The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-03-01
PROGRESS OF THE BoER WAR.
Crest Britain Fighting the Magnincen
Distances of south Africa.


Of War, in a speech delivered few
weeks ago, In answer to the charge
that the Government was not answer
ing Lord Kitchener's acquisitions for
men and material, said that efficer
then had under his orders 100000 SOL
diers and $50 guns. AS since that date
a cavalry brigade at Aldershot has
been ordered to hold itself In readiness
to go to South Africa, 1t Is probable
that the British Government has no
intention of allowing Lord Kitchen
er's army to sink much below the
strength stated by Mr.. Brodrick.
That SO large a force should be re-
touch-and-go encounters between rela- |
lively small raiding parties and their
pursuers at first glance seems unac-
countable. Many persons apparently |
hold it unaccountable. These critics
forget that Lord Kitchener's lightest
task is actual fighting. To demolish
in a few set encounters the Boer
forces united would be an easy piece
of work for him to perform. The
Beers have no intention of affording
him any such opportunity. They are
broken up into many bands, the COM
mandos running as small as hundred
members. and as they operate with no
other cohesive principle than that of
doing all the harm possible to the Brit
ish they give employment to a CORE
spending number Of British detach-
ments, each of which to be ready ef-
fectively has to be larger than the
body 1t is sent to pursue. Knowing
the country better than the British can
know 1t, and operating amidst people
who are in sympathy with them. the
Boer commands have great advan-
tage over their opponents. They dou-
BILE and turn with certainty where the
British have to find their way with
difficulty. The Boer secret service.
which is the expression of the sympa-
thy Of the Dutch people who dare not
take the field. but supply the raiders
with hints where comprehensive In
formation is not safe, is Of immense
value to the raiders, either in avoiding
OI lOi ah az
tack on some peculiarly isolated post.
The charge on Lord Kitchener's re-
sources to follow all these raiding par
ties in the field must be very heavy,
but the great occasion for the large
army the British have in South
Africa is the necessity of guarding
very long lines of communication.
Very few persons realize how magnifi-
cent are the distances in the theatre of
war In South Africa. The main line
on which the British depend and
which they must guard at all costs is
that from Cape Town via Bloemfon-
tein to johannesburg and Pretoria.
The railroad which connects The Cape
with, Pretoria has a length Of 1910
miles; this is a distance almost equal
to that between Boston and Chicago,
and it is the main line of the British
occupation and Of political organiza-
ton Of the territories they occupy.
This line is crossed at right angles
by another along which Boer comman-
dos operate from time to time, which
stretches from the Indian Ocean to the
Atlantic. and which may be roughly
stated to be 700 miles long. Within
few weeks past Beers have been oper
ating at points on this crossing as
widely separated as the Natal border
and Saldanba Bay on the Atlantic
coast. Yet until Lord Kitchener
breaks up these raiding bands he must
guard both lines and keep. in addition
to his mobile columns, considerable
bodies in garrison at positions at some
distance on each side of the main trav
eled ways. This necessity is sugges
tive of holding down a population hos
tile in sentiment If peaceful in life.
There can be but one end to this
struggle. The resources and the will
power of Great Britain are enough to
assure her complete victory. but under
the circumstances there may be long.
lingering contest, more Of marching
than of fighting. before the final result
Is attained. - Boston Evening Tran
script.