The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-06

| himself regarding the qudllly after NV
months of fighting on this western side
of the continent
He is a hunter rather than a warrior
His game is to lie in hiding and xii
whatever comes in front of him-and t
run the moment his own skin is thread
ened.
At Belmontiand Graspan he discover
ed that whereas deer either die or run
away the British ran at him. There
| fore he ceased to hide behind rocks and
| took to a campaign of surprises, traps
and ambushes. He dug trenches below
the surface and hid in the grass, con-
centrating such numbers that either the
first volley or his continuous volleys
would hold back even the extraordinary
valor which disregarded the death of
many so long as life maintained itself
| in few. At Belmont and Graspan he
was surprised and jolted out of his lairs
by this valor but, with his accustomed
foxlike cunning, he thereafter counted
upon this quality in his foes, and made
it serve his deadly purpose by leading
his victims into his pitfalls.
1 saw this long ago, and it was when
l first saw it that I began to ask my
self, in cold, blood, what is its value in
war We are not speaking of plain
courage-but of this extraordinary kind
or degree that our troops display OF
course. one cannot do without courage
at least, only the Boer can, and he
can do so only because he inhabits a
country made to suit hin--or which
has made him to suit it; country in
which there is a natural fortress for
every square mile The German has a
reliable, staying, logged courage. The
Frenchman has brilliant courage at
the call of a leader he trusts. The Turk
was my ideal Of soldier up to last
year because he unites with the Ger
man sort of courage belief that to be
killed in battle Is to earn a harem in
heaven and a seat in a first class car
riage on the way. Compare any Of
these fashions in courage with the ut
ter absence Of it in the Greek, and we
see by the record of the Turco-Greek
contest that courage Is an essential in
war.
But British valor is different thing.
1t often seems a rushing into and a de-
fiance of certain death. 1t recks moth
ing, avoids nothing. considers nothing.
1t imbues an entire regiment, brigade,
army-driving on commander, colonel,
captain, corporal and private all alike.
1t has won all round the globe 1t
succeeds very often. 1t sometimes takes
the place Of strategy, 1t discounts enor-
nous odds against itself; at times it
upsets failure at the last moment,
Transforming 1t to success. 1t must
therefore be of great value; but in judg-
ing of that we must take into account
the cost of it-and its cost in human
lives is very great indeed
These have been my thoughts for
months. This has been puzzling me-
have not solved the question of the diff
ference between its cost and it's profits,
as any merchant woul dinsist upon do
ing before he would either make or deal
In it. | have come to tn econclusion
that I would not go into a war without
it, but that may be because / am An
glo- Saxon--and prejudiced Therefore,
/ am going to leave the discussion Of
it's actual value to others; not to mill
tary men, of course, because they all
persist in thinking 1t fine possession
beyond all question.
10 Illustrate Jt1al Will QuOte Cne
words of a military attache sent here
by nation which loves England none
too well.
II always thought the Turk was the
finest soldier in the world said he;
''but-leaving out your cavalry. which
have not done so WE'LL shall always
say that there Is no other army to COM
pare with the British. For courage,
dash, staying power, discipline and all
that makes for success with an army,
there Is no other like it,"
9TH tell you how you must consider
it," said British officer; you must
note what it brings In it's train. You
must observe how cool in danger are
the men who possess it. You must OBJ
serve how modestly they bear their own
share Of It and how prone they are to
praise it in their comrades And when
you consider it practicaly--as a COM
mercial man would--you must remem-
Der that the Boer gets along without it
only because he fights on the defensive
and a defensive policy never yet Won
a war. If he had valor he would have
done us infinite damage. And, sooner
or later when he is driven back to his
last corner, he must show vaor or he
must lose the game. Julian Ralph in
the London Mail.