Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-05
LEADER OF THE Beers.
How General Louis Botha Came
TO the Front.
eoSsEss0R OF GREAT ENERGY.

Them In Battles, If Possible a Lit
tie In Front-At Peters Heights
He Fought Shoulder TO Shoulder
| With Them In the Trenches
| Unbiased news giving any adequate
| idea of matters and feeling in the
| Transyaal itself seldom appears in the
English newspapers. But by the last
mails Douglas Story has enabled the
| London Daily Mail TO make an inter
| esting exception 10 this rule. A strong
| Boer sympathizer, he writes neverthe-
| less with fairness that is generally
lacking in the English war correspond
ents' articles. Under date of Pretoria
Mr.. Story says:
| Temptations have been lost and won
| here in the Transvaal since Oct. IL
last. Old leaders of the people have
had to yield place to younger men, and
military genius has been discovered in
| the least suspected quarters. AS lead
| ers and as fighting men the younger
generation have given the best to the
service of the republics. In battle they
have proved the most obedient and the
most trustworthy, in council the most
thoughtful and farseeing.
In young man OF 81 the two states
have placed all their trust. Six months
ago Louis Botha was esteemed as an
honest man and gentleman, as Il pro-
gTeSSiye member of the First yolks-
raad and as warden of the Zulu
marches. An eloquent speaker in Dutch
and in English and the happy possessor
of an infinite personal charm, he was
marked ont for brilliant political ca
reer. He was untried and wholly ig
norant of his own strength.
In the battlefield it was different.
Modesty is there high treason, and
Louis Botha is no traitor. II was he
who. along with old Cert de Jaeger, led
the people at Dundee. Had his prom
ised supports been Forthcoming, Gen
cral SymonS would then have been sur
rounded. Two days later, had his plan
been adopted. General Yulc would have
been Intercepted in his magnificent
march from Dundee to Iadysmith. But
Louis Botha WIS still but a COM
mandant. and his II days experience
of warfare was inadequate TO secure
the abandonment of traditional tactics
by his fellow commanders.
1T was his military genius, however,
that designed the battle of Rietfontein
on Oct. 80, when Sir George Whites
main column was drawn into n cross
fire. his right driven back in disorder
and his left captured entire at Nichol- |
sons Mex. Louis Botltas right 10 |
speak was now unchalleuGed in the |
'kryGsTaad.' His years OF iDeXperi |
ence had been wiped ont by three ]
weeks of experiment in the field. Still |
he was unable to secure the institution |
of the more active tactics he advo- |
Gated against Ladysmith. The old men |
OF the war council bade him go easily, |
trust in Providence more and in hui |
man endeavor less. So, perfOrcc, he |
had TO sit down with the others on the |
hills overlooking Ladysmith, waiting |
for Il miracle 10 deliver it into their |
hands
Common sense, energetically ap-I
piled, makes an excellent substitute |
for military bOolSlore In the field. |
Louis Botha possesses the common |
sense, and energy is the very essence |
of his being. Where his men are he is, /
il possible n little i'm front. On the /
Tugela he superintendent the blowing /
up Of the pontoons with 26 men as his /
companions III the presence of as many /
thousands Of the enemy. At Pieter's /
Heights he fought shoulder to shout
der with his men i'm the trenches and
for the last four days and nights never
closed his eyes in sleep.
-'Fhe Beers have little patience with
the man who does not succeed and |
none with the man who fails. Jou
bert's brilliance has dimmed. and Cron-
je has been snuffed ont as a farthing |
dip. Cronje was unique among the /
Transvaal generals. He alone ruled
by fear. y silent man. with stopped
shoulders and hard, hunters eyes. men
were never attracted 10 him as they |
were 10 Lucas Meyer and Louis Botha.
Whip always in hand. he stood over
them as n harsh schoolmaster stands
over his boys in school. No week
Eueed bUrcher ever came to CroDte
for leave to 60 home. At Psardeberg
lie had no ambulance. refused Lord
Roberts offer to relieve him of his
wounded aud preferred To have thcir-
hurts dressed with tobacco leaf TO &C
ceptinG a favor At his enenIy's hands.
Had Cronje-s pride permitted him TO
tell the truth an attempt would have
been made 10 relieve him by the Free
State generals. DE Wet and De In Rcy,
but he would neither seek aid nor
abandon his wagons. Grim old hunter.
be stuck 10 his pelt TO the cnd.
Growing Young ut the AGE of 100.