Gilpin observer., 1900-01-25
IN A ZONE OF DEATH.
BoER TACTICS WILL COST AN
AWFUL LOSS.
An American Omcer Gives His Views
ON the South African Situation and
Predicts Horrible Slaughter = Many
Thousands VIII Fall.


Beers score of thousands of English
men must fall before the rransvaal is
conquered" This is the opinion of
distinguished American military au-
thority with whom 1 talked to-day,
writes Walter Wellman. Great Brit
ain is face to face with the most diff
cult military proposition of tho CEN
tury," continued this officer. ut is a
remarkable fact that the difficulty
which the English army is now en-
countering in South Africa was fore
sbedowed in book published before
the outbreak of hostilities. 1t was
written by Polish banker named
Biloxi. M. Blioki's studies led him
into a critical examination of the effect
OF modern small caliber high velocity
magazine rifles when handled by
sdillful and brave troops, and he laid
down the axiom that such troops,
when properly intrenched, could hold
their positions against all comers. By
carefully selecting their positions, he
pointed out, they could sweep the zone
in front of them with fire so deadly
that no troops in the world could live
of danger themselves. At short range
one of their small caliber balls, driven
at great velocity, could disable from
three to five men. At longer range
from two to three would fall by the
same bit of lead. In such fire-zone,
he said, attack would be suicide. Men
would go down with appalling rapidity,
and the surviving remnants of the
bravest troops that ever walked could
do nothing but retreat as rapidly as
possible. They could not recover their
they fell till firing ceased and flags
of truce covered the rescue.
This is precisely what has hap
pened in South Africa" continued the
military student. THE Beers take up
commanding positions on the side hills.
They intrench themselves and from
cover sweep the open before them
with fire so deadly that even the
reckless daring and enthusiastic self
sacrifice of the British army is unable
to do more than dash into that hell
zone and then dash back again. Ex-
cept in rare instances, where the condi-
| tions are unfavorable, have the Beers
failed to hold their intrenchments. On
| only few occasions have the combat
| ants come to hand to hand fighting.
You will remember that after our cam
paign in Cuba Inspector General
Breckenridge said the bayonet might
4, as well be thrown away, and that it
was only useful to grind up coffee
with, for which purpose small ham
mer would serve better. The English
have had few opportunities to give
the Beers cold STEEL but only few
and by small bodies rushing some out
| lying position. The great problem for
the English commanders is how to
make an advance. Their troops have
| fought with bravery which fills the
| world with admiration, but they have
| almost nothing to show for their sacri-
| fees The character of the country
| aids the Beers tactics. 1t is for the
most part hilly and broken. The Beers
take up position on hillside Fol-
| lowing the usual tactics, the English
shell them out with their artillery and
then advance their infantry to take
the position. But the moment the
artillery fire ceases, and 1t must stop
| before the British line can move into
the open-the Beers move back from
the other side of the hill, where they
have been in cover, and resume their
| places in the trenches. The artillery
has wasted its strength, on empty rifle
| pits. But before the advancing troops
can get far on their way the Beers are
thayp w ba
| tune moment comes that deadly rain
of little bullets sweeps the open like a
simeon. More than once" continued
the officer, 1.-The British have walked
| into just such destruction; have fallen
by scores, rallied, advanced again. re-
] ceived another deadly fire, and have
then broken and retreated. baffied and
| beaten, without once seeing the on
emy, and probably without hitting one
| of them. Men were never born who
can keep up much of this sort of fight
| ing. The Beers have demonstrated
that with modern weapons a small
| force can defend any favorable posi-
| tion against five times their numbers.
| Up to date the Boer losses are prob
ably not one-tenth that of the English.
| Front attacks are things of the past,
unless commanders have men by the
thousands to throw away. Flanking
is the only thing that VIII win, and
thanking is hazardous and almost i'm
possible against troops as mobile and
alert as the Beers, operating in coun-
| try favorable to that line of defense.
These are the problems which the
RritiGh Ian1prG hnvn n nj a
every military man in the world is
curious to see how they are going 20
do It, In my opinion the British will
a, find way to do it, but only by making
good Kruger's prophecy that IL con-