The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24
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As If 1t were not enough to take
! Bioemfontein, capture Cronic. clear
/ the Boc-s of the II iiway in the West,
relieve Kimberley. and rescue Lady
J smith by reflex action,
But wherever Lord Roberts went
and whatever he did. his army could
| do no more. it had worked and fought
and suffered: been robbed Of food
and horses. and strength. been strain
ed. and exposed and tired. ana shot
| down to the last degree that even sAch
an army could stand. IL had come 10
a halt that must have been accepted
even had ii not been ordered. II could
not go on without food, II could not
drag either food or men without horses
and mules and oxen, 1t could not know
what sort Of warfare 20 so ON with
until its commander learned the man
ner and spirit In which the conquered
Free Statcrs took their defeat. There
were BRIDGES To he rChailt rails to be
relaid. hospitals 10 be set up. officers
TO be appointed In place of the dead
and sick and wounded. a new proNis-
ional or martial government to be es-
tablishcd, and protected until II won
its way.
THE army did not know all this.
though 1t did realize part of it. But
the army did not care. 1t left ii all to
'Bobs.' That was the difference be-
tween the people in England and the
makers and defenders of their Empire.
The people in England grumbled and
wanted to know. you know. The army
whist.ed and sang and rested and re-
cuperated. saying only, 'Bobs is doing
it. Bobs knows.
In one of the chapters on the taking of
Bloemfontein there is an account of a
dinner which was given by four of the
war correspondents, at which Kip.ing of
fered a toast to
''the health of that parsonage who had
turned this Kingdom into a true En-
MI nv rix- fir,r hnv coll tn hny
side and who had added vast new ter
ritories to the realm. And on this
he gave US the name of-kruger!
We find, too, an account of a Sing
song gotten up by some of the other cor
respondents, with the hearty approval of
Lord Roberts. who wished the men of
all ranks to be amused. entertained, and
relieved from the strain to which they
had been subjected.
Like a good MANY other people this
correspondent is of the opinion that there
ought to be a reform in British army
methods. but he does not think the Brit
ish Tommy can be much improved.
He says of a raiA-soaked camp which he
came across somewhere on the yeldt:
1.-The Tommies were walking up and
down in the rain. Their overcoats
were not only soaking wet, but, for
some strange military reason. were
split behind straight up to the small
OF each mans back so as to expose
all of each leg to the wet. A few
had put blankets over their coats, and
were also walking. walking. walking.
One was seated on box with an au-
dience of three others on boxes. and
was singing a music hall ditty viGor-
ously through his nose. Several who
walked about were whistling. All
seemed eithervery happy or reasonably
So | can no more account for their
| n he
of the lion tanners virago wife who
cried coward at him when he left
her in the middle of an extra long
curtain lecture to go and sleep in the
lions cage.
They had been soaking wet and
chilled to the bone for days. They
could cook nothing. boil nothing, heat
nothing, for not a dry thing with
which to make a fire could be found
upon the soaking veldt. They doubt
less had plenty to eat. but it was all
timed stuff, and must have been
taken cold and eaten, each thing by
itself. without the chance of making
toothsome combinations. Plenty were
dying, plenty We're sickening. others
must nave felt very uncomfortable;
yet those who We're of the mettle to
survive were whistling. singing. and
cracking Jokes. They are welcome to
crack one at me for speaking of nv
own troubles. whore men have to live.
as i saw perhapS twenty thousand
living. between Bloemfontein and Nor
Val $ POINT.
=" The Tommies always whistle and
sing when it rains. said one of the
officers on the train That / had not
noticed; but | will say for Tommy
that, except for two or three DAYS af-
ter our reverse at Maagersfontein. I
never say him when he was not cheer
full
Tommy is the queerest human I
eyer saw-the most inexplicable When
his rations are down to two biscuits
N three days you may hear the fact
mentioned, In an Incidental way, bv a
man here and there, but no one growls
about 1t. as sailors would do When
Tommy Is marched In suffocating heat
until his mates begin to drop out of
the ranks or fall on their faces from
the ranks, play of repartee will
spring UP among them and comical
ideas and phrases will fly from line
10 line. Tommy is seldom witty-at
least, ! have heard little genuine wit
IN the ranks-but he is droll and com
ical in high degree.
Altogether there is a considerable mass
IF Interesting information in this book. |
and 1t Is entertaining reading. New
York: Frederick A. Stokes Company.
i 50)