The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-06-10
.ECHOzs OF THE BR1T1sH-BO1R WAR.

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The British-Boer War cost England
$500, 900, 900 up to March 1st last. Eng
land sent 100000 soldiers to South
Africa, of whom $1,000 were killed or
died of wounds and exposure, while
three times as many were invalided
home. The Beers had about 10000
men and boys in arms at the outset but
the exact figures as to their dead and
wounded are not known now and it is
doubtful if they ever will be, for the
South African farmers did not keep
careful record of the war as it pro-
crossed. They could not have suffered
as seriously as their British foes in
dead and disabled, for then their cas-
uaIties would have reached nearly 49,
600 men, which is $4,000 more soldiers
than they had in their army. But they
have been terribly decimated as a peo-
pie. The war has been an appalling
tragedy all around, and the world will
rejoice that peace has at last come.
The liberality of the British peace
terms is seen conspicuously in the
stipulation which provides that no tax
shall be levied upon the Transvaal to
help pay for the cost of the war. In
other words the conquered Boer repub-
lies pay no indemnity. It is true that
the people are poor farmers, but SO are
the Chinese a poverty-stricken people
and the powers pulled their leg for all
it was worth in exacting an indemnity
for the Boxer rebellion. Great Britain
has shown the most commendable gen
crosby in making this notable conces-
sion, although it must be a disappoint-
to Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, who
has all along been fully counting on
making the new colonies pay part of
the enormous cost of the war. Eng
land is showing a juster and more
magnanimous spirit in the wind-up of
the war than she did a year ago when
Mr.. Chamberlain insisted on uncondi-
tional surrender. The war has now
been ended, however, upon conditions,
and the influence of the King is no
doubt seer in this, for he has been re-
ported as being intensely DESTROYS for
peace throughout all his realm at his
approaching coronation.
A fact of Importance to Great Bri-
tain developing from the war is the
value of her colonies. From Canada
to. Australia they sent the. flower of
their youth to the wal and rendered
an invaluable service. Lord Charles
Beresford is a thoughtful man and
temperate in ~utterance and he said a
day or two ago: "They must not for
get that our colonies have pulled US
through this war"
The colossal figure that energies
from the South African wal is Gen
eral Lord Kitchener. General Lord
Roberts perhaps has been loudest &C
claimed by his countrymen, and his
conduct of the war was indeed splen-
did. But he only reduced the fighting
to the guerilla stage, the hardest of
all to deal with, and left this work to
Kitchener. That he has so successful
ly concluded it leaves him the ulti-
mate heroic figure of the conflict.
These laurels interviewer with the
wreath he won in the Soudan put him
in the lead, for actual military
achievement, of all the great living
warriors. ". "'"::- I
Railroad development on the CONT
nent of Asia has got quite a long lead
on similar development in Africa. The
war in the Boer republics has long de-
layed the building of the Cape to
Cairo Railroad, one of the pet pro-
jects of Cecil Rhodes, and while his
master hand is stilled in death, never
theless the road will be built, for no
matter who drops out of the game, the
wheels of progress cease to
whirl. They never run slow enough
to strike a funeral procession gait,
even for a continent-builder like
Rhodes. Somebody will do the work,
and the sooner the better. Germany
and Russia are projecting various new
railroads through Syria and Persia