The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-30
AMATEUR STRATE6lSTS.
How London Commoner- REGARD the south
African War.


lines OF the cat paigr.
kruger Is now at PretoriuTn." he said.
ard It's as plain as the nose on your
face that we amt going TO get there ac-
corhng 20 the stratecur1s witch has been
IN favor with them a. Is and will be held
responsible for the mess as is being made
Of this war, which is making Us. as the
statement goes, the Joke Of Egrope-'
We're going 20 BlOomingfontein fust,
/ ole friend said the l0rryman. and keep
Kruger for the last course"
It's news 70 me" said Mr. Miggs, with
a sncer, "as we're going anywhere Il
seems 10 me as We are asserting COM
/ f,rtable on our seats and doing nothink
! We amt no forrader nor We ever was
I our stFategum has been outminervered
I by the Beers, and We amt got a futt TO
stand uPOn."
Amt we won every fight as we've
{ fought" said the lorryman, breathing
/ heavily
No. We amt" said Mr. Mlggs. For
/ Why And I will tell you. Because re-
/ t!rement amt defeat: and all the Beers
has done is 10 stop when Il suits them and
/ said 'Aurevaury I'll next time And what
is the reason Of that. my friends. but bad
/ strsaieeums? And ] see as Mr.. Chamber
lain has been giyin' sauce 10 US as has the
/ audacity 10 say what We think. And /
tell Mr. Chamberlain 70 his face as he
don't know the elemental beginnings of
suateSums. For what Is sTategum?
And ! will tell you. Strategum is ordinar'
common sense. And don't let yourselves
my friends. be taken in by loud-sounding
words as you don't know the meaning Of
Strategum is, perhaps you might say. or
n T1tef ~
Of lOw-down cunning for 20 stiffen II up
And my argument Is, Where from last 10
iust In this ere war has there been either
the one nor the OtheT2 And il make nv
heart fall into my boots when / think OF
me incompetence and ignorance Of taem
as IS responsible"
pint out the error If SIGH there be -
said the lorryman. Mr. Mggs lOlled in his
chair and cast critical eye over the map
on the wall.
Looking with one eye at that map"
ne said slowly show the whole thing as
clear as daylight. / can't make out as il
4 never occur 10 anybody but myself The
mistake We made was going up instead
OF coming down. You can't Wrestle with
. "a man which is as slippery as an lied eel
/ Now. If we'd come down we'd have got
nm from behind afOre he knew where ne
was, and taken PretOrium on the road,
. WIN Kruger d-sitting Apply and comfora-
bic In his armchair. But instead of plain
common sense and a ieetle ordinar' cum
ming what We 90 and do is Vicey versey.
, We go up, and tell EN- as We mean 10
50 up; and so they wait behind the hedge
and shoot en- down like rabbits"
How was we 10 come down behind
EN- asked George, contemptuously
? Perhaps you amt aware that this ere
map amt the whole Of Africa but only
, the narrer end. You can't begin 10 c0ma
down afOre you've got up seeing as our
army don't appear 70 have been fortunate
/ enough 10 nave been born in the middle
/ of Africa
"A fair knock out"' said the lorrvman
bringing his massive fist down with a
, ! crash on the table. Give him the time
j limit. Fair plays a jooI"
; You mass Of beef and boner said Mr.
- Aiiggs, passiOnately, don't attemp for 10
| understand my argument, for il amt foI
: the likes Of you TO comprehend. Insini.
: VatlOns Of ignorance only steps back OF
them as makes them. Am | a chile as
, should be told about the map Of Africa
: . / say as We ought to have come down
4 but l did not say as We was 10 come dowr
afOre We was there, which was the con.
! | tempible insinivatiOn of member which
u shall be nameleSS."
The pint was" said the little mar
2, | with the white face, how We was TO gel
t there, # | haven't been mIstook | ex
pee the only way TO get there was by
- going up, which were doing, as | sup
a pose"
: You think as there was only one way
> said Mr.. Mlggs, nodding his head prOVoca.
4 lively. 1T make me larf to see the way
a opinions is expressed by them which has
: forced their way into this company or
1 pretence Of listening"
T Give US yer strategum," said the lorry.
1 man, and sWcller rancOur"
= 4 have give my strategum,' said Mr.
n | Miggs. sullenly. and it has been receiv,
ei with COntfmn by them which | de,
| spiSe. | say as we ought to have got VI
{ somehow and then come down, and my
: words is received with larfter Then take
s your own strategUm and wait for the re-
O suit. If so be as you are pleased / have
nOthink TO say; but being asked my opin
, ion / give il. Perhaps there amt sici
i | things as sides. Amt ii possible TO Gu
d acrost? But ] esk questions which NJ
$ one has the brains 10 answer"
- 1T seem to me-" said the lorryman "a!
:. we've done wonderful well. The boy,
ID, has never played it better, and / wisl
= as l could empty mug with every on,
u of 'em. And / don't think, ole friend, a.
perhaps you quite know what their strate
o gum is"
q u have tried to understan' it," said Nj
Miggs, "and perhaps ii is my fault as
. have failed. Or perhaps it is that Their
II amt no strategum at all. We've gone 2
n IL like a bull at a brick wall. instead o
l. getting round. And why amt we go
p round? Because We amt got the legs
;, And why amt we got the legs? Becaus
| they've been left behind And why haV
they been left behind? Because We ain
got neither common sense nor ordinaI
| cunning. And that's my argument. an
- the argument OF every man as has studio
10 ! strategum.'
i IF YOU mean as we've left our legs be
| hind u.s." said the lOrTyman, because "
. amt run away, then | agree, though no
: ! understanding the bearing on the argy
y ment"
n, by legs I don't mean legs what vo
IN think" said Mr.. Miggs. haughtily. "Bu
r: IL seem as | can't use vCrd but il
81 twisted to mean something else. BY leg
/, | mean cavalry and guns: and now pc:
'. hapS YOU understand my meaning"
IL I'VE amt left 'em behind" said the loI
ryman Speak the truth, ole friend, n
L matter the consequences. They amt a
r got to the front yet. but you can't say a
- they have been left behind and speak tn
- truth"
Id .'The cavalry and guns" said Mr.. Migg
10 should have been sent fust, as Is agree
he by all as as studied strateGum. And pei
II haps Mr.. Chamberlain knows why the
- amt been sent fust. And what Is the r.
suit? We have fought battles which ain
- done us no good, and then sat on II
~ ground and nursed ourselves
= "Tf you wasn't yourself; ole friend,
said the orFym Psra Is c eomethn n'ah n
= natur as seem to turn sour in your inslc
and Spite your temper"
rs Don't talk your nonsense TO me-" sal
II. Mr.. Miggs DO ] speak the truth 10 I
er insulted about my inside? On behalf {
an humanity. justice, and soberahty. | nay
- raised my vice since ever l could speal
"a in spite of opposition and under an
= tricks And shall l be told that there
IN eomethink sour in my natur? There ain
81 n0thlnk so unpopular as the naked truu
he but / will not shrink from 1t, because
a know that the truth must conquer in u
: end And then | will laugh with COZ
III temp al them which has miscalled II
IN their ignorance.
81 Il believe, there's nOthink would Civ
IL him more pleasure" said the lorryma
"A addressing the company. than 10 hear
-, the Beers had beaten Us. But this l vi
ne | saw that when that day comes I'll see
Tx | he amt allowed 10 be paruc lar happ
II is temper OF mind as gives me q
he sCunner."
I'm shut your mouth" said Mr.. Migg
fiercely. and listen 10 me. i have crikI
ised the strategum of this war, becau
on sich l have felt II my painful duty SO
& do And If We are defeat ] will not
surprised. for the reason which I ha'
NJ give But the man as says / VIII be gle
=. look upon him as beneath contemp
4" am man as must speak the truth VIVA
he ever The consequences