The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-02-15
CAUSES
or British Failure IN Africa
Operations are Feeble

Scripps- McRae League.
London, Feb. 15.-Week after week
goes by and the only sprreciable
change in the British military situa-
ton In South Africa seems TO be stead
lily for the worse. Comparatively long
intervals of anxious silence are brok-
en- by the issue Of meagre official dis
patches nt the war office. These dis
patches speak Oft 10 impossible TO
say neutrality-suspicious. in such a
fashion that instead of relieving aux
iety they increase IL, instead OF clear
ing up doubts they create worse con
fusion they puzzle, irritate aud alarm
and the suspicion grows that in spite
OF contradiction they are mutilatei,
kept back and foolishly "edited" by
the war Office authorities,
Later op the correspondents are al
lowed to send their dispatches. But
few picturesque details, rather more
accurate description OF the topogra-
ply Of the spot, and some more pre-
else information Of what troops were
engaged, are about all the points the
censor permits what Bennett Bu-leigh
calls "the poor correspondents 10
send.
"Some day." writes Burleigh, "our
proper sphere, our just right TO COM
municate with the people at home,
will be accepted and recognized. Time
aud Justice are with MS. Meanwhile
the military, with that disposition
characteristic OF our frail humanity,
wish to be the authors and chroniclers
of their own fame and write their own
dispatehes-while the public burns
for the truth.
A correspondent writes from Cape
Colony 10 the Daily News and his let
ter is evidently that of a man who has
been on the spot, and examines the
reasons for all this failure. He de-
clares that the British infantry, caval.
ry. artillery. mounted infantry and
the naval brigade are all as good as
they ever we're, perhaps even better.
The fault does not lie with them. Nor
will he admit the superiority OF the
Roer as q lighting man.
He says; "Of course they have prov
en more numerous than was anticipat-
ed. Their guns, too, are much more
powerful than we had any idea Of, but
in the general character of the fight
ing they have proved less formidable
than we expected. Their shooting,
good as 1t is, is not 80 good as we ex-
peeted, and despite of il and their
really Gne artillery we have repeated
ly carried all but impregnable posi-
tions by sheer hard aghting."
The real reason OF failure he hnds tc
be the commander In chief and the
generals 1.-The whole conduct of op
erations. - he says, has been lament
ably feeble" In addition TO the uni
verssl complaint that the British force
was split up until 1t was really strong
nowhere. and at many points really
weak he complains of the shilly-shal
lying. Then, in detail, he says oui
leadership has so sigoally failed
"These are the factors, he sums up
(which we did not expect, and t'
which, as think, is due the UNLOCKED
for phase in our South African opera
tions. Until they are corrected an'
until The men who commit such ever
sights aud perpetrate such omission
are made TO suffer the penalty whiel
In all other professions attend failure
30 long shall we have to pay heav.
price In blood and treasure TO AchIev
our ends"