New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-28
ROBERTS'S RETURN URGED
BRITISH MILITARY CRITICISMS OF GOV
ERNMENT'S SOUTH AFRICAN POLICY.
SPEEDY INCREASE OF THE ARMY CALLED
FOR-LORD LANsDOWNE AND THE WAR
oFFICE-THE AURANIA'S DELAY


toOpyright 1soo BY The New-York rribune.l
[By CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l
London Oct 28 6 a. m.-The military journals
are greatly exasperated by the recrudescence of
Boer activity in South Africa. THE Broad Ar
row. does not hesitate to say that Lord Rob
erts's departure has been delayed too long to
permit of a speedy settlement there, and that
his method Of dealing with the insurgents does
more honor to his heart than to his head. The
Jacobsdal affair has been the last straw and
military men now blurt out their impatience over
the employment of field marshal and an i'm
mense army for the suppression of brigandage
and for other police work, and assert that Lord
Roberts can gain no further distinction in South
Africa and that Lord Kitchener should be al
lowed a free hand and the means for operating
with energy and mobility in the disturbed dis
tricts.
The same authorities opening their eyes
to the truth that the presence of a large British
force will be required in South Africa for long
time Raiding and armed resistance in
progress simultaneously at a dozen points long
distances apart, and there will be great risk in
releasing the 10000 Boer prisoners now under
guard, since there be guarantee that they
will not reinforce the raiders and have access
to secret stores of arms and ammunition. The
point made. by military experts is that there
will be concurrent necessity for maintaining
large army in South Africa and for organizing
another great force for foreign emergencies and
home defence. They hold that the attitude, not
of the French Government, but of a large sec
tion of the French people, is hostile to England,
and that 1t is actually necessary that the Brit
ish army should be strengthened and rendered
more efficient. There is considerable Chauvnism
even in staid and sober England when these
ba
for demands that the military establishment
should be increased by $1,000 men.
Another significant fact is the willingness of
the Forward party in the army to make the best
Of the present situation and to assume that Lord
Lansdowne will not be displaced at the War
Cffice The plea offered is that there is no time
TO waste; that a programme for increase of
the military forces needs be initiated at once,
and that it is important that this in
crement of $4,000 men. a large proportion OF
it, should be set out in the army estimates than
that Lord Lansdowne should be relieved from
duty at the War Office So much stress is laid
by the professional element in the army upon
the necessity for strengthening the esta blish-
rnent with more officers. more men and more
guns that the suspicion is excited that reorganI-
zation of the military service is question of
merely academic interest.
The War Office has the advantage over the
rival service in the explanations Of the delay in
the homecoming of the London Volunteers. It
holds the Admiralty responsible for the orders
given the captain of the Aurania and the cal
culations of the time required for the passage.
The Admiralty does not seem to have known
much about the Atlantic record Of that trust
worthy but deliberate ship, and the military
forces have been marching to purpose in
London and hundreds of thousands Of specta-
tors have been grievously disappointed. The
Aurania will be moored at Southampton over
Sunday but the volunteers will not be allowed
to land until Monday. The Admiralty apparent
" gave orders that the Aurania should not be
pressed during the early part of the voyage, and
heavy weather and head winds were responsible
for the unexpected delay by which London's
rsvel of patriotic ardor was deferred.
1. n. F.