New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-12
THE BOW OF ULYSSES
YORKTOWN WITHOUT RODNEY N Dr.
sERVE-BRITISH VALOR AND An
MINISTRATTVE SKILL-ALDER-
SHOT GENERALSHIP
AT FAULT.
London. January Al

III.
Is the bow OF Ulysses unstrung? Tbs
astounding collapse of the Upper Tugela cam
paign and the continuance OF the fupasse a.
Modder River and the southern frontier O,
the Orange Free State have brought the Enzlsb
people to the verge OF an imperial crisis IN
paraleled since Yorktown That is an ominoua
word. which the leading English journal was
the first to use. and it has been taken up with
one accord by the press. Sir George White,
garrison, like Lord CornwaIlis's army. is hope
lessIy beleaguered. and it's fate seems to be
sealed unless it can break through the eneny's
lines and fight its way to the TugeIa at tho
point OF the bayonet; and the Kimberley gar
TisOn is in equally precariOus condition.
The British army in South Africa. with colo
NAL auxiliary forces numbers 10000 men
and over 10000 troops are at sea. with the
Eighth Division a cavalry brigade and 10000
yeomanry and volunteers in readiness for en-
barkation. The magnitude OF these military
preparations has not inundated the two little
Dutch republics. II Ladysmith be their York
town. with the full force OF the anaIogies, they
are in the way of winning IT and bringing their
war Of independence to close. and there is no
hostile fleet TO be fought at sea by another
Rodney who may break the force OF disaster
OF land by restoring the prestige Of the British
navy.
Not during the Queens reign, not even in tn.
terrible winter Of the CTimea during the
storm and stress Of the Indian Nutiny.. has
Parliament assembled under equally trying con-
ditions of national humiliation and imperial
reverse. The Queens speech was read yester-
day with the oldtime formaHties; Ministers IN
each house spoke in faded and wearied tone
and the debate on the address opened with tn.
promise of a fortnight's inquest upon the NIL
itary prestige Of a worldwide empire, with
an expert corps of cOroners in the Offices OF the
Black Press to supervise the investigation.
II is easy TO forecast the range Of inquiry
which will be commanded by Long Toms and
quick frers on both sides Of the Commons
Ministers will be asked why the garrisous IN
South Africa were not reinforced in June and
July when there was grass on the veldt for
the Dutch ponies and why the Colonial Office
was so i'll informed TO assume that the
Transvaal would not declare war. nor conclude
an offensive alliance with the Free state. nor
invade British territory, nor mobilize more than
thirty thousand men. There viii be strenuous
demands for the publication Of Sir Alfred Mil
ner's and Mr.. Conyngham Creene's reports upon
the preparations OF the Dutch republics for
war and equally shrin inquiries respecting Sir
William Buffers warning that an army Of 16O-
600 men would be needed for the conquest OF
the Transvaal Lord Wolseley's advice based
upon Sir John Ardagh's memorandum, and
hundred other minor points connected with the
artillery and cavalry and other weak branches
Of the military service.
There will be fortnight Of destructive crit
icism and carping fault finding by candid
friends; but when the debate has been dragged
out to the wearisOme end the greatest question
which has been raised during a long and glori-
Gus reign will not have been answered. and il
cannot be determined either in Parliament or
in the poiemics of the Black Press Is the bow
Mt last there
serves OF power to prevent the Dutch conquest
of South Africa a fatal loss of prestige in India
and in the Far East, and the weakening Of the
bonds of loyalty and unity in the might Empire
of the Seven Seas? Lord Roberts. with Lord
Kitchener beside him, must answer this
supreme question. in comparison with which
all debate in Parliament and discussion in the
press over Ministerial lack Of foresight. the
defective range of guns and the neglect OF
cavalry for scouting are ike the wind blowing
in a broken chimney pot.
Happily there is one important detail which
is outside the range of the most inquisitive bore
in the Commons That Is the gaIautry and
fighting power of the British soldier and the
colonial volunteer. Tommy Atkins has not
worked miracles IN frontal attack upon impreg-
nable strongholds among kopjes. nor drawn
water out Of the heart Of Spion Kop; but
throughout the campaign III South Africa he has
sustained the best traditions OF the British army
for courage endurance and discipline He has
not once hinched from hardship, danger or battle
under the most hopeless conditions No nation
can ever hope to be served more faithfully by
the rank and file than England is defended by
her soldiers in South Africa in her great battle
for her empire.
The next question is more contentious, but the
failure of the campaign cannot with justice De
ascribed TO the breakdown OF the Administrative
services Within -four months arrangements
have been made for the transfer OF an army OF
over 10000 men. with $4,000 horses and SeO
guns to a base of operations over six thousand
miles from England No other European Gov
eminent could have done this with equal EN-
cheney and perfection OF organization The MOP
ilization scheme has been carried out With re-
markable precision: the commissarist has been
managed with exceptional skill; the difficulties
of sea and land transpor, have been mastered;
the cooperation of the Admiralty has been
most effective and the metIcal ard hospital ser
vice has been the best evei known in the annals
of war. There have been sDme slow transports;
there have been some faulty arrangements for
the shipment of horses; there has been delay in
Natal and at Cape Town in strengthening out all
the details of the immense transport service;
and there have been Othet minor defects In
practical matters Of administration; but the
Government on the whole is free from the re-
proach of mismanagement OF the war. There
have been no scandals like those Of the Crimea
The War Office and the Admiralty are justly
entitled 10 the credit of having organized in the
most practical and busineSslike way the most
formidable campaign ever undertaken by any
Furopean Power at remote base of operations
rha s,,ns may have been defective in range.