The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08
THE DEFEATED BOERs.


New Orleans Times-Democrat.
No conquered people ever received more
liberal terms than these and no people have
ever better deserved liberal terms. For the
Beers have shown courage ana 1oru-
tude unsurpassed in the annals of the hui
man race. "A little people-few, but apt In
the field" they have made good the proph-
ecy of their venerable chief, and exacted a
price for their independence that has stag
eered humanity" In the two years and
seven months of the war they have placed
l02 779 British troops hors du combat, as
follows: Killed and died in the field, q $3.50;
missing and prisoners, 1855; invaded, H.
AS The Beers have lost TO achieve this
result 1890 men killed and wounded, and
81 O00 prisoners, now to be released. This is
A remarkable record TO be made by a ma
ton of farmers who knew nothing of mill
tary life, except how TO ride and shoot.
And the record is made the more remark
able by the expenditure of treasure that
has been forced on the British. The total
cost of the war on the side of the Beers is
not known, but the British have expended
one and quarter billion dollars, and there
are bills yet to be paid.
How was this remarkable achievement
brought about? The contest was not only
one between different races, but between
different types of men. The day is distant
when the British recruiting sergeant took
the field TO secure recruits that he had lit
lie trouble in getting suitable men. The
Briton was in that DAY an agriculturlst
The young farmers of the British isles had
The physique for soldiers and were hardy
and tough-fibred race; but change has
come over England, change that is even
low throwing its shadow across this coun-
try The agriculturist has become an arti-
SAN Whereas formerly five men out of six
were fit for military service, the experience
in the South African war has shown that
IF those who volunteered only a minority
we're accepted for service, as the country
needed men. The artisan in England, as
the artisan in this country at the outbreak
IF the Spanish-American war. developed
defects on his physical examination that
caused his rejection; fiat feet, absence OF
law teeth and other things which seem alb
>olutely absurd TO the layman. but TO
Which the experienced mastering officers
attach great Importance, caused the rejec-
ton of vast numbers of men. The Beers
being an agricultural class, were not af-
icted with fiat feet, and they had sets OF
eeth that would masticate any ration that
might be issued TO them. They were sol
lers from the start, all save the training
while the British recruit could only be
made a soldier by costly expenditure OF
time. money and brain.
There is in this war a lesson to be
earned by this country. The impression
prevails that the military power OF the
Union increases in exact proportion 10 the
growth of population, but this is incorrect
The fighting unit of this country is not as
Elective as ii was one hundred years ago
Tor the same reason that the fighting uni:
mas deteriorated in Great Britain; men are
as brave as ever, but they are by no means
as efficient; as the agriculture OF a country
decays and its commerce and manufac.
lures grow. the volunteer soldier and ev.
cry soldier in this country and Great Brit.
ain is volunteer, there being no conscrip-
ton, is rendered less efficient as a soldier
Tor in the nature of things the artisan OF
the cities and towns cannot stand before
the man from the rural districts, either a.
A marksman. or as a man who will retair
dis activity and his strength under adverse
conditions. Human courage is an admir-.
able thing and very common commodity
but human courage alone does not wiz