The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-25
Tho Great Holiday.

This Christmas comes to England Mt a tlmo
when IL is In n, mood for holiday merry
making. So far the loss Of life in the Brit
ish armies In South Area has been rein
lively small. but T. has been great enough to
turn this day a. rejoicing into n day of
mourning In multitudcs oi English homes.
In many other homes wel-ioundod dread
OF peri yet to bo encountered by tho
troops already In the field OF war or pre-
pairing to 40 ththcr III asserts with tho
Christmas green and would find It's symbol
rather in the sables and ashes OF tho
penitential season.
1t il useless to discuss tho merits OF the
war int which England has hoen preclpita-
ted Whatever they may have been, the only
purpose OF the ontcst now IL to subjugato
the Doors and annex the two Dutch States
OF South Africa. Thcgrcatcst British army
ever put in the field is assembled and IL Is
to be commanded hereafter by the most
renowned of living English Generals,
though no has reached an ago at which
soldiers arc usually retired from fierce
campaigning.
MoLrKE, it IL true was three years older
q. tho time OF ths war between France
y,
but unlike the English General he had had
long experience in EurOprn war. and tho
great contest OF 1901 took place close at
hand, on battletelds fought over for cen
turtles and not far away in strange lands OF
South Africa. In the war with Denmark,
six years before, and In the war with Aus.
tra four years before. MoLrKE, too, hud
displayed his ability to direct great forces
and had won distinction as perhaps tho
foremost strategist OF tho world. Lord
ROBERTS. in going to South Africa will
encounter military problem OF a kind
new In his experience and will be faced
by n condition " modern warfare with
which he has not grapped heretofore.
The dread in England OF even worse
slaughter to come las therefore reason.
able foundation. for the advantage which
modern arms give 10 the defence will TO
main to the Beers, and the troops now
going out TO replace the killed and
wounded and the captured. beeaguered and
neutralzed Of the British armies will be-
less fitted than the old To withstand the
perils and hardships of campaigning.
II Is sad Christmas which finds England
engaged in the greatest war OF its history,
SO far as concerns the magnitude of the
armies 1t ia obliged to put in the field: and
doubtless there Is now the feeling in most
English hearts that 1t is n war which, after
all, was utterly unnecessary. Is the game
worth the candle? must be a question with
every EngllshmHn. For the very reason
that there Is no tlinching from the deter
mination to fight 1t out to the bitter cnl,
there must be the more impatience with
the headstrong policy which forced the
supreme emergency on the empire. Every
thing was moving prosprrously before;
now doubt and gloom have entered. The
end will come, hut when will it come and
what will bc the cost?
In this country happily, tho Christmas
cheer expresses and symboizes the popu-
lar feeling this morning. Outside OF purely
gambling setbacks. limited in their consr-
qu"nces to comparatively few, the
American people to-day are moro prosper
Gus than ever before in their history.
Wages are high, the demand for the prod
ucts OF industry is unexampled. credits
wer" never so good and sound, collections
80 prompt and easy, and never was the
volume OF holiday trade so great.