The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-18
4 GLOOMY OUTLOOK
WEIR on THE SOUTH AFRICAN
SITUATION.
a PERIOD OF RETRoGRESSI0N
p,sAsTRoUs RESULTS OF BoER
POLICY.

,or system of Guerilla War
s.o Has played Havoc With Brit
-, PIons and DemOralized the
u.cit;ed TerritOry-ImpOssib to
uosort n Clear Statement of the
s4.uotion. Says Sir Alfred-The
co,rtrv Being stripped by Both
s,des and the Farmers VIII Need
Help.
1o,don. April 1.-THE South African
Nina hook. containing recent dispatches
sroro Sir Alfred Miner and other official
oorresnondence, was issued tonight.
Cir Alfred Miner wired, under date of
March 8. requesting permission to return
home at an early date upon leave of alb
sorce for the purpose of resting. Mr..
Chamberlain, the colonial secretary, re-
nUed by granting this request, but ex-
messing the governments regret that it
should be necessary for Sir Alfred to
leave South Africa at the present time,
unite recognizing, however, his need for
rest and mentioning three months as a
posslble period of absence.
IN A dispatch dated Feb. 6, Sir Alfred
Arilner reviews the situation in South At
RIGA and says that he had hoped some
definite point would be reached at which
if might be possible to sum up that chap
Ter of history containing the war and
forecast the administrative reconstruc-
ton which must succeed it.
,,I,.l II a1 70 he
conclusion that there will be no such di-
viding line" continues Sir Alfred Miner,
"and l have not the slightest doubt of
the ultimate result, but l foreSee that
the work will be slower, more difficult,
more harassing and more expensive than
was al one time anticipated At any rate
it is idle to wait much longer in the hope
OF being able to describe a clear and
dean cut situation. In spite of the con-
fused character of the present position,
think it better to attempt to desribe, how
ever roughly and inadequaely, the state
of things as they exist to-day.
A Period of RetrOgressiOn.
1T is not use denying that the last half
year has been one of retrogression. Seven
months ago this colony was perfectly
quiet at least as far as the Orange river.
The southern half of the Orange River
Colony was rapidly settling down and
even a considerable portion of the Trans
vaal notably the southwestern districts,
seemed to have definitely accepted Brit
ish authority and to rejoice at the oppor-
tunity 10 return to orderly government
and the pursuits of peace. To-day the
scene is completely altered. 1t would
be superhuous to dwell on the increased
losses to the country caused by the pro-
1rr ffn, aG +1. IL I1xr : AIn,
form which it has recently as
sumed The fact that the enemy
are now broken up into a great number
of small forces radiTrg in every direction,
and that our troops are similarly broken
up in their pursuit, makes the area of
actual fighting and consequently of de-
SructOn much wider than Wouh be the
case in conflict between equal numbers
operating in large masses. Moreover, the
hight is now mainly over supplies. The
Beers live entirely on the country through
winch they pass, not only taking all the
lood they can lay their hands on, but
lootng the small village stores of clothes,
boots, coffee and sugar, of all of which
they are in great need. Our forces are
compelled to denude the country of every
thing movable in order to Illustrate these
tactics Of the enemy.
serious to the Boers," continues Sir AL
ired Miner, than farm burning, of
winch SO much has been heard. 1 say this
not at all as an advocate of such destruc-
uoh am glad to think the measure is
now seldom, il ever, resorted to-"
country People Will Need Help.
continuing, he says:
Inc consequences of the war, although
grave are not appalling. The country
people Will need help to prevent them
ron starving and probably a certain
amount Of capital. A more serious effect
Vi 'he last six months is the moral in
'ueNCe OF the recrudescence of the war;
|pecially IN Orange River colony.
- ooulh Africans are sick unto death Of
u lhe war" he says, "but are prepared
9uHer IN order to make South Africa
"pUtdDly one country under one flag"
- lig DeAeyes that the young country will
is over. "iien 'ile wal
t,as alnons the letters are three dispatches
~ ne government of The Netherlands
Me- ne Dutch consul general in Pretoria
adon. '"e war, advising Mr.. Kruger to
'1Cpl 0 conciliatory attitude.
Une ,., Of these says:
&c a. German government. like myself
~ ~ TN'lhced that every approach to one
me lHe great Powers at this verv critical
ever ',,l ~. VIII be without any results what
lc' dangerous for the repub-