New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-17
GERMAN VIEWS OF THE BoER WAR


It will be remembered that the German army
was well represented by official observers in
the principal operations of the Boer war Some
of the opinions of those officers were published
at the time. Their maturer judgment consid-
cred, discussed and finally set forth authorita-
lively by the General Staff at Berlin, has been
reserved until the present 1t forms uncommon
ly interesting reading TO the military man, and
some of its features are not devoid of interest
to the general public; especially those parts of
it which deal with the major disasters suffered
by the British
Best known of the mishaps to the British
perhaps was the repulSe of General Sir Red
vers Butler at COlensO, on the TugeIa River
when he was attempting to raise the siege of
Ladysmith. Certainly other has provoked
more, or more heated, discussion. The impartial
and expert German critics lay the blame for it
upon General Butler personally. 1.-The brave
troops were not beaten, but only their leader"
General Buffers fault lay first in not appreciat-
ing the strength of the enemy. He thought
there would be mere skirmish, which he could
intrust to General Clery and of which he could
himself remain spectator. He was soon I'M
deceived. But even that error would not have
proved fatal had he not then committed an
other and a worse one. His mind did not
q
change in the situation" He thrust General
Clery aside and rushed in to take the lead him
self That would have been we'll enough, too
had he not lost his head. But he became
Hurried. He lost confidence in himself He lost
the faculty Of calm reflection. Thus he became
not the masterful leader, directing and inspir-
ing his troops, but merely a private soldier
He was no longer a commander but a com
Blatant. OF his personal valOr there is no ques-
ton. But it was wasted when used in that
way. His wound ended the matter The order
to retreat was given, with results of vast mis-
chief to the British cause.
Another serious British disaster was that suf-
fered by Lord Methuen at Magersfontein- IN
which General WauchOpe was killed Upon It
the German verdict is far less severe than
upon Coiens0. There were undoubtedly serious
errors in the handling Of the trooDs. especfollv
the cavalry and artillery and skrmishers and
field balloon were not effectively employed
Nevertheless the Germans regard Lord Methuen
as "a careful commander, who began by pre-
pairing everything in Il systematic manner
with the object of securing success" They
praise, too, his self-pogsession and GOODNESS in
the midst of the most trying scenes and his
logged courage in persisting in the attack even
after disaster had smltten his army. In brief.
Methuen's faults were such as might well have
been pardoned and have permitted the reten-
ton Of him in command, while Buffers seemed
to mark him unworthy longer to remain Mt
the head Of an army. That It will be recalled
was precisely the view which the British au
thOrities took and acted upon.
The courage, persistence and general con-
duct Of the British troops are praised by the
German General Staff as highly az any patriotic
Englishman could wish, and there is a pretty
strong confederation OF the judgment formerly
expressed by an individual German officer of
high rank, that no other troops in the world, in
circumstances so unfamiliar and unexpected.
could have done any better than they did