The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-17

New York, Feb 16.-Lieutenant Cen
eraI John N. Schofeld, in a dispatch to
the Herald from St Augustine, Fla,
reviews the war in South Africa as
follows:
The experience Of the British Il
South Africa up to near the present
time has been the natural result of lack
of preparation and previous experience
and 0ver-cOnfidence in British pTowess
They have suffered defeats in attempt
ing to do what a cool and fully en-
lightened military judgment would
have decided to be impossible.
The situation thus created may in
evitably lead to further losses, especial
| ly that of the garrison of Ladysmith
But the worst feature of this situation
| is that it has forced upon the British
general -in-chief the moral necessity
of pressing aggressive operations be
fore being fully prepared for them anC
along a very different line. in the hope
Of raising the siege Of Ladysmith be
fore the garrison may be compelled tC
surrender.
But the general estimate in Eng
land and on the continent of Europe
Of the magnitude of the results al
ready reached or probable in the near
future is out of all proportion to The
facts. The British reVerses So far have
been incOmparably less than those SUI
fered from strikingly similar causes by
( the Union army in the east and by the
Confederate army in the west during
the early stages in the civil war il
this country The present situation
| hardly affords ground for conjecture
as to what the ultimate result Will be
From the military standpoint of this
country the war in South Africa Ia!
/ only begun.
British Must Be Aggressive.
in making a just estimate of tn,
more recent operations Of the British
/ forces it is important to bear in minC
/ that the situation compels their com
manders to press aggressive operations
/ as constantly and vigorously as pos
/ sible-firSt. TO prevent the Beers iron
/ detaching large bodies of troops to Op
/ pose the advance along the line chOsel
/ by Lord Roberts. and. second to TAX
/ advantage of any considerable weak
ening of the Boer lines. which tn
other movement of Lord Roberts ma!
/ cause. to break through the Boer line
/ and relieve the .beleagured British gar
risOns
/ Thus it may possibly happen at an,
/ time in the near future that Genera
Butler may find the BOer line at som
point in his front too far weakened I
! resist his vigorous assault. If not, Gen
eral Buffers vigorous operations an
/ those of General Methuen on the othe
flank must so occupy the Beers as I
make sure Lord Roberts advance OF
I an intermediate line.
/ Strategic principles suggest that tn
- . tons
should be conducted on at least tire
lines. If a fourth from D6lagOa Ba
/ were available it would be greatly t
their advantage Such a division of
I superior force increases very great
the probabilities Of the success Of som
one of the three or four grand divl
| sions and the success of one is tn
| success of all
The March Through Georgia.
When the Union armies of the west
after three years of hard fighting wer
able TO march through Georgia and tn
Carolinas, destroying all the militar
resources of the confederate army !
Virginia. the end necessarily came, I
spite of the fact that the cOnfederat
I army of Northern Virginia had bee
able 10 defend Richmond nearly fOu
years. Yet the army of the Potomac
though it made little progress in a
that time. performed the most heroi
and difficult task Of all by holding tn
most formidable Of the confederate al
mics while the western Union aTmie
did their deadly work
so General Butler may yet perfOrI
the most important British service
South Africa by holding the BOer
along the line Of the Tugela river IN
til Lord Roberts penetrates into tn
heart of Boer territory. In the mean
time, whether the troops at Ladysmit
are able to hold out to the end or mus
surrender before they can be relieved
the course Of General Butler must b
the same. He must press his operation
there to hold the Beers. while Lor
Z Roberts advances on the other line.
"Of the Beers, the information re
ceived in this country. though medgrt
appears to justify Us in saying tina
their operations have been conducte
with admirable skill and courage. Blu
success in war results from the mos
powerful combination of skill. courage
endurance, numbers and material re
sources. A long time may be require
to determine on which side in a grea
conflict this combination is most pow
eTful.