ma
tives. The first constitute majority
OF the. white population OF South Af-
rioa and have all the unpleasant lido
syncras!es OF both Briton and Boer--
arrogance. conceit absurd bigotry, and
race hatred against all titlanders of
any nationality whatsoever. They are
divided as TO sentiment. and will side
with both combatants. as their bread
NAV happen 10 be buttcrcd.
What the Orange Free state Will do
is uncertain, but the thought OF self
preservation is ant TO cause IL to side
with the Transvaal. For. IL the Trans
vaal loses. then the Orange Free State
will be absorbed in the new colonial
empire.
Perhaps the most serious phase OF the
whole affair ia> the Attitude Of the ma
tives. who outnumber the whites by n
hundred to one Remembering the
thousand and one wrongs and cruelties
perpetrated upon them in the name OF
thev will rctaliate in Kind
and with interest
The moment hoStilities are under way
the Matabeles. their hereditary ene-
mics. the Mashonas. the Basutos. the
Bechuanas. the Swazles. the Anna ton
pas, the Zulus and the 100 other trip
supposed TO exist somewhere i'm South
Africa. will do a little "civiliZing on
their own account. They viii attack
the outlying towns like Lydenburg.
Mafeking. Rustenburg. Barberton, ana
those in the Zoutulnsburg. just 50 soon
as the white troops have gone 10 the
front. Then tho world will be shockeo
again by atrocities akin TO those OF the
Indian mutinv
And now to sum up England nas
unlimited means. men ana arms. nao Sne
she must transport her troops w.
miles 90 the scene of action. for those
I'm the country at this time are ut.e'n
Inadequate TO cone with the situa'lv,'.
She must also shp her conimissatla'
and ammunition the same disdat
Her cavalry horses. and mos oi ~,
soldiers are unused ta the clim1t". anu
stll less. tO the Indian style of lighting
90 the Boeis
The latter Will be autnumbered. but
thpv know evetV inch OF the country.
and az seasoned men, They control
he water supply of the enemy and hoid
the base OF supulics. And. above all,
they firmly believe they are lighting Tor
their native land for their wives ana
children Tor their indcpcndence'--Col-
Mcre Weekly.