Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-15
lcoprright. Assoe!a,ed Press.l

LONDON, April 1.-THE unsatis-
factory turn that has recently marked
the campaign against the Beers is re-
sulting in astonishing and sweeping
criticisms by the English papers OF
their own army methods. When Bull
er struck snags in Natal, When Gen.
Methuen and Gen. Gatacre made terri
BILE mistakes. and before the British
arms had secured any progress a some
what similar wave swept over the
press. But then it was directed at
individuals and chiefly confined to
papers which were willing to conde-
scend to slang" one or several gener-
ais. Now names are not mentioned
but there is widespread, deeply rooted
conviction that the method OF selec-
ton of British army officers is alto
gether wrong. About this conviction
there is no bitterness nor is Ii based
upon conclusions rapidly arrived at.
Our officers says the conservative,
common sense Ooutlook, ARE as brave
as lions, but as a rule they are stu
pid."
The warmost champions of our reg
mental officers, says the Saturday
Review, ''are beginning sorrowfully to
admit their courage makes them often
careless and when not negligent, they
sometimes show themselves ignorant
of their business"
Vanity Fair. which formerly de-
nounced vigorously any such forms
of criticisms, admits sorrowfully that
Our officers seem to play at war rath-
er than to carry on war 1t is all
wrong.
Referring to a much-commented-on
letter written by Col. Lonsdale Hale
to the Times on this subject. in which
Col. Hale declares that the constant
mental strain and incessant careful
ness becomes unbearable, Vanity Fair
says:
What of the strain that naval off,
Ger has to bear when he knows his ship
good military schools and reforms at
may be torepdoed at any moment?
American Naval Officers
have borne that strain we'll. Can
not our English soldiers bear less?"
The paper concludes by advocating
that army officers be treated with the
same discipline and training as our
naval officers.
The Saturday Review advocates
good military school and reform at
Sandhurt.
The outlook urges that navy meth
DDS be applied to the army, which. IL lie
declared. is little better than a social
club. But beneath This cutlery again
individual incompetence and lack of
brains on the part Of army officers
which since the war began has been
constantly causing the loss OF detach-
ments and positions. and especially
during the last fortnight. there IS an
underlying and sometimes expressed
determination that England's army
must not longer be Differed by mem
whose claims to commissions rest al
most solely on birth or money. In
other words the army must be 20
changed that an officer can live on his
pay and thus attract TO its rank that
hardest element Of the race-the young
man who relies upon brains alone 10
make his way In the world. This y
not the result OF agitation By denaa-
gogic press or the less influential sec
ton OF the public. It is an almost
unanimous deduction drawn from tle
lessons 81 the present war By papers
controlled In many cases by aristocrStss
by organs that are not reluctant 70 lena
their influence TO popular movements
and by the keenest and most unbiased
studies OF national institutions, inci1a-
ing members of the cabinet itself.
The untoward circumstances wh.ca
have brought such radical defects IN
the system into prominence are DOUBT
less themselves exaggerated
In English Public Opinion,
though this Righteousness will not les-
sen the good effects Of the agitation re-
ferred 70.
The premature self-congratulation
over the occupation Of Bloemfonteln
has had a reaction somewhat similar
to that which followed the first vic
tories in Natal As the Saturday Re-
view says. TOO soon did we eongrafu-
late ourselves on the possession OK
Bloemfonteln. and too little did We
realize that the possession OF such
capital doee not imply much
Il then proceeds 10 instance the cap
ture OF philadelphia by the British in
the war for independence. showing il
uselessness and eFentual evacuation
49,
THrE WrNs eVEyE.R