New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-10
WHERE WE MAY LEARN SOMETHING.

WHERE We MAY LEARN SOMBIhlNU.
How the apple got into the dumping was
puzzle that the mind of George III grappled
with in vain; and how much first class artillery
slipped unperceived into the Transvaal is
problem that the English War Office finds as
difficult TO solve That the British King S
knowledge of things culinary should be some
what deficient is not altogether strange; but
that the Intelligence Bureau of the British EN-
pire should be badly informed as regards mill
tary matters is rather more surprising Even
If their country touched the ocean, for people
like the Beers the port of a neutral neighbor
would offer fewer burdens and inconvenience
than one on their own domain. 1t permits
Importation, disarms suspicion and prevents
blockade. Shakespeares Imagination gave
seashore to Bohemia; and If England, In default
of more accurate information, had credited the
Transvaal with a flourishing seaport she would
have been less mistaken in her calculations on
the weakness of her foe. The apple In the
seamless dumping sometimes proves difficult OF
Digestion; the artillery within the coastless
Transvaal is causing considerable disturbance
in the internal economy of Great Britain. If
wise man learns much from his neighbours mis-
takes, he can also learn something from his
neighbours proficiency.
We have a military attache with the English
army, and Captain Slocum will doubtless have
many things to tell; but things more or less
familiar after all. He will tell us that the
English are brave, but we knew that before
He will inform us how Chicago beef and home
plum pudding agree with the troops, but If the
Briton has anything to complain of he invar1a-
bly, writes to 'The Times" and the survivors
would be certain to publish their opinions on
these viands at the first opportunity. He will
comment on the scarcity of artillery and the
difficulties of transporting it through a rough
and billy country where roads are almost I'M
known; but we had our own object lesson on
this head during the Cuban campaign, and what
personal experience does not t0@ch is not
likely to be better acquired at second hand. In
fact. between their ways and our ways, the
methods Of their War Office and the methods
of our War Department the difference seems
to be one Of degree rather than one Of kind.
Their quarto volume is more imposing than our
little duodecimo. The type is larger, the mar
gin wider and the binding better, but very
nearly the same "errata" occur in both.
Now, the beIligerent BOer is a decidedly IN
known quantity in more senses than one. He
shows a strange development in an unexpected
drection-the tactical The slow animal has
become agile The bullock has turned channels
and seems as difficult to bag he offers a new
variety IOf experts 10 study ana report upon
The French Government has sent an officer to
the Transvaal. So has the German. Other ma
tons besides are represented there and the
Secretary of War has now concluded that the
United States could not do better than follow
their example. To the French or the German,
whose armies are composed of professional SOL
diers, the amateur Boer could not prove as in
structive as he could to the American. The
skeleton of our little Army is filed and rounded
out into a body Of the required size by very
much the same kind of raw materal-the farm
hand the ranchman. the mechanic, the miner,
the adventurer, in a word, the unprofessional
fighter. How they lick the recruit into shape
teach him how to obey orders intelligently and
submit to discipline patiently and look after
himself SUCCESSFULLY; how they turn the fighting
man, which is one thing into soldier which
is quite another thing; how they manage their
artillery and succeed in moving it from point to
point with such astonishing CELEBRITY; how the
War Department Of an unmilitary State is run;
how the army is fed; how their generals are
kept from quarrelling over the laurels of VIC
tory-on all these points information is desira-
BILE and might prove useful.
OF course, we cannot initiate or pretend to
vie with some of the Transvaal methods Those
who lag in the rear Of the procession of nations
has long since left behind. They do not inform
the world and the enemy of all their plans and
projects. The number Of their army is I'M
known, their strength at any given point I'M
certain; how many guns they have and where
are matters Of conjecture. Their correspondents
do not make half-baked heroes out Of otherwise
satisfactory officers. If their politicians quarrel
over the respective merits Of particular favor
ties the world is not made a confidant No muir
murs are heard from the rank and file no COM
plants from the leaders. They fight and hold
thier tongues. lie low and shoot straight They
may starve and swear, and drink and die-no-
body is the wiser. How many foreigners are en-
rolled among them, what proportion of these
are officers and what share of the Boer success
is due to their influence cannot now be deter
mined. To the general public they oppose the
solid, impenetrable defence Of dumbness. But
the silence of the unprogressive sometimes
makes itself felt through all the competitive
clamor Of civilization.