The times., 1901-04-17
AN UNvARNIsHED STATEMENT
The Real Opinion Among Intelligent
Englisiimen About the Boer War.

LONDON, April Things here still
look uncommonIy blue for the Boer war.
II is likely now that it will go on indefi-
nitely. and there are rumors of a very
disquieting character about the actual
condition of the army in South Africa.
making it look az If we should practically
have to replace the whole lot OF troops
(and that sOon) on account of the condi-
ton of fatigue they have all been reduced
to by these prolonged operations In the
meantime Brother Boer is perfectly hap
py, having lost everything that he stands
to lose and being virtually assured of
practically as good terms whether he
gives in today or two years hence.
The fact really is that war. under the
conditions under which we are fighting
in South Africa is about the silliest an
achronism in the world. All the con-
qverors of past days who have been great
conduerors have owed their success to
the determination of their enemies. We
are carrying on the war war of lin
tied moral liability. so that we have ac-
tually got into this ridiculous position
! that there are now in South Africa about
Is. 600 Beers in arms in the field against.
say. 1900 in various prisons or special
settlements like Ceylou and St Helena,
/ while we with an army of 25O,OO0 men are
| occupying their country Tor such parts OF
/ If as we can cover and are at our own
| expense maintaining the whole of their
women and children. Would not Tame
/ lin. Alexander the Great, Attila, or Ma
| no1eon have smiled at these childish tao
! tics9 To profess a barbaric policy and
| to carry it out as If you were civilized
| men is too ridiculously inconsistent tor
anything.
| In the meantime. we have Government
| at home heroically defiant-yet, having
proclaimed in August last that the war
was over-fnding itself now six months
behind in finding the necessary ships and
munitions of war for carrying it to a sue
cessfuI termination; an administrative
general in South Africa. the agent of the
said Government, much more anxious to
make peace and willing to offer better
terms than the Government itself, and
| finally the stern and unbending soldier,
| silent and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS comman-
der-iu-chief. Lord Roberts-still more anx-
| ions to make peace and Offering better
| terms still. The British public, with
| characteristic fog-bound minds, having
been filled With the belief that the wal
| was over in August, is quite incapable OF
realizing that it is still going on, and
| consequently ii shows neither enthusiasm
for the new preparations nor impatienct
at their inadequacy. but watches will
delighted wonder the deXterity of Mr.
Chamberlain in scoring off his opponent:
instead of tackIing the matter in hand
The death of the Queen and the new
| accession have been such a splendid the
atricaI success that all weightier matter:
are delayed Russia is not slow to i'm
prove the shining hour, and Germany
having entered into a bond of perennial
friendship and brotherhood with us i
protesting vo!ubly to the world that tn
bond is not worth the paper on which /
| is written. We have not even got al
Aguinaldo to put in a cage and carr!
around.
You can guess how business and TIL
really important affairs of men viz
their economic affairs. suffer amid al
this inept administration. The most de
pressing feature of all is that, although
things are so crassly and stupidity
wrong. nobobdy seems to appreciate TIN
depth of the folly to which We have faI
len. c.. II.