The age-herald., 1901-12-09
LOWS. BoURKE COCHRAN SAYS
 BoER CAUSE IS HOPELESS.


 invasion of the South African Republics all are agreed that the restoration of peace is in the highest degree desirable Thero are but two ways In which the war can be terminated either the Boers must surrender or the English movement must abandon the attempt to subdue them. It is quite generally assumed that the re- sistance of the Boers cannot be successful and if this be true, they would not be jus tified in continuing a struggle which in- yolved fruitless loss of life and waste of property, even though the losses in f1icted on their enemy were tenfold great CT than what they suffered themselves for bloodshed which is useless is always in- defenseble.
 But is 1t true that the resistence of the Boers is hopeless? Since the fall of Pre- toria it certainly has not been fruitless; 1t has ben justified by most important results. Lord Salisbury's position that nothing but absolute surrender would be considered, has been abandoned, and to- day the burghers could secure almost any terms short of complete and explicit &C., knowledgement of their independence As their resistence has not been fruitless, neither is their struggle for independence hopeless. On the contrary, if their resist ance be prolonged for a few months, the abandonment of the struggle to sub due them by Great Britain is inevitible CONTINUING THE WAR
 WILL BANKRUPT ENGLAND. 
 This statement Is not based on any special information concerning the war but on the conviction that 1t will be impossible for the government to secure the passage of many more war
 appropriations through the House of
 Commons. The last budget was pass
 ed only after immense difficulties All
 sources of taxation have practically
 been exhausted and the attempt to ef-
 feet another large war loan would re-
 suit in such fall in the price of con
 sols as would seriously jeopardize
 British industries. If, then, the Boer
 forces can hold the field little long
 CT, the attempt to subdue the repub-
 lies must be abandoned for lack of
 means to pursue 1t.
 ''rhe capacity of the Boers to main- tain the struggle is placed beyond doubt by the barbarity of the methods employed to subdue them. The English government cannot avoid supporting the women and children made homeless by the destruction of the farms. With the support of his women and children imposed upon England, while his lands have been made desoiate and unproduc- tive, the Boer soldier is free to continue In the Held as long as he can secure by carture abundant sur plies of food and arms from the English forces. His rep- utatior for hun anity and courage make the English soldier prefer surrendering to facing his rifle
 CLEAR THAT ENGLAND
 CANNOT SUPPRESS BoERs.
 Nothing can be clearer than that tbo resistance of burghers cannot be sum pressed. and, therefore, the only possible way to peace is the ceasing of the at = tempt to subjugate the South African re- publics. sHf
 "The pretsnse that the existence of these republics endanger British author ity over the rest of South Africa is un- worthy of serious consideration. If re-. publics and monarchial authority are so hostile that their mere proximity in- wolves conflict between them. this coun- try would be justified in annexing Cana da as a necessary measure of rrotec- tion for it's own safety. There was much less justihable ground for the assault upcn the South African republics by Great Britain than there would have been for the forcible taking of Canada by this country.
 .srHe South African war did not arise from any question involving the rela- tioBs between the republics and the ad- joining British colonies. but from an at-