The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-29

the Newspaper reports that have come
IA hand from the old country, it seems
10 be fashionable in the motherland
lust now to see no good In the Beers.
either as a lighting machine or as
man. while to be In the mode q scribe
should see in every Tommy . hero,
md in every oficer 3 paladin. Hence,
opIne that 1 shall not be fashionable,
rorImy observations have led me to the
Conclusion that Tommy In many re-
rpects is not nearly as good a fighter as
his father or grandfather was. The
average Tommy Is a goodsAghteb but
some Of him is not worth the gun he
carries. II am asked for proofs of
This assertion simply point to Pre-
torla, Shere 80 many Of ourpriyates lie
as prisoners, who have not, and never
had, q wound. Did our fathers and
and fathers throw up their hands TO
The Russian horaas or the French le-
cions thus? II they did, then history
lies most damnably. Ny own opinion Isl
that 'Tommy''ls now panpered too
much in war time, while in peace he is
neglected. People who now want 'toi
throw their arms around his neck. met
aphorically speaking. would not be seen
talking to him month after the war
ends.
apply a good many of the above re"
marks to the officers, aswell as the men.
marks to the oficero as well as the men.
and not enough fighters. Thank God
there are a good many of the grand old
breed still left in the British army
men whom 1t would be a pleasure to
follow to the death. gallant gentlemen,
who will go anywhere and do anything
by fire or flood; men who have won
their way by merit, and have not been
pushed forward by family influence
men who have kept their heads on many
q battlefield: men, of whom the empire
may well feel proud. But side by side
with these pillars of the nation moves
with jaunty step the Ounce and the
dude. They handle men on the field
Of battle, but nature never intended
them to handle anything more import
ant than lady's lap-dog. Yet they
get positions as officers simply because
our whole army system Is rotten to the
inmost core, says correspondent Of the
London News
The Navy-A Comparison.
This is strange when we consider
how near perfection our naval system
is. More than once 1 have noticed
n young naval officer moving among his
men IN the field. and have made men
tal comparison between him and the
subaltern Of the army, The naval off,
ger, though little more than boy, has
the set, stern face of a man who has
been well and carefully trained to act
as a leader of men. There Is something
about him which inspires confidence
and commands respect You know at
a glance that he possesses confidence
dnd commands respect. You know at
a glance that he possesses trained In
tellect; that he will be cool and collect
ed under fire, dashing when dash is
needed; cautious when mere courage
twoud only be foolhardlness; strong, re-
sourceful, resolute, unwavering, a CEN
trail figure round which his men will In
stlncuvely group themselves in the
heat Of battle. looking with never
changing confidence to him for an ex-
ample, for advice, for encouragement
for support, for leadership.
But It is not so with the subaltern.
The soldier does not look to him for as
distance when the seniors are shot
down or taken prisoners. The soldiers
instlnctiveIy turn TO the non-commis-
stoned officers when oolonels or captains
fall, because they know that the green
boys who stand among them as officers
know absolutely nothing concerning
war. I do not blame the subalterns,
but do blame the men In power In
London who have allowed such state
OF affairs to come to pass, and should
very much like to see few Of them
standing In the ranks OF a narrow ra-
vine, between two kopjes full Of armed
Beers, and leave them to be helped out
Of danger by some bewildered boycott
Ger. who, for the time being cannot tell
which end of his body his helmet should
be on.
A Few Questions.
The subalterns do their bsst rs a gem
eral rule. They are brave enough, but
they lack experience. and they are bat
Ting against a foe who is both brave
and clever, q foe who knows who to
take advantage Of every mistake; a foe
who has been led about quite enough
already In the British press. Just pause
here. and answer this question, II you
can: II the Bosr fighting man Is cow
ard. II his leaders are ignorant fellows.
devoid OF understanding. how is II that
the British troops. splcnddly armed
and clothed and fed, led by our great
cst generals. have not swept them in
front Of them like chan before the
w.7d7 The reason that British troops
have not walked through South Africa
is that the Beers are superb lighters and
are superbIy led. No raw boys officer
their armies, and the sooner Britain
awakes to the fact that officers need
long years Of trimming before they are
entrusted with the lives Of soldiers. the
bctfrIt will be for Britain. To manu-
flcture successful officers II will be
found necessary to take boys Of thirteen
and give them a thorough military
training. not merely n military college