THE Bay of Plenty Times AND Thames Valley Warden.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3915, 23 October 1899, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times AND Thames Valley Warden.

fhe spirit of the Times shall teacn me speed.— lit' Ml Act If. Mondat, OcTOBKa 23, 1899. It would appear that the first two important engagements in the present war in South Africa have been fought, both on British soil and oq opposite sides of the Orange Free State. We call them important, not so much on account of their direct effect in forwarding the purpose of the war or even in effecting any distinct step in the plan of campaign, but on account of their moral effect on the Boern, on our own troops and on the world at large. The Boer, for many years past has been in the habit of regarding himself, as a fighting unit, as worth two or three British soldiers, —very much as the old-time British sailor considered himself a match for three or four Spaniards or Frenchmen, though perhaps with more justification. The capture of the heights overlooking Glencoe will help to show the Boers that, when properly handled, the British are just as good fighting men as themselves or better. The dreadful holocaust at Mafeking will also teach them that the strategy of the ambuscade is not all confined to their own leaders Recourse to so awful an expedient is a lyddite mine must, we are fain to believe, have been due to the dire necessity of the case and however much we may regret, on grounds of humanity, the terrible slaughter so occasioned, we must not forget that it may have been the means of preventing a still worse disaster to our own people. So far, however, the tactics of the British have been almost entirely of a passive character and, but for the Boers offering the opportunities, probably aot a shot would yet have been fired on our side. What then is our plan of campaign alluded to above ? We cannot doubt that one has been formulated though at present there is but the faintest indication of it, and its chief executant, General Sir Redvers Buller, has yet to spend some ten days at sea before he can possibly give the final orders which will set inmotion the various bodies of British troops for the purpose of carrying out such plan. A fortnight ago a report was telegraphed from Paris that negotiations were going on between Britain and Portugal with a view to the former using Delagoa Bay as a base of operations, but so far nothing further has been heard of the matter. There is no doubt whatever that nothing would suit Britain better than that she should be able to -forward some 25,000 troops from Lorenzo Marquez to the Transvaal frontier, thus, as it were, getting into the country by the back door while the Boer armies are guarding the front and side doors atLaing's Nek and Mafeking. Can it be done without stirring up international complications with European Powers, is the question that will be troubling British Statesmen at this moment, unless indeed, secret negotiations have already been concluded to enable us thus to make use of a neutral State's territory for warlike purposes. If the request had been made for leave for British troops to { pass through Portuguese territory, little Portugal must, for a time, have been on the horns of a dilemma. To refuse would mean to offend Britain, to acquiesce would probably bring down the wrath of more than one of the Great European Powers; Germany and France would both almost certainly protest against such a breach of neutrality and between them Portugal's position would be a very uncomfortable one unless she could succeed in placating one or the other. The question then suggests itself, has she done so, and if so which of her powerful European neighbours has she elected to propitiate in order to enable her to keep iv Britain's good graces without danger of serious consequences to herself ? The answer does not seem far to seek. She will have chosen Germany as the Power to bz conciliated, as she could do so without much or any harm to herself by conceding a big slice of her three million square miles of East African territory adjoining Germany's present protectorate. , With the friendship of England \ and Germany thus purchased she < could snap her fingers at French remonstrances should such be made. Looking round for indications that some such arrangement may have been made, we find that there is evidence of a difference of opinion between the German Government and the German populace on tw,o matters wherein Britain is conaerned. The Government officially sympathised with us over the attack by the Transvaal, the people rided with the Boers. In cable fiews elsewhere we see a similar livergence in connection with 3amoan affairs. The populace favour retiring from Samoa if conowwious can be gi»t elsearhwp. Gprminy'B price for complaiftaac* iv the matter of Portuguese concession* to Britain in East Africa wouH naturally bo a n'gh one, especially considering he urgency of the case. We live already shown how Portural can do her share, but Germany ■ ronld expect a douoenr from Britain direct. Is Britain's rpirement from the tripartite conrol in Samoato Iwir? W« should J lot h« altogether surprised if this ( ho 1 1 prove to ho the mov« now , n the board. Tho possession of i )el*£oa Bay will be wor'h a I icalculable amount to the B'itieh ot only in shortening and * heapening the present war bnt to c lie after administration an.i devo- 8 tptnent of th« Tr«»n«vaal and 'hodesia, for the former must now * Bcome and remain British territory he surrender of her rights in H amoa, or, at any rate, all of them h B»pt> say, « suitable island for a p

coaling station, would be a very small thing indeed to the Empire, though, it looms up rather large when looked at through New Zealand spectacles. If such negotdatations as we have sketched out have been completed, the Boers are already hopelessly out-manoeuvred. By the time General Buller is ready to make his first appearance on the eastern borders of the Transvaal, via Delagoa Bay, in three weeks time, Krugerwill probably be glad to lay down his arms to save further absolutely useless bloodshed and devastation. Britain would doubt less for other reasons besides those given, prefer to conduct the campaign on these lines. She has no real quarrel with the Free Btate and even with the British forces already round its borders, that State is of little further account in the struggle. If, however, Britain has to use Natal and Cape Colony as her bases of operations she must, for the protection of her communications, crumple up the Free Slate, ere the British Army invades the Transvaal. The Free State has done little to earn mercy, much less gratitude, but Britain, being strong, can afford to be generous and if she can secure Delagoa Bay as her chief base oi operations against the Transvaal she will probably spare the Fret State, so long as tne latter doci not further take the offensive.