The evening times., 1900-01-29
VICTORY AT ANY COST.
lac Feeling in England Regarding
the south African War.

BALTIMORE. Md, Jan. 29.--Mr. B.
| n. Baker. President of the At
! lantic Transport Company. has Just re
! turned to Baltimore from business trip
! abroad, in the course OF which he visited
| England and Germany.
At the outbreak OF the Anglo Boer war
Mr. Baker fitted out the Atlantic Trans
! pert Companys steamship Maine as hos
I pital ship. and. in the name Of his COM
| pany. lent it to the British Government.
! TO be retaintd as long as was desired. The
Maine is now at Cape Town and is beng
put to practical use in the care of sick
I and wounded British soldiers.
While in England Mr.. Baker had a good
opportunity of studying the lessons being
taught to England by the reverses in Al
rica. having talked with many prominent
military men and statesmen upon the sub
iect.
$50 many things have happened since |
left England" said he. "that 1 cannot tell
what the feeling in London is now. but
when left it was one of deep depression
! The loss of life in the battles which had
been fought was keenly felt. and there
! was scarcely prominent IdIniiy "uiCH
/ did not number member or connection
| among the victims. There was an absence
OF the usual gayety of the English capital.
the attendance at the theatres being poor
| and the shOpkeepers complaining of a fall
| ing off in business.
Beneath all this, however there is
deep-Tooted feeling that the Beers must
and shall be conquered, even il every man
( in England has to go TO the front. The
I tlrWl &c
no doubt in my mind that, in the end. the
Beers will be thoroughly beaten.
''The reverses will have two go1d ef-
| fects. One will be to cause England in
! the future to be better prepared for war.
( and the other will be the uniting OF all
. political parties and factions. 1t is the
whole English nation now against the
Beer Government. and II cannot be long,
think before the tides turns.
( The English lacked patience at the start
( and went at tire Beers with too small a
+; force. 1t is theoretically estimated that Il
I takes five men 10 conquer one man who is
/ we'll intrenched and has all the advantage
/ in position. SuppO5ing the Beers have go
! eco fighting men in the field then England
| should have. according 10 this reckoning.
] 100000 men there. instead OF the force SIZE
| has amounting. / believe. to about 40. 900.
I II have heard criticised. too. the per
! sistent efforts tC relieve Ladysmith at
/ such a great cost in human life. There a-e
! many who believe that L9dysmith should
] be allowed to capitulate. The 5000 sO.die S
| there wcuid be taken prisoners. it is trde.
! but they would be we'll cared foT by the
| Beers. who are said to be treating their
| prisoners kindly As it is. England. before
| the garrison is relieved may lose as many
men as are now in the bcleaguered town.
| The only way to beat the Beers is 10
crush them By superior numbers. and that
| is what Britain will DO. 70 matter what
may be the cost in mOs,y and human life
/ The whole English nation believes in tee
English cause and feels that the country IS
! fighting for the advancement Of progress
/ and civilization.
! The Beers are reported to have supplies
! sufficient TO carry them for three years.
I but this Is doubtless exaggerated, and
! England objec. will 10 doubt be 10 SUI
! round them BY a superior military force. s.
| that they will either have to surrender or
! be annihIlated."
While abroad Mr.. Baker was present in
Berlin AT the launch Of the new Hamburg
! American steamship Deutschland. He also
I went to Belfast to inspect the Minneapolis.
/ the new Atlantic transport twins rev
| liner She will 80 Tito commission sCOn
and will arrive in New York, It is believed.
| some time in March. The Mnneh1ha, a
! sister ship. will follow her.