The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-07-18


compelled 10 retreat because they we're
not reinforced. This was not the fault
Of the Boer generals. Another com.
mando of six hundred men had
been ordered to cooperate in the as
sault, but when the commandant or
dered the men forward they refused to
move. So the assault failed.
Let the military experts take all the
facts into consideration before they
criticise the strategy and tactics OF the
Boer generals (uneducated as they are
in the military ;sense) too severely.
Think Of the material they had at hand
TO fight their battles with. lnferiority
Of numbers, lack Of artillery, absence OF
adequate commissary, were great handi-
cape, but not the greatest. Picture the
mental ferment Of general who, be.
set by alarming odds and difficulties,
knows full well that half Of his forces
won't fight, and that the other half
have to be coaxed to fight, and will then
only fight much as the men them.
selves choose. Think Of ordering troops
TO take such and such a position, and
to have the men shake their bushy
boards and reply: "Oh, no, That po-
sition is too dangerous. We will 90
over yonder." see my friend, the mill
itary gentleman, here getting black in
the face and tearing his hair. have
also seen General Botha tear his hair,
and curse the day when he ever under.
took to defend fifteen miles Of tortuous
river front, against an enemy ten times
his strength and with another powerful
foe in his rear, with a couple of thou
sand burghers who couldn't be induced
TO obey orders.
AT the risk Of puncturing some of the
war bubbles 80 carefully cherished by
the English public, intend here to
state few facts. / am GER
tain that in no engagement Of the war
excepting at Paaderburg, where all
the Beers captured with Cronje may
be assumed terroneously l think to
have taken part in the fighting have
more than two thousand Beers been en-.
gagged, and generally a few hundred
have borne the brunt OF the struggle. |
The reasons for this, when thousands
more were within cannon shot OF the
field, have endeavored to make clear. |
Yet even the most miserable skulker
that ever lay in lager while his COM
rades were furnishing targets for lyd-
lite shells will fight when cornered,
and in this statement the measure of
.he Ultimate cost Of British conquest of
she two republics can be taken.
There is mistaken notion abroad that
the operations Of the Beers have been
lirected by American ,and European Of
icers. This widely circulated state.
nent contains scarcely a scintilla of
ruth. A few European officers and
me American Colonel Blake) are here,
They may be men of ability for all |
Inow, and competent to give the Beers
EXCELLENT advice. Other foreign officers
would volunteer il they could get COM
Missions in the Republican army. The
alent can easily be secured, but how
evise a scheme to apply IL? The Beers
Gill not obey their own officers, much
sss foreigners. The Boer
lust be wheedled into fighting
nd none but native officers can do this. !
not treated to his liking he will sulk {
nd a Chinaman will fight better than a |
nlky Boer. He is not a soldier, and
oesn't pretend 10 be. The glamour Of :
attle attracts him not, and his pride in |
ictory is 80 subdued as to seem entire 9
: lacking. The dull routine of the :
lager oppresses him. He pines for the I
olation and ease Of his farm. and he a
insists upon having his wife !
ith him in the lAager, Let me tell the :
nth. The Boer is lazy. He is almost :
70 lazy TO 20 and fight. He is entirely r
70 lazy TO scout or do picket duty or v
Z trenches. He will permit a position
remain easily assailable when a few
rokes of the pick and shovel would
nder it impregnable. lie makes moth
& Of sleeping on sentry duty, knowing n
ell that he will not be punished il y y
ught. Environment and climatic in- n
lences are responsible for this lack OF S
iysical energy. He acknowledges so o.
luence in rank, and il his own COM =,
andant is killed will take orders from a,
one under the commandsnt-general. al
lis leaves endless openings for demor-
cation and disin.egration of the COM
lndoes. II the Boer besides to aban- ,
n position no protest Of any officer {
u prevent his carrying out his design