The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-13
BRITAIN's HUMILIATION.

cent years. and only one i'm modern times.
The utter defeat and overthrow of the
French in the Franco-German war of 1870
owing to the rottenness and inefficiency of
their army and the superior organization
and strategy of a despised enemy. affords
the only parallel in modern times Great
Britain is not yet defeated nor overthrown,
but she has suffered great loss of prestige
and her present position is one of national
humiliation. That this sentiment finds so
little expression i'm other countries must be
due to belief that she will yet recover
her lost prestige and resume her place as a
great power. But the sentiment finds
abundant expression in the British press
and among the people, who growing al
most fierce in their protests against the
protracted exhibition of military weak
ness which the government is making.
The deluded French did not enter on the
war with Germany in a gayer spirit or
with more confidence OF a speedy success
than the British did upon the war with
the Beers. The British were going to dine
in Pretoria on certain day. as the French
were in Berlin. Even after hostilities began
the London Standard, government organ,
said:
We now know that there will be
two, or possibly three, divisions operating
from Cape Colony, or converging on
parallel lines. Lord Methuen will march to
the relief of Kimberley and Mafeking. and
then, presumably, enter the Transvaal from
the Bechuanaland border General Gatacre
advancing from Queenstown, will presently
clear out the Beers who are making them
selves so much at home in the neighbour
hood of Aliwal North: and a third division
Is being collected at Naauwpoort. just
occupied by our men, retake Colesburg
and then TO cross the Orange river some
where about Norvals Pont The march
OF these three fine armies upon Johannes
burg and Pretoria should be mainly a
question of transport and supplies. 1t is
difficult to suppose that any opposition,
which they cannot easily brush aside. will
be offered TO the progress of such force
provided, as 1t will be. with an artillery
of whose power and numbers the Beers
can have as yet no conception. 1t will be
we'll for them If they are really so far dis
couraged by their Natal experiences as to
shrink from the greater conflict on the
veldt of the Free State and the Transvaal
Otherwise, disasters await them of which
In their ignorance of modern war and
modern weapons. they scarcely dream.
This was written in the latter part of
more than 100000 troops in Africa nearly 20
per cent. of whom are closely besieged, and
the balance under commanders either of
proved incapacity or whose capacity is yet
to be proven, have not won a single i'm
portant victory. No British force has yet
set foot on Transvaal territory, and in
stead of marching gayly to the Transvaal
capital the British are engaged in des-
perate attempt to drive the Beers from
British soil. Surely, Britains cup of hui
initiation is full
How long present conditions will contin-
ue. whether they will grow better or worse.
and what will be the final outcome none
can tell. The British War Office seems to
be at its wits end and to have taken ref
uge in a strict censorship of dispatches,
while waiting for victory of which there
are no present indications. General Butler
has done nothing as yet to vindicate the
reputation which he took to Africa, and
Generals Roberts and Kitchener have not
had time yet to make themselves felt.
Meanwhile. Ladysmith with it's depleted
hourly danger of capture. and General
Butler may be defeated and repulsed in
second tardy attempt to relieve it.
Does this mean the decadence of the
Anglo-Saxon race, the paralysis of the
British government. the lack of military
organization or unpreparedness for war?
Certainly not the first. for both British and
Americans have given abundant evidence in
recent years that the soldierly qualities of
the Anglo-Saxon race have not deterio-
rated. There are no better or Drawer SOL
diers in the world than the British. unless
it be the Americans. Tommy Atkins" is
all right. The fault is with the British
government. the organization of the army
and the lack of preparation for war. The
only feature of the war thus far that has
been the transport service. That seems to
have been admirably managed and very
efficient, showing that Britain's best hold
is still on the sea. Her troops. too, have
been modified with a fair degree of
promptness, but they have not been we'll
ndfuicu All iHiilldtS d6iCc
that there is great lack Of cavalry, and that
the infantry tactics are obsolete. There has
been no effective scouting by the British,
and they have been led into trap after
trap This argues lack of intelligence on
the part of officers, due, probably, TO the
system of favoritism that pervades the
army. The British were too self-complacent
in their ignorance and too welded to an
tiquated methods TO learn anything from
our civil war or our war with Spain, and
now they are discovering that they have
great deal to learn. a few years ago Lord
Wolseley wrote a series of articles ex-
posing the weakness of all our strategy in
the civil war and why, according to mil
itary science, the government should not
have succeeded. At the beginning of our
war with Spain the British press had
great deal to say about our lack of prepare
ton and the defects of our military organi-
zation. Nevertheless, We astonished the
world by our victories while they are
simply accommodating disasters. Great Brit
ain may. at great cost and by supreme
effort, triumph in the end. but her present
position before the world is very humil-