New-York tribune., 1901-01-12
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
LONDON VIEWS UPON A DISPIRITING
CAMPAIGN
SEEKING CONSOLATION IN THE PHILIP
PINES ESTIMATES OF THE BOER
STRENGTH EXAGGERATED.
Copyright: 1901: By The New York Tribunel

Copyright: 1901: b. The NewYor T-bunel
lBY CARLE TO THE TRIBUNEI
rondon Jan. IL g a. m.-The chief source Of
consolation for the bewildered public which can
not understand what is going on in South Africa
is an occasional dispatch from America indicat-
ing that the Philippine war is still in progress
No attempt is made to explain the fact that the
Two branches Of the English speaking race are
simultaneously harassed with the dragging oper-
ations Of apparently endless and profitIess cam
paigns. But English humiliation is mitigated
by evidence that the Americans are still far from
the end Of hostities in the islands.
General Kitchener is so reticent that pro-
Roer journals like The Manchester Guardian"
and alarmist sheets like THE Daily Mali are
convinced that the situation is critical and the
British army virtually the defensive and in
need of reinforcements 1t is true that the mys-
terious assault upon the body guard
Iindley has not been explained: that night at
tacks upon British posts in the Transvaal con-
tinue and that bands Of raiders are still roam
ing afield in Cape Colony 1t is also clear that
the Beers are not making any headway in the
Transvaal, where their last assault at Machado-
dorp was repulsed like the other attacks; that
De Wet is still closely pursued. and that the
bands Of raiders in Cape Colony are at long
distance from the railways and refraining from
any aggressive action. General Kitchener re-
ports Hertzog's commando at Sutherland, and
again describes the guerillas breaking up into
small bands. He takes the situation so coolly
that military men are disposed 10 ridicule the
idea that any descent upon Worcester or Cape
Town is possible.
An officer in touch with the best sources Of in
formation informs me that there is no intention
on the part Of the War Office OF sending out
large body of reinforcements. Drafts have been
going out for several weeks in small detach-
rnents but the military authorities are not con-
WINGED that urgent measures are required. Lord
Roberts is believed to have recommended before
he left South Africa the shipment of fifty thou
sand regulars to replace the same number Of
militia and reservists, but the Cabinet objected
on the score of expense. Military men assert
that this mistake, since the British army
after the protracted hardship Of an unprecedent-
ed campaign has grown stale, dispirited and un-
fit for duty, and a large portion of ii needs TO
be ordered home.
Veteran officers who have followed the war
closely at every stage laugh at the absurd esti-
mates of the strength of the Beers still in the
feld-eight thousand with Botha. four thousand
with Delarey, three thousand with De Wet, five
thousand in Griqualand, five thousand IN Cape
Colony and five thousand scattered here and
there. AS there are seventeen thousand Boer
prisoners and at least eight thousand, and posi-
bly, ten thousand, have died from wounds or
disease, these estimates make UP aggregate
which is utterly lrreconclable with the census
officers whom 1 am quoting assert that. unless
- the dragons teeth have been sown in the Dutch
republics very few burghers be left the
fighting line, and that the raiders who have
crossed the Orange River are mainly Cape rebels
and adventures, who have been starved out
Of the Free State and compelled to go south.
Returning staff officers and Guardsmen find 1t
comfortable TO take optimistic views like these,
for they having capital sport at home after
their hardships in the field. The country houses
are full, there is good shooting and one county
ball or hunt follows another. Yesterday there
were theatricals at Chatsworth for the Prince
Of Wales and the Bucks Hunt Ball. Henry
White instead of sending a party of twenty to
the ball. has been forced TO close Wilton Park,
owing TO the death of his brother-in-law in
Switzerland.