New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-13
THE BOER NECESSITY.

An explanation of the present activity of the
Beers Is put forward. 1t is that the command
ers find it necessary to keep the men busy In
order to keep them in the ranks and under dis
cipline. That is entirely plausible and exactly
taes with the reason given by our London
correspondent why the Beers cannot afford to
maintain a waiting campaign. 1t also empha-
sizes the difference between disciplined army
OF regular troops and an improvsed levy Of
irregulars and volunteers. Men whose business
it is to serve in the army. who are professional
soldiers. even we'll disciplined militia, like
our own National Guard, realize that they also
serve who only stand and wait" They are
ready to fight, and they are also content to lie
still in camp until the time for fighting comes.
But with such troops those Of the Boer army
ii is otherwise. They have been called from
their farms and cattle ranges to fight. When
they do fight, which they are always ready to
do, they do it magnificently. But as soon as
they are hidden TO wait they become restless.
They want TO get back TO their ranches They
came out to fight not TO sit in the aager And
the result is that they desert or become mutt
nous They have not the Conference and the per
sistence which come alone through discipline.
For that reason their commanders prac
tcally compelled TO lead them against the en-
envy, even though it be to their disadvantage 10
do so. The army must go forward or ii will 90
10 pieces. Beyond doubt 1t would have been the
part of wisdom for the Beers. after the capture
of General Cronie and the fall Of Bloemfontein,
to collect their remaining troops in mountainous
regions about Kroonstad and between that
place and Pretoria, and there await the adj
vance of the British They could there have
fought tremendous defensive fight Lord Rob
erts would have been confronted with very
rnuph Such q condition "a that with which Cen
eral Butler had to deal at the Tugea River
That would have been incomparably better
than coming down into the open country around
BlOemfOnten and taking the aggressive against
a vastly superior force on the latterS own
chosen ground. But had the Boer commanders
tried that prudent plan there would quickly
have been murmurings and dissensions in their
army. and presently the army would have be-
gun to dlsintegrate.
Moreover, the matter of sustenance is now
becoming a serious The Transvaal has
never been much cultivated. Its inhabitants
have given themselves up to pastoral pursuits.
with scarcely enough agriculture TO supply their
own immediate wants. Agriculture has been
left to the more progressive Orange Free State.
Thus in the whole Transvaal not more than
$1,000 acres have ever been cultivated, while
more than 100000 acres have been brought TO
and less popuous Orange State. That ex-
plains why the Transvaal has all along been i'm
porting -four and other provisions. Now the
British army is encamped in the very heart of
the Orange States wheat fields and granaries,
and that is uncommOnly awkward for the
Beers. 1t is said that the men are now being
released from military duty In small squads. for
a few days each, to enable them to go home
and plant their crops-which at this season
must mean winter wheat and rye. That process
will certainly not conduce to the discipline and
Conference of the Boer army Yet it is probably
necessary unless there is to be something like
a famine In the land. In the face of all these
conditions Lord Roberts will probably not be in
any undue hurry. excepting to secure the relief
of Mafekng, the siege Of which bids fair to
rival in history the seges of Lucknow and Lon
donderry and-absit omen!-Khartoum. In the
general campaign time Is on his side, and time
is a commander who is never defeated.