The Washington times., 1901-10-27

than 1t appears ON the face Of 1t to be. i
this:
An item of interest was told me by
government official while at Mach
adodorp. which has a strong bearing
on the attitude the Powers may adopt
when the time for final settlement at
the conclusion of tthe war shall come.
My Informant said: My! won't the
British be mad when the war is over
TO find that, after all, they have lost
really been fighting? Why, how is
that?' l asked; surely the Beers
haven't carried them off, nor have
they been destroyed. as was expected.
Well. I'll explain it to you. he
continued. You see, the Government
originally leased the mines with the
provision that If at any time they
should remain unworked for a period
of SIX months the leases would revert
to the Government of course. the be-
ginning of the war put a stop to all
mining operations and when the war
was six months old the Government
privately sold the reverted leases to
French and German capitalists.
Now, when the war is officially
declared over. these capitalists,
through their Governments. will in
sist on their claims. and all sorts OF
unpleasant complications for England
will be the result. Nothing VIII be
done in this matter until the war is
entirely at an end. for the Powers de-
sire that England shall have expended
as much of her resources as possible
in her contest with the Republics
Rather clever of the Government,
wasn't it? You see. in this way. two
of the Powers have been furnished
with a technical excuse for fnterter-
ence, and in addition. the Republics
have succeeded in enlisting on their
side un-national capital, which Is the
force behind all civil power, and must
fight for it's rights wherever ana Dy
whomsoever assailed. England VIII
certainly object to surrenderlng the
mines, and then the trouble Will pc
gin 1t will be interesting. now that
the war appears to be nearing its final
stages. to remember this phase OF the
subject, and watch to see II thtre
will be any International developments
which my informants remarks may De
the key to-
Mr Unger has a great admiration foi
the British army officer, which may seen
to some people to indicate that the aver
age American, however democratic he
may pretend to be, does dearly love q
lord. At any rate, this is what he says
on the subject:
II do not care to criticise their eff
cheney as officers for what dement's
they have are more the fault OF the
system than of the material. But as to
COuIdHt anu y, lll' l-bbllSA
Ger has few equals and no superiors.
Bravery, especially in time of battle
is largely matter of comparison. The
British Tommy, drawn from the Sums
of London. where for perhaps many
generations he and his ancestors had
never known the meaning of comfort,
taken on dreary voyage to Table
Bay, half-baked In cattle-cars for
thousand miles across the karrco Des-
ert. then marched in the heat of day,
sleeping chilled and wet at night, on
half-rations all the time-after such a
preparation a real battle or skirmlsh
with the enemy is a tremendous relief
from a terrible monotOny, and requires
only a low grade of courage TO urge
Tommy onward-he has so little to
lose
But with the artistocratic officers
the case is quite different. They have
been in perhaps half dozen cam
paigns before; there is nothing novel
in the experience. They have left COM
Portable barracks 2or luxurious quar-
ters and clubs in London; they be-
long to the upper ten thousand, VINO
have more or less of all that man can
desire. They have left behind and
hope to go back to. all that's best III
life. They may lose what all the rest
of humanity are strenuousiy STRIVING
with might and main to obtain. And
they know it. And whenever they rush
out under Mauser. fire. twenty yards
ahead of their companies, shouting
Come on. men! tney know tneir
chances are not, one in ten. for every
skirmish results in two or more OF
ficers killed or wounded.
Il have seen these clean-faced, long
limbed Lions cubs leading charges,
going to certain death without finch
Ing as though they were put cheering
a cricket match. While | cannot but
find fault with certain recklessnsss
in their manner, yet l must ADMIT
there are no braver men in all the
armies OF the world than these same
aristocratic British officers, who fire.
quently go into action wearing Kid
gloves. white collars. and a monocle."
These extracts are good examples Of
the authors style, and choice Of sub
jects. philadelphia: Henry T. Coates &c
Co s200)