The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-05-16
why England Should Stop the War.

cist, author of work entitled "The
Future of War;" and other similar pub
locations, considers the reasons why
England should stop the war she is
waging against the South African re-
publics. Having captured Cronje and
entered Bloemfontein, "the very best
that strategy can accomplish was at
tained"-and in guerilla warfare this is
relatively very little indeed. That stage
of the war was the time "to appeal to
the people of England to advance one
step further in the direction of political
morality" the high water mark in
which was reached when she made
peace after the disaster at Majuba Hill.
The material interests of people, says
the writer, run parallel with the lines
Of its moral obligations; but it very
seldom happens that the connection
between the two is quite so visible as in
the present case of England and the
Beers.
England, he maintains, cannot COM
pass her aims by means of arms. War,
always clumsy, expensive and cruel
means of trying issues between States
and peoples, in the case of the repub-
lies is devoid of all extenuating circum-
stances, and 'has become merely the
embodiment of cruelty of the worst
kinda cruelty which is bereft OF such
redeeming features as flnality could
impart." But the war will not settle
the status of Boer and Britain, or es-
tablish friendly and harmonious rela-
tions between two races. "Weak as the
Beers are numerically, they are en-
abled by the most modern weapons to
hold their own while defending their
country against invasion, and they will
do so with such result as to render the
entire upshot of the war utterly indie
cisive." Therefore the material inter-
ests of England, no less than the ethi
cal mission which Great Britain is &C.
complishing in the world, point to the
necessity of sheathing the sword
DeBloch says in support of this con-
clusion that "the moment the invasion
of the Transvaal proper begins, and Eu-
ropean troops venture into the heart of
the South African Switzerland, every
hill and hollow of which may be trans
formed into an impregnable fortress,
the fortune of war will necessarily
change once more, and the gloomy out
look of last December and January will
dash high hopes and evoke dread fears
anew" This, he maintains, is not
prophecy but logic; not clairvoyance
but insight" Smokelees powder, quick
firing rifles and artillery, and the scien-
tifc construction of entertainments,
"can be utilized by clever people to
such purpose that determined force of
defenders may successfully hold its own
against an invading army eight times
larger than itself.
In the Transvaal the conditions will
be exceptionally favorable to the
Beers and correspondingly adverse to
the British. Under these conditions
the British will forfeit such advant-
ages as superior artillery, tactical
training and iron discipline have here.
tofore given them. The land is rugged
billy, Astounding in narrow passes like
those of Spain, Caucasus, Bosnia, the
island of Crete, which were for long
time successfully defended against
armies of many thousands, "most Of
whom now lie buried in the soil they
invaded" The Unborn shrewdness OF
the Beers displayed in all their military
and political movements, let alone the
necessities of the situation, will lead
them to break up their forces into 6
number of little bands to harass the
British rear, cut off supplies, and de-
stroy the railway lines on which the
invading army must mainly rely. The
power of modern explosives is 80 de-
structive it is the work of few min
utes to blow up a bridge, destroy 6
tunnel, or cause an obstruction which
can be repaired only after many days
or weeks. Meantime there is the ever
present danger of foreign complica
tions.
1t is not supposed the Beers will dis
pute every mile of territory. They will
initiate the Russians in 1912 and retire
before the invader for time. But, al
their guerilla warfare is scientific, they
will do what the Russians never did
and they will do it under more favor
able circumstances. Rear attacks ant
raids on lines of communication will
force the British to split up into small
parties. The Beers will choose small
number of positions on the line of thu
British advance, which, strong by ma
ture, may be rendered impregnable b,
art. They have shown on the Modde