Daily inter mountain., 1900-01-13
tent confined to the inaction Of the gen.

Several Of the most powerful civilian
factors in English life, some Of them al
most as much financially interested in the
future of South Africa as the government
itself, have repeatedly urged certain re-
forms in the methods Of carrying on the
war. not meddling with the purely mill
tary phases but offering, for instance, 10
purchase horses for the Cape, pointing
out a better mhthod of transport, urging
q more vigorous campaign, giving infor-
nation as to the best routes towards the
objective and supporting everything by
expert witnesses brought, often, at a
great expense from the Cape.
A representative OF the Associated
Press learns that a distinguished body.
including former governor and about a
dozen men who have held civil. military
or irregular positions of control during
the recent troubles in South Africa wait
ed on Major General Ardagh, director Of
the military intelligence department of
the war office, the very week previous to
that which marked the three disasters to
the British arms. These men begged
General Ardagll to accept certain offers
and intimated that he had underesti-
mated the opposing forces.
The general listened and replied:
THANK you, gentlemen, but you are
wrong. We outnumber them at every
point and we have got 'em like that
Thereupon General Ardagh banged his
open palms together. In spite of this dis
couraging reception the men referred to
repeated their offers and the war office
now seems to have awakened to the SER
iousness Of the position and the officials
are likely to accept one of the most dar-
ing projects ever undertaken, the full
scope of which the Associated Press is not
at liberty to disclose. but, which. if per-
fcted. will work. Independently Of the
war Office, to achieve one of the most i'm
portant British objectives.
The imperial yeomanry. after the first
flush of public applause, is being gaugad
gingerly. 1t Is dawning upon the minds
of all that what Great Britain wants are
crack shots and rough riders after the
type of the American cavalryman and
frequent comments appear pointing out
that the average yeoman who is farm
err, does not come up to this standard,
while the average lordling. who adds
brilliancy to the force. is not generally
much nearer the mark in this respect
than his yeoman tenant, that both have
far less military training than the men,
bers Of the volunteer force and it Is
fact that large percentage of the en-
rolled imperial yeoman have never serv-
ed even in the yeOmanry.
What is being forced upon the war Of
fee is that one hundred colonials accus-
toned to bushwhacking. COW punching
and scouting are worth one thousand
English clerks and farmers. To find / IL
stances of the appalling impracticability
distinguishing the formation of Great
Britain's irregular corps. it is only necss-
sary to read the list of the kit being taken
out by the city of London volunteers. The
officers of this body carry to the plains of
South Africa an air pillow. cork mattress,
canvas basin, bath bucket, tin box of
candles. a lantern. filter and host of
other inpedim ents that an American Of
ffcer would burn before starting on ten
mile march, while the men are laden
down with four pairs of pants, four pairs
of shoes. three caps. pajamas. two large
turkish towels, a filter, clothes brush
and writing portfolio and other donles-
tic articles. No wonder the British forces
are not mobiles
The revival Of "She Stops to Con-
Quer," Tuesday and IA Mid Summer
Nights Dream" at her Majesty's theater,
Wednesday, have given an impetus to the
languid theatrical season. Both perform
ancss were decided successes. Beerbohm
Tree surpassed himself in the productions
which are pronounced to be the finest eX-
hibition of staging and scenery ever seen
in London. -
In George Alexander's reconstructed St.
James theater. which opens shortly with
Rupert of Hentzau,' is a curious inno-
vaton for the suburbanites in the shape
Of a room for gentlemen to don evening
dress.