The age-herald., 1901-11-03

London.2rhe eyes of the English people are at length being opened to the dense ignorance and Wretched in- competenee of the men that command it's armies. from ensigns up to generals of brigade and even higher still. This, per- haps, is not the right way of putting 1t. for the people have been a long time aware of the fact that the commissioned officers of the army are, as a body, in- ferior to those of any other army in the world, with the possible exception of China. But, for the first time, they See their views presented in many of the leading newspapers which have hitherto been coerced into silence on the subject by the government. Concealment of this military imbecility is no longer possible, and the sgold-laced nineompoops are at last under the hottest journalistic fire they have ever encountered In one of the society journals, devoted for the most part to the small gossip of the aris- tocratic classes, and, therefore natural 1y tenderih dealing with the army these tart sentences astonish It's patrician pat rons Q few days ago: Tn the Crimea an army of lions was led by quadrupeds
 
 this state of things has been repeated In South Africa. The lions at the worst, have been led by bull dogs who have shown the tenacity and indomitable cour- age of. their race, and in some cases they have been examples of intelligent human capacity among our generals and officers. If Lord Roberts had begun earlier and left off later, we might now be reviewing the war. from it's beginning to it's end in- .A.xA4.
 1t willsclose." It is evident that the food gates will soon be opened and that the deluge of ,imbittered public opinion Is not far off. The greatest and the weakest empire In the world'' summarizes the sit- uation in the opinion of another journal that caters to society. Bad, indeed must tile conditions be to provoke such an ad- mission. Even the church which rarely concerns itself with mundane matters, has been aroused from its stately repose by the long train of reyerses that have be- fallen the army. The Archbishop of York acting as it's spokesman. has been impelled to say in a recent pastorial that our national and personal sins were withholding from us on the part of the God of Battles the more definite success Of vast army employed for the subju- gation of small and undisciplined peo- pie" In the opinion of the Archbishop the thing to do is to initiate the piety of the Boers and appoint a day of national humiliation. This suggestion has pro- voked the visibility of the great army Of scoffers who declare that while prayer Is good thing in its way, 1t Is the ef- sective use of powder and ball that does the business in war.
 There is a comic side to this Boer war tragedy. 1t is this: Every other officer of the immense army of two hundred and twenty thousand men in South Africa has now decoration of some kind or other for his heroism in putting down rebellion, as 1t is called, which is still apparently in more vigorous progress than ever, and of conquering a territory that pertinaciously refuses to be con- quered, In all the world today there is no army anywhere that approaches this one of ours so far as medals and ribbons go. Whether the humorists and satir- ists see the opportunity 1t affords them or not, I have no means of telling, but not In a generation has there been such chance for pen and pencil to set the na- tion and the world in roar as Is now afforded. Probably the time has not come to do so; that the national humilia- tion Is too deep; that the wounds are too fresh and that national vanity is under any circumstances a dangerous thing to attack. History, however, will inevita- bly, put these trumpery decorations In their proper setting, and show that the majority of them are in reality badges adfedisgrace and dishonor. which should be hidden daway instead of Haunted in the public. gaze. Gallant deeds undoubtedly there have been, but the indiscriminate bestowal of rewards which has taken place has reduced them to the level of the commonplace. When the sight of ribbon a medal of honor excites a smile it is time to hide them away. and that is what these South African me- mentoes are fast becoming.
 According to the present ministerial programme, Parliament will not be con yened until some time In January. The cabinet Is, of course, anxious to post pone the session as long as possible in the hope that something will turn up to avert the storm that 1t forsees is certain ly destined to burst upon unless great change for the better takes place in South Africa. It is by no means impossible that peris in other quarters may compel the calling of the Lords and Commons at much earlier date. There are many cu- rious rumors in the air, arising for the most part out of the Czar's visit to France. Under ordinary circumstances England would face with confidence any combination made against her. but the situation today is one that Is calculated to excite the gravest apprehension. Eng land has not friend in Europe that she can count upon, and if the great Indian Empire were seriously menaced 1t would tax all her resources to defend it and at the same time maintain her foothold in Africa. Never was the kingdom less pre- pared for great foreign war. Not with in her own times have Engand's enemies been better prepared for one. They know her weakness and they are thoroughly confident of their own strength. The outlook is black. If a great minister were in command things would be different. but with Salisbury at the head of af- fairs there Is no telling what calamities