New-York tribune., 1899-12-17
BRITISH DISASTER.

The worst week in British military history for
forty wears and more That is the undisputed
record of the week Just past. 1t began with the
news of General Gatacre's mishap at Stormberg
AT midweek came the news of General Methuens
COSTLY repulse at Magersfonten. And at the end
came that of General Buffers reverse at the Tu
pela Standing alone any one of these affairs
would be deemed serious. Taken together, the
three come fully up to the sum total of disaster.
Several thousand men and nearly score OF
Guns have been lost and not an inch Of ground
has been gained. Prestige has been lost. Dis
affection in Cape Colony has been increased.
Sympathy with the valiant Beers has been in
creased From the British point of view the
scene Is one of unreeved gloom The personal
beroism Of the British soldier is Of course unfair
nished and unquestioned. But the discretion and
the skill of some of Great Britans most trusted
generals are in eclipse No soldiers in the world
could have fought more gallantly. None 1t
must be confessed, could have been more inds-
creetly led 1t is we know. far easier to criti-
else at n distance than to lead an army on the
field of battle But when, over and over again.
the various divisions OF an army are led into the
same old trap, what are we to think OF the
leadership that makes such repetition possible 7
Precisely that is the record The story OF
Nicholsons Nek-indeed, we might say the
story of Majuba Hill-has been thrice repeated
in q week In each Of these three engagements
the British force has been sufficient to have won.
In each the British force has fallen into an am
buscade or in some way been surprised And in
consequence of the latter fact In each the British
have suffered repulse and heavy loss And
these results have come in steadily increasing
ratio General Gatacres defeat was a compare
tiyely small affair, though yet serious General
Netbuen's was much worse, in itself and in its
moral and other effect. General Buffers is by
far the worst OF all Nor will ii escape notice
that the British plan of campaign is thus de-
welcomed In disaster. There have been blows, al
most simultaneous. all along the line at the three
salient points But each has been given with a
boomerang which has recOiled upon and crushed
tho hand that cast it. wait for Butler" was
the cry when SymOns fell and when White was
smitten and imprisoned, and when Gatacre was
ambuscaded and when the fiery Methuen was
driven back Well. the great General upon whom
the hopes of the campaign were placed has come
and fought and been beaten worst Of ALL For
whom else are they now TO wait?
The fact Is as Sir Henry Stanley sets Il forth
In the letter which we print elsewhere In this
mornings paper, that not only these British
generals but the whole British Government and
people have been led, or misled, into trap. We
do not mean that they have been msled as 10
the general principles OF the cause in which they
are fighting, but as to their own strength and
the strength Of the antagonist they are fighting
They lived for time in FOOLS paradise of be
lief that they could bluff" "Oom Paul" When
they were undeceived upon that point and found
that the old voortrekker meant to fight before
yielding they imagined that a few regiments OF
theirs could soon make military promenade tC
Pretoria and settle the whole matter, Upon this
latter point the disasters of last week must
surely at last have undeceived even the most
sanguine of them. II they had known what
military potency there was in the Boer States
beyond question they would have proceeded fal