Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-12

to the coast tribes and a little afraid of
their striking. ne scattered promises OF
protection against the universe broadcast.
Now the promises have to be kent.
Out Of the depths OF the Soman Hinter-
land appears an able Mussulman with a
gift for preaching and organizing. and
religious leaders. has no limits except the
air and the ocean His real objective. 1t
Is believed is Abyssinia. which from its
history and its situation Is a permanent
irrttant to Mahommedan pride: but in or
der to gather force the Mullah attacked
tribe after tribe. absorbing each he de-
feated 1t. and at last began marrying our
own "friendlies-" They appealed to US for
help. and. OF course. 1t was given. most
properly. for we live in those regions on
the belief inspired by promises: but II
was given in the inept way in which we
commence all our never-ending military
undertakings. Nothing can convince our
foreign Office or our war Office that Afri-
can Mussulmans are not sayages all
through. but singularly brave spearmen
and swordsmen. who when provoked regard
life as Of no consequence. and who throw
up with curious frequency. probably
caused by the practical equality which
Islam maintains among believers. men able
to raise armies. who would. II they could
ever rely on successors like themselves.
found strong military empires.
The Idea IS that any force will do against
savages. and we send. therefore. against a
chieftain like the Muilah. to whom the
smallest victory brings swarms of allies
a force hardly sufficient for reconnaissance
and composed of men of all colors except
white: we neglect to provide transport re-
inforcements: and we dispense the strength
we have over the face Of country where
the wells are nifty or hundred miles
apart
We do not apparently provide the little
steel tubes employed in the Abyssinian
campaign. which will draw water from the
depths even in a desert: and then we
march about hunting for an enemy who.
knowing the country and being utterly
careless how many men he drops en- route.
can march two miles to our one. He on
his side knows perfectly we'll who and
where his pursuers are. and that his
chance Is to cut OF detachments, which
cordingly he tries to do.
Very often he fails, for our men are as
brave his. they knew they must win or
perish. and they have aid both from
science and from discipline: but every now
and then he succeeds. and a detachment.
with officers more valuable to than the
whole country they are traversing. is wiped
out. There Is disaster" big or little,
and the whole continent claps It's hands.
and predicts bursting up Of the over
grown power which has become so In
famously rich. Great Britain. however,
takes the news phlegmatcaiiy. because
she has silent contract with her govern
ment that she is always to win in the end:
but then that contract implies a larger
expedition, more transport, more lives CIV
en- to the enemy and the hospitals, and OK
penditure in rivers. We are never to stay
beaten, and in the long run we never do
stay: but the preliminary process of wait
perpetualiy repeating itself. Is most waste
full It frequently brings us nothing-as It
will in Somaliland-and 1t always inter-
feres with other and more important plans.