The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-12
A TALK WITH M. JEAN BLOCH
THE CELEBR1TED PEACE CHAM
PION
Discusses the Lessons of the War in
South Africa,

Discusses the Lessons of the War IL
5 South Africa,
, | I have Just had long, interesting
conversation with the celebrated peace
champion, author Of THE Future o
War" and Councillor of State, M. Jear
Bloch, concerning the outlook in the
Transvaal in the immediate future
His remarks on the invasion of tht
! Orange Free State seemed to me so re-
plete with interest that at my request
he kindly consented to embody them
in a special article, which will be for
warded to you in a few days. His
general views on the present state OF
military affairs are as follows;
He said: Il feel profound regret, but
no hesitation, in saying that the gal
liant British Army is now operating in
South Africa finds itself face to face
with a problem which neither itself
nor any European army could, under
the given conditions, tackle with sue
cess. And persistence in the endeavor
to solve it seems to me calculated to
infict upon the vital interests of the
empire more serious detrlment than
most people are disposed to think pos
sible
But let us leave the political aspect
Of the matter wholly out of considera-
ton, and regard military difficulties
only. These are so formidable that all
the troops now operating in South At
RIGA will prove too few to cope with
them successfully and enable you to oc-
cupy Pretoria. And the reason lies
not in any defects of the British troops,
but in the conditions under which they
must carry on the struggle. Austria
was forced to send 100000 men against
$4,000 Bosniacs twenty-one years ago,
and the Bosniacs, unlike the Beers,
We're poor, illclad, and badly fed,
whereas Austria, unlike England, pos
sessed all her supplies near at hand.
At that rate, how many men will Eng
land need to invade take, and hold the
territory Of the South African Repub-
| lies?
But supposing troops in sufficient
numbers were dispatched to the front
to invade the territory, l doubt wheth-
er they could effectively defend the
railway against sudden attacks of
small parties of Beers, whose rapidity
of movement renders them almost om-
nipresent. And once the railway COM
munication was cut the result would
manifest itself in scarcity of food sup
plies, disease, and laxity of discipline.
In 1870, when the Germans had invaded
France, they were obliged to defend
their TANKS against unorganized bands
of Francs-Treurs. and to keep 100000
men employed for this purpose alone.
Yet the territory in France was by no
means so mountainous as the war dis
tricts of South Africa. Moreover,
British regulars, although admirably
trained, are unaccustomed to fight in
independent little groups and have had
no experience in guerilla warfare
You must further remember that
British regulars are hardly. quite so
unhampered on the field as their enc
mics. They are accustomed to comforts
which the Beers regard as luxuries, and
this, although undoubtedly sign of
superior culture, Is a considerable |
drawback in South Africa. Nor is it to
be assumed that, even if your troops
invaded Boer territory, the enemy
would make haste to sue for peace. |
Highly organized European States |
will carry on the struggle until all their |
resources are literally exhausted. In |
other words, | should say that peace,
if dependent upon the submission of |
the Beers, can hardly be hoped for until !
the vast sacrifices of men and money
made by England have gone on for an !
other twelve months. And it a moot |
question whether the war can last so
long without opening the door to for
eign complications, or at all events,
to attempts by foreign States to enrich
themselves at Englands expense.
you may be quite certain that your
not the metropolis, will prove
the Achilles heel which Englands enc
mics will seek to wound. Hence the
talk of possible attack upon London by
France or Germany is a chmera. To
land hostile troops in England without
first obtaining command of the sea
would be suicidal And If the enemy |,
first got command of the sea, an actual
invasion would be needless, because
famine would do the work more quick
Iy and cheaply.
But to return to the Transvaal war.
[ should like to emphasize the fact that
the failure of the British troops to
make Roadway against the Beers lies
in the wholly novel conditions of war
fare rather than in errors Of com
nanders or lack of fighting power in
soldiers. That is my conviction. 1t
ought, however, not merely to be held ,
is a belief, but established as a fact. {
For this purpose ! propose that a 5
committee of responsible persons be ,
'ormed for the purpose of collecting on {
he spot all facts tending to throw {
light on the enormous difference be- =,
Ween warfare under the present +
changed conditions and warfare of s
century ago. This work would ma r
erially further the cause of humanity, +
While promoting British interests. At c
present we have no means of arriving /
1t the facts. Military men are otherwise ,
Employed as, indeed, all people at the /
eat of war. c
But a special commission would do :
he work cheaply and efficiently. Ten
thousand pounds would suffice to pay
I'll expenses, and l am sure that the
um could and would be subscribed. l !
-entI1re TO anpea1 TO Establishment of al