The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-12
BRITISH DEFEAT.
English Papers Say 1t Is
Caused By Poor Quality
Of the Troops.
[By Gable to The Associated Press.l

The War Office has received the follow
ing despatch from Field Marshal Lord
Roberts, dated from the Modder River,
Sunday February IL
l have received telegram from
Butler as follows, dated Friday, Feb
ruary g.
1t was necessary after seizing Vaal
Krantz to entrench dt as the pivot of
further operations. But / found after
trying two days that owing to the
nature of the ground this was imprac-
ticaIble. 1t was also exposed to the nre
of heavy guns in positions from which
our artillery was dominated.
1t is essential to troops advancing
on Ladysmith by Harding or MongerS
Drift to hold Vaal Krantz securely,
and, accordingly, We are not pressing
the advance by those roads, as ind
we cannot make it secure.
Not line of war news having been
received since yesterday Great Britain
remains waiting anxiously to learn which
side will succeed in striking first. But,
the feeling is much more confident than
at the opening of last week, in conse-
quence of the widespread belief that the
hands of Field Marshal Lord Roberts and
General Kitchener are now firmly gripped
at the helm and that whatever happens,
the campaign will now be waged under
careful, comprehensive plans, in which all
the forces will cooperate.
Both side seem to be collecting them
selves for attack. The left horn of the
Boer Army is creeping through Zulu
puB lqSII qsIlIId eql SuIuslBsIql pue puBI
at Chieveley, General Joubert with 5000
men, is reported to be endeavorig to at
tack General Butler. Boer agressiveness
has already developed and has been re-
pulsed at Rensburg, while from what now
becomes the most important point of the
campaign, the Modder River, comes the
news of ceaseless activity and redoubled
vigilance.
These reports Great hopefulness in Great
Britain rather than anxiety, for the inn
preston exists that the Boer aggressive
ness will give the British troops their
long -yearned for opportunity and tend
greatly to assist the plan of campaign
which Lord Roberts may shortly be ex-
pected to set in motion at the Modder
River. In the meanwhile, Ladysmith must
await the exigencies attendant upon the
more important military movements now
on foot 1t it said positively that Gen
eral Macdonald's withdrawal from
Koodoosberg was ordered by General
Methuen, under Lord Roberts instruc-
tions.
Mr.. Frank Harris, former editor of the
Saturday Review" in a pamphlet pub.
lished today, reiterates the view which
the st James Gazette has been insist
! ing on, that quality and not quantity is
what England needs to beat the Beers
/ and that England always fails to learn
| by experience He adds
"The Battle of Saratoga should have
irl1r
of war. There the American militia not
only defeated the English troops but fore
| ed them to an ignominious surrender, and,
mark it, those same English troops were
the best soldiers of their time. Or take
still cuearer case Wellington's veterans
| were beaten at New Orleans by half their
| number of raw militia, but even New Or
leans taught the English nothing. The
! British, in their turn, play savages to the
Beers and advance across the open to be
swept away by rifle fire. They don't seem
to see that their bravery is just as useless
and just as stupid as the bravery of the
Iadendowa Arabs.
.If you will read the history OF the
American Navy you will find that in the
War of 1872 her ships beat yours wherever
they met them, simply because the Amer
'
sailors had none. In 1914 some of the
cannon of the American ships were al
ready rified and their balls went through
the English snlps as a knife goes through
cheese Get up your corps of marksmen
now Give them telescopic sights and the
best rifles. Train them as sharpshooters,
not as pugilists, and you will beat the
Boers yet and not otherwise
f1r. -fFo - fof
ure is given by Mr.. Arnold White, the
author, who attributes everything to the
lbaneful influence of London's smart So
ciety He has written a letter on this
subject, to the 'sDaily Chronicle which
has given it much prominence. In it he
says
"Disreputable women who affect the
conduct of a lady without her graces
are amongst the leading spirits of smart
society. When the morals of the poultry
yard flourish in the atmosphere of the
stable it is only natural that the intelli-
gence of the nursery is applied to the
problems of the Empire. To enter into
the charmed circle neither brains nor
breeding nor birth nor influence are nee
essary All that is required is money,
and then more money. Every NEW and
then an explosion takes place and the
public learns with bewilderment that
cheating at cards is a normal feature of
smart society," or that women who are
courIesans in all but name are no more
tabooed in smart society than they were
from the pavilion at Brighton in the days
of the Regency.
The secret influence ON the Government
welded by this common rout OF CirceS,
Sybarites, cynics and financiers is subtle
and profound. Legislat tion, foreign pol
icy and taxation are not settled in ParAa-
ment The recent decisions are made in
the smart drawing rooms in the season,
on Sundays in the country houses, in pou-
doirs and restaurants. The wrong class
of American women, people who are not
received in New York or Washington are
pushed into what is seemingly but not
really exclusive society. Smart women
without character. men without self re-
spect and a government that is too philo-
sophicaI. effete. preoccupied or exhausted
to see that EnglandTs greatness Is Slipping
away from her, are the allies of this irfa-
nous confederacy."
4 despatch from Modder River an
nounces that Lieutenant F., 0, Tait, the
amateur golf champion, died Of the
wounds he had received during General
MacDonald's reconnaissance at Koodoos-
har -