The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-24
Discomfort PREVAILS
AMONG CAPE TROOPS
Grave Mismanagement and Need
less Suffering Have Made the
Soldiers Hate Their Work.
INSTRUMENTATION RIFE

LONDON. Jan. 23.-Serious reports have
for some time reached England with re-
gard To the feeling among the British
troops in South Africa. After investigating
a number of them the newspapers have
come to the conclusion that they are accur-
ate Here is the latest communication re-
ceived from South Africa, from represen-
tative who is fully conversant, after trav-
cling thoroughly about all the colonies
with the events he relates: 1T is pretty
widely known that there exists much dis
content among both officers and men OF
the army of South Africa, but il is not
generally known that it is assuming pro-
portions of alarming extent, and if some
remedy is not found to allay it, and that
quickly. there will be something more Sc
rious for the War Office to face than the
failure of the army corps system. The
price of luxuries and necessities in South
Africa is partly responsible, and the men,
who can do nothing with their pay, and
are away from every home comfort or re-
straint, are gradually getting into state
of INSTRUMENTATION.
Whoever chose the site of the Middel-
| burg camp, cape Colony for the South
African Aldcrshot, and burdened the tax
payer with needless expense (for the land
| purchased by the imperial government was
of the day.. has much to answer for, but
even he or they could not have anticipated
state of things such as exists at pres
ent.
Officers find it hard to make ends meet
even with private incomes, and they, with
| the men, condemn the isolation and discom-
| forts of the dreadful spot of Middleburg
| Many officers who are not dependent on the
| service are leaving, and the men are pur-
| chasing their discharges as fast as they
| can; but a worse feature, and an unparal-
1ala foe IN Snl1ingfnU hrnlrafa r
| the men are showing their discomfort by alb
solute INSTRUMENTATION. 1t is not unknown
| that an officer has been attacked, sand
b2gging cases are>rife, and sinister rumors
| state that officers have to go about armed
| at night. 1t has been mooted several times
| that the colonial allowance should be in
creased for officers Off ii were doubled il
| would not level the increased expenditure
: of living here as against any other station
/ IN the Empirel. 1t is to be hoped this
| will be granted; but the men also should
| have their pay augmented, the same as al
| other foreign stations (where living is in
| finitely cheaper), to level up the cost OF
| living and to In a measure soften the dread
/ ful isolation and monotony of life on tbs
| lonely weld, far away from everything ex
cept the ordinary routine of barrack oil
! depot life.
IAN work and no play makes Tommy a.
we'll as Jack a dull boy, but worse still /:
/ the phase of the mutinous boy. 1t is higI
| time the authorities faced the music ever
II Middleburg has to be abandoned anC
/
| this would be better far than a state o
| mutiny such as at present exists. a stat,
| which, If not checked or alleviated will
4 open an era of discomfort and an unprece
| denied breaking away from all tradition.
| OF the service, In that the discipline o.
| the british army is second to none.
| Good men rot If allowed TO, and the in
| action Of the life in the AIddeburg camp
| where the day Is spent between drill anc
| the canteen. without another single inter
est to relieve the dull monotony-with dus
| storms blowing five or six DAYS a week
| ma king the place as uncomfortable as Lon
don In fog Zone regiment after a field da,
| took over an hour to find their lines)-no re
| Taxation. no comforts. and drill and beer tn
only two distractions 10 get through tn
! day with, IL can easily be imagined how
| demoralized men might become.
They are demoralzing quickly. insub
ordination Is rife. and If strong and effect
i've measures are not taken 10 change tn
| situation. brighten the life, Increase tn
pay Of the soldier in South Africa. and $,
enable him to have the comforts he has a
| home or abroad, serious results will accrue
and the Lester riots at Pretoria will b
! nothing TO them"