The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-29
British Disaster Foretold.


ITO Pictorial the British cry, is
on a levelwfth the Partisan cry of 1870,
a Berlin.
This is an extract from a letter writ
ten by General Joubert from Ladysmith
under date of October 9th to a con
tributor to the Berlin Gazette, in which
paper it was published in full. Other
passages which at this juncture will
b. read with peculiar interest follow:
Ever since the Infamous Jameson
raid Of SO, our government was con-
WINGED that some disreputable char
acters would urge England to war. It's
meaning could not be mistaken. 1t
could have for it's sole object only the
humiliation of the Boer republic. We
were equally sure that we would have
to depend on our own resources, for.
although we knew that this war would
meet with the unanimous condemna-
ton of all European Powers, we did
not anticipate that any of them would
summons strength 10 come to our res
cue. England'S arrogance and her
strong navy have so coWed the Euro
peOn powers that they dare not bid
her to stop in her despicable land grab
bling, not even where their own inter-
ests are involved.
AlIC " II llItoC III w NC
pended solely on ourselves, improved
our means of defence and tried to keep
the English in the dark as to our real
preparations. To this purpose we gave
their disguised spies access to aur an
tiquated guns n artillery, but were
very careful to conceal from them u
modern artillery parks. Our calcula-
lions proved correct. The English pub
lie credited these misleading reports.
Their cry, To Pictorial is on a level
with the Partisan cry of 1870, A Ber-
linz
Your letter lays much stress on the
numerical superiority of the English
but in my opinion the example is a diff
ferent one. England cannot SEND more
tina 5000 soldiers to the T~ransvaal
without Withdrawing all her troops
fro mthe colonies. This in itself is an
imposing army, but only half of them
will be available. Granting hat Eng
land will have effected the landing of
her troops by the middle of December,
She will have lost in the meantime at
least 10000 through deaths, casualties,
assertions and captures. Their number
would accordingly be reduced to rs, 600.
We will try to prevent the junction of
the English forces under Butler, but
even if we should not succeed the Eng
lish will be unable to put more than
80, 900 men in the field against us. The
Avn 81 ~ " SoI iOClA NtiiNl
protection of thei Eases of operations.
THE scene of war will cover Ma
tai and Cape Colo =, an area of say
700 kilOmeters. c.. own camp is pro-
tected by three Mountain ranges, and
500 men are amply sufficient for it's
protection. Our manner of m
cation is excellent The outposts have
command of and facilities for destroy
ing provisions in case their position be-
comes untenable. If the war should
be carried into our own country, of
which there are no prospects at pres
ent, our advantages would become
greater yet. For while facing unknown
conditions in Natal and in the south,
we are quite able TO make use of the
splendid opportunities of defense which
our own Ountry offers.
THE enemy will met a very stub
born resistance in the Transvaal and
Orange Free state. and every inch
ground viii cost them dear. You cOr
rectly suggest that we most likely
would resort ITO guerilla tactics. A few
months will be sufficient to show to
England the impossibilitq of the task
she has undertaken. Her losses will be
tremendous. "-Norfolg Virginian-Pilot.