El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-29

knows the declaration of war came
from the Beers and not from us. |
know that England's motive in the ac-
! ton she took has been questioned and
attributed to some connection with the
diamond and gold mines in Africa. but
that is the worst kind of tommy rot.
IL was simply question of whether we
were to be ANONYMOUSLY driven out or
fight for what we had.
IF we had pursued the policy which
Germany did when she took over AL
sace-Loraine and compelled the inhab-
! itants to adopt the German language,
/ do not believe we would have had
this trouble. If the Dutch had been
required to learn the English language
when England purchased their colon
les this feeling of antipathy would new
er have been engendered or maintained
But Notwithstanding the fact that Eng
/ land is not republic in name she has
! always leaned far in the direction OF
personal freedom in thought and
speech among her subjects. AS 1 have
said before the war would have been
over long ago. in my judgment. if it
had not been for the lenient policy of
Lord Roberts and the government at
home Lord Roberts is soldier or
rare ability. of great personal magne-
tism but he is getting too old for that
sort of work.
''The Beers quickly learned what
cannot but regard as a weakness on
our part. and knew that their women
and children and farms and possessions
were just as safe from harm as if there
were no enemy in the field, for the
most rigid orders had been given to
the British soldiers to respect the
Beers belongings. OF course I do not
mean to say that at any stage war
would or should have been waged on
women and children but in leaving
them in possession of their farms and
provisions it simply afforded help and
succor to the enemy.
''The situation was like this. We
would ride up to Boer farm and if
VIC wanted any of the farm produce
such as chickens. meat. etc. we had to
pay for it at good market prices. In
the meantime the owner of the farm
was out with the other Beers sniping
away at us. and we had the satisfaction
OF knowing that ten to one the owner
OF the farm would be back home again
that night to get the money we had
rald for his chickens. AS has been re-
marked before. war is hell and the on
ly way to crush it out is to exhaust the
enemy. Whenever the Beers wanted
a little breathing spell they would send
in flag and ask to negotiate. The re-
quest would be granted and the next
thing we knew we We're being hammer
ed at from all points of the compass
Another phase of the war was the
fact that the Beers did not fight ac-
cording to accepted idea of civilized
Earfare-if warfare can ever be civil
hzed. They used explosive bullets,
and SOft-nOsed bullets. and had abso-
lutely no respect for the white flag or
the red cross. l know whereof I speak
for my troop captured a party of Beers
who had with them what was presumed
to be an ambulance corps. The men
wore red cross insignia on their arms
and in the ambulance lay two men APP
parently wounded.
Upon investigation. however. we
discovered that the two men had not
the slightest hurt and were as healthy
specimens as one could find. In the
bottom of the ambulance we found a
quantity of dynamite They had in
tended it to blow up a bridge. That
is only one instance of their peculiar
warfare. AS a matter of fact they are
not civilized in any sense of the word
and a Mexican pelado is the embodi-
ment of refinement compared to them"
In speaking of the blunders that had
been committed by English generals on
TIE Helu. MT. FRANCES SdlO.
THE fault lies chiefly in the fact that |
English officers today are not profess |
sional soldiers. l mean to say by this |
that they do not devote their time and |
the best that is in them in the prepara-
ton and study of the detail of army |
work so necessary to know in modern
The truth of the matter is
that men go in for the army largely
because of the social prestige it car
ries with it and the opportunities for
1 pleasant easy-going life. 1t is abso-
utely necessary for an officer in the
inc to have an income from two to
hree hundred pounds in addition to
,ay. and in the cavalry army from five
hundred pounds up in order to MAIN
ain his social position. They are q,
through their work by noon at the out
;ide and the rest of the day is spent .
II social recreation. horse racing. and 8
!ivers other ways. Hence. when they
let into the field in earnest they are ,
Tot prepared for all the eXigencies of
7ar that may arise. |,
England has had some very severe
hooks during this campaign in Africa,
tut it was needed. We have had too
ouch prosperity. too much supremacy, ,
md have been too complaisant. Eng 9
and has been asleep and is still sleep I
pg. though she had been rudely awak- ,
ned several times. She will have to 6
let a good shaking up and then she
will wake to her needs. A period of ,
will then set in and the :
rmy officer will become a professional !
older. The social feature will be elm ..
mated. his full time will be required
~ the government and he will be paid =
l have no fear for the :
uture of England. however. If war
hould be declared with Russia tomOr- ,
ow a million volunteers would spring !