The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-10-16

tahsn "A gnshseo. 1hki lhs t5Hit vii
probabiy be FOR a time, hot too favor
able for the British is also admitted.
The main question IL how long are hos.
tilities 70 last. The ultimate English
victory Is almost assured by virtue OF
Overwhelming strength.
Two months ago the secretary of
state was for war. the Marquis Of
Lansdowne offered Butler command Of
the army forces. Sir Butler gave a re-
fusal unless the war office would guar
antee him between sixty and seventy
thousand men. He is quoted as having
said on this occasion:
Il shall not be banded down in his-
tory as another sir George Coliey."
The reference was OF course, to the
defeat at Majuba Hill. He also said
that II he were to go IL must be on the
distinct understanding that he could Sc
lect his own stan and would be entire
ly uninterfered with by the war office.
His request regarding the staff. It
Is said, was prompted by his suspicion
that LORD Wolsley would attempt to
pay OF old scores by foisung upon him
sta ffofficers antagonistic to him. Lord
Landsowne demurred, but the stronger
man prevailed and Bulier. having gain
ed ali the points he coveted, accepted
the supreme command. Prior 70 Lord
Transformers assent. General Butler
freely expressed the opinion that when
he had driven the Beers into a corner
his hand might be stayed by peace
loving cabinet or a well determined
war offcer--a condition OF things he
-. l.
ed It. his hand was mot one OF those
that, once put TO the piow, releases its
grip"
1t appears that both the queen and
the cabinet practically acuiesced In his
demand Butler Is pretty certain to
cut the wires behind him and to be out
of touch with London at critical mo-
ments for fear .he cabinet might
change its mind.
1t Is this man, then whom some OF
his own officers do not hesitate TO call
a brute however much they admire his
determination who holds the destiny
Of the Transvaal and the Orange Free
State In his hands. He knows the
Beers and he hates them. He has cam.
paigned over the present battle ground
and is. above all, a soldier from head
TO foot. AS soon as he reaches South
Africa, he will lnaugurate campaign
of aggressiveness such as the world
has seldom seen, but which he believes
justifiable by virtue of his own super
lor force. The sternest measures will
not be too stern for him and until the
last vestlge OF Dutch power. whether
in the Transvaal. the Orange Free state
or Cape Colony Is swept out. he vii.
not stay his hand The Idea is well IL
lustated by Sir John Tenniels cartoon
IN this weeks Punch. representing John
Bun, saying:
AS you viii fight you shall have It
this time. 1t is a fight to the finish"
Gen Buffers mission is nearly IN
keeping with the spirit OF the colonial
office Rightly or wrongly. believing !
war to be the only possible method of |
solving the Transvaal trouble, those Of
hcials have made no attempt to conceal |
their satisfaction at receiving an ultl- |
matum from President Kruger. thus
enabling them 10 place the onus OF the !
war Oh the Beers. England mya or may /
have justification for her cont antions |
but the government organs must know
as the Associated Press knows, the real |
feelings Of the anti Boer party in Eng
land, have made pitiful hypo s~ltes of !
themselves IN priting Jeremiades upon
Mr. kruger's perseverance In sendIng
The only thing that surprises an i'm |
partial observer Is that the Transvaal /
president did not adopt this course
course weeks ago before British rein
forcements arrived.
Once General Butler gets 10 work u
is believed here the Beers will offer III.
tie organized resistance. Sometht35
OF course, upon the success
they may achieve in the interim. bur
-he life Insurance companies are only
asking an extra premium OF FIVE pence
rs war risk; In other words placing
The odds at 20 to /. This does not apply
10 South African irregulars fighting
'ide by side with the regulars, for IA
3 said the Beers VIII show them no ;
luarter This. is It hard to believe
when Il is recalled what unusual hu-
nnnity the Beers treated The English
during the previous war
Speaking Of the war OF 1881, II should
emembered that General Colley's en-
ire force amounted to less than 900)
men while the Beers had nearly 1900.
zen. Sir George Stewart White, Is not
ikely to fan into Gen. Colley's error OF
premature advance. In fact, II Is
ather presumed that Gen. White. |
moving the tremendous extent OF the
on the way, win con-
lstenely remain strictly on the defen- |
I've rather than risk a doubtful en-
IA cement