News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-09-25

the boast good at Ladysmith, Kimber-
ley and on the Tugela. Taken at their
word, they are able, as now claimed,
to fight on for two years more. If at
the end of that time they fight no
more, it will be to leave England the
ruler of a conquered solitude, not a
conquered country.
In many respects the Beers and Chi
nese have acted alike. yielding to the
force of necessity. The powers have
China's capital, but not her court nor
her ruling authorities The English
have the capitals and chief cities of
the Orange Free State and the Trans
vaal, but not the free spirits of the
veldt, not Kruger, Botha, Delarey and
De Wet. Agents from the South Afri-
can republics state that the Beers have
now $4,000 men under arms. This fact
is startling when it is remembered that
the Beers never admitted to more than
10000 soldiers in the field at the time
they were holding Butler, Methuen and
the rest at arms length and besieging
Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking.
Kruger's latest ultimatum to fight on
may be a second thought, one with
substance hack of it.
If the Boer reports from the front
are true, and there are still $4,000
burghers in the field hiding when not
raiding and raiding from safe hidings
whenever they do raid, then the predic-
ton, also from Boer sources, that the
war will be kept up for two years yet
is only reasonable. The tactics Of the
Beers now are just what military out
siders assumed that they would be
when the war began two years ago.
Long and tedious campaigns like the
sieges of Ladysmith, Kimberley and
Mafeking, tying up armies and eX-
hausting supplies, cannot be carried on
by little nation like the Beers against
a people of limitless resources. Strag-
Cling and guerrilla warfare in a cOun-
try adapted for it-and the Transvaal is
of that kinds the best for the people
native to the soil. Every rock and
stream, every tree, every woman and
child is an ally for the soldier on horse
back.
So the reverses of the spring Of 1900,
the defeat and capture of Cronje, the
death of Joubert, the loss of Pretoria
aud the flight of Kruger argue nothing
for the inherent weakness of the Beers
in their fight against determination.
That England is appalled, at the pros
pect ahead is plain to any one who
reads the utterances in parliament The
running cost of the war to Great Brit
ain is now set down at S1,000,OO0 day,
a sum equal to that incurred in the
spring of 1865, when the Federal gov
eminent had it's greatest force in the
field and afloat.
The civil war lasted four years and
entailed upon the north a bill of 3d.
000000,000 The country went into it un-
prepared, and England was quite as
bad off in 1899 as far as troops for
service in South Africa were concern
ed. England's bill is now placed at
$1,000. 100000, and the war has lasted
20 months. The Beers claim that they
have lost but 1,SOO lives in the war,
and that makes the cost of disposing of
one Boer 100000. Just now the Brit
ish people, having protested vainly
and feebly in the name of decency and
humanity against conquest Of the
Beers, are letting the government know
that they think the spasms of patriot
ism INDUCED in before and after Lady
smith and Paardeburg come rather
high.
1t was said in contempt that the
Boxers were mere boys. 1t was also
said in contempt Of the Boer ranks at
Ladysmith and on the Tugela that they
were filled with boys. The BOer COM
mandos now in the field number many
boys. But at the rate the English are
putting down the Boer rebellion the
lads of today will grow big enough to