Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-25
AN. ENGLISH WAR VIEW
British Army Officer Conamshts on the South
African Campaign.
Difficulties Under Which the Govern
ment and the Forces Have
Labored in Thfstwar.

Isl
Washington readerzof The Star sends
this paper the following Extracts from
letter recently received. under date of De-
cember 30, from personal friend, cap
tain in the English 4rmSs stationed at
Woolwich, bearing on the military problems
connected with the campaign in South
Africa:
We are. of course, engrossed with the pro-
gress. or rather want of progress. of the war.
We are much handicapped by very many
different circumstances. What strikes u.s.
as soldiers, as the most extraordinary fea-
ture of the foreign criticism is the quiet
way in which they totally ignore the enOr-
nous difficulties under which we labor
Part of these. but the smaller part. are of
our own making. We are taken necessarily
at great disadvantage from the fact that
we had such enormous distance to move
our troops and everything connected with
them. Foreigners, of course, say that we
ought to have taken steps beforehand
Practically we could not do this. We went
wrangling on over the altogether insgnifi-
cant question of the Uitlanders' franchise
whereas the real issue was British or
Dutch ascendency in South Africa. Had
the government gone to war before Eng
land would have been split up into two
camps whereas now We are at least a
united people.
Sure of British Right
I am not. you know, one who thinks
that my country always does absolutely
right. but of the justice of our cause In the
present instance 1 have not the vaguest
possible shadow of doubt. This will bes
the verdict of history when We have been
long dead and gone. But unfortunately
we had very bad card in our hand, and
that was the Johannesburg party.
Personally. am much diSappOinted.
though not altogether surprised, at the at
titude of the American people. I have al
ways held that their action in Cuba was
perfectly justfiable. and in Hawaii also.
But If they admit that. as, 1 presume they
do I cannot for the life of me what
they can see wrong in our attitude in
South Africa. Sedition is rife and care
fully fostered by the Dutch elements there.
and unless we were prepared to haul down
our flag in those parts our action was the
logical consequence. | think we stand on
even frmer ground than America did, be-
cause. although Cuba was a thorn in her
side, there was no attempt the part Of
Spain to undermine the authority of the
Union the mainland and among their
own subjects. However, these are acadcn-
ical discussions and profitless at the pres
ent moment
Popular ExagEeratiOn.
Thanks to the telegraph, style of exag-
geration has crept into peoples CONVERSE
ton which unknown in former DAYS.
England has suffered no disaster up to the
present, though We have suffered consider
able losses in battle, much of which, l re-
greet to think. was avodable. But 1t re-
quires a very intimate knowledge of our
character as people and Of our traditions
and achievements army to draw the
correct conclusions from all that has hap
pened.
The four serious events which have oc-
CURED are Nicholson's Mex, Gatacre's re-
verse MetlleUS mjSban and En1lar'S fajl-
ure to cross the Tugela. The last three oc-
CURED in such rapid succession that foreign
countries, only too happy to depict every
check in the most alarmiSt coloring cried
out that the end had come whereas as "A
matter of fact, the game has only begun
AT present We are everywhere outnumbered
and with our lines of communication in
the most difficult situation from a military
point of view possible.
Rebel COlOnists.
If we were acting in an enemy's country
We should have no doubt how to deal with
the various villages, towns and country dis
tricts. but unfortunately we are operating
in our own territory. where, away from the
seacoast. every man is a rebel, and yet for
political reasons We have to pretend that
they are not
Nichoison's Neck and Gatacre's reverse
at Stormberg Junction are military misfor-
tunes for which the respective generals will
doubtless be called to account in good time.
Metnuen : reverse was OF an entirely dlt-
ferent character. Those who have studied
the military history of night attacks know
well that success and failure are only sepa-
rated by a hairs breadth Whether the
general situation justified the attempt is
perhaps open to question. But there was
nothing disgraceful In the failure to carry
the position. In spite of all the Geographic
accounts We really know nothing about Bull
lers failure to cross the Tugela. 1t there
fore seems idle to speculate about it.
The diplomatic situation is really a Sc
riOus one If Lord Salisbury were to call
upon Portugal, demanding a strict and not
a merely nominal neutrality. the whole
press of the world would howl at us. while
at the same time there is not another ma
ton in the world that would not have done
so long this had they been similarly
situated.
This war will not, I fear, make for the
peace Of the world. thanks largely to the
fanatca hatred that has burst out upon us
all over Europe.
Army Reforms to Follow.
When We finally win, as we intend to do,
We shall put our military house in order.
and then it will probably be found that
while heretofore we have been content to
be strong at sea, Europe will awake to the
fact that We have become strong on land
as well. I have always held that we should
never have an army up to our requirements
until we had received a right good shak-
ing. 1t is providential for us that the shak-
ing has not come from some other quarter.
1t would have been a great pleasure to us
here to have felt that there was more
genuine good feeling toward US on your side
of the water; but the effect of the foilieS OF
George III seems to live long l might
write much more on the great difficulties
we have to contend with in the manner of
land transports in South Africa, but fear
that l have said more than enough to
weary you.
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS CONFER.