New-York tribune., 1901-08-10
THE WARNING TO THE BoERS.

Mr.. Chamberlain has followed his fighting
speech with 4 fighting order. The latter is
given TO the world by Lord Kitchener, but under
Mr. Chamberlain's direction. It is reserved and
temperate in tone, but vigorous and stern in
purport. Briefly. il sets forth that the two
former Boer States are now part of the Kings
dominions, with the acquiescence Of majority
Of the people: that both the civil government
and the military organization Of the Beers have
been destroyed. and that the resistance of the
Beers 70 British rule has degenerated into mere
guerilla warfare and lawlessness which can
not be longer tolerated.; wherefore all Boer
commanders and leaders who do not surrender
before September - next will on subsequent
capture he permanently exied from South
Africa It is hoped and expected that this
warning will cause many Of the Beers now in
the field So surrender. There is no room for
doubt that against all who do not comply with
its provisions in time the order will be mex
orably executed.
1t is observed that even the strongest pro
Boer papers in England have no fault 10 find
with the order on the ground Of justice and
humanity or the truth of its description Of
the situation there can be DO question. Men
may differ and do differ widely, in their iudg-
ment of the ways and means through which
that situation has been created. But there is
no ground for difference as 10 the situation
itself Nor does there seem 70 he any way out
of it excepting through some such measure as
this which has just been proclaimed, unless.
indeed. Great Britain Is prepared 10 grant inde
pendence TO the Boers and 70 have the whole
of Cape Colony forthwith separated from the
empire We may he sure she will do no such
suicidal thing as that. So the war will go
to the bitter end and the end will probably be
uncommonly bitter for many of the followers
Of De Wet and Delarey. For with all the
occasional gains Of the Beers the tide is hope
lessly against them. The sheer force of attri-
ton. If nothing else will before long wear
them out.
The responsibility for the state of affairs
which has provoked this warning may he Sari-
ously placed. Most judcious observers will
place il largely upon the deceived or deceiving
advisers Of the Beers. There Is no doubt that
the majority Of those in the field would long
ago have surrendered had Il not been for the
false hopes and representations with which they
were melted 10 hold out longer. Mr. Kriiger
has been telling them there is still a good pros
pect of European intervention in their behalf.
There is in fact no more prospect of that than
there is Of intervention from Mars. and if Mr.
Kriiger does not know it he must be one of the
blndest of all blind leaders of the blind Ex-
President Steyn. too. has been refusing 10 neg0-
tiate for peace and urging his comrades 70 keep
on fighting because, as he says, some European
papers which he has read suggest the posi-
bility of intervention. We may not blame the
poor burghers for being deluded by such leaders
But neither can we withhold from such leaders
a large share Of responsibility for the fatuous
resistance which has turned an Eden into a
wilderness and which now threatens themselves
with lifelong exile. The best thing which can
now be hoped is that the Boer commanders in
the field viii heed the warning and act as to
escape its penalty, and that their followers will
see the situation as 1t is and no longer be led on
after what has become the merest will o the
Misp.