MORE MEN FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10538, 27 December 1899, Page 2

MORE MEN FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —With that love of fair play which characterises "Th« Press," wilE you kindly insert ths letter in to-tnorrow (Wednesday's) paper. It ia to object to this colony sending any further aid in men or warlike stores beyond the proposals for the second Contingent as already formulated by the Government. The proposal to send a Contingent up to a thousand men I regard as quite beyond the requirements of the case. The "United Jungdom has a population of forty millions to draw upon, and unlimited wealth and material. There are, in addition to'.tUo standard fighting forces, the army reserves, and the militHa and vohin--leais. There is considerable danger of the British races rendering themselves a trifle ridiculous over this Boer affair. One would almoit imagine wo had half the world in arms against us, when we see men gathering from all the four quarters of the globe on South African soil. It seems to mc, Sir, an advertisement to the world of Great Britain's military inefficiency and unpreparedness. I regard all this excitement and pother on the part of England and her colo-n-'es as beyond the mark, and beneath the dignity of a first-class Power in dealing with the Boers. In heaven's name, if we are to suppress the Transvaal let it be done decently and in order. Surely, we do not need to be brought up to fighting point by Rudyard Kipl'ng a music-hall effusion or on "From Greenland's Icy Mountains," appearing in your columns to-day. Owing chiefly to the bungling of the Home authorities, "our troops have met with some small reverses in South, Africa. The "Intelligence Department" (save the mark!) must have been terribly inefficient. There appears to have been remarkably little intelligence shown in-the whole business so far. There is probably nothing whatever to justify the sens -panic re intervention of foreign States in the quarrel. As matters now ' stand, "Gallant LittCe New Zealand " has'done its duty. Surely'the overwhelming forces now being sent from "England, Irid'a, Canada and the colonies are more than adequate to bring the war to a speedy, but I am afraid, nevertheless, a rather inglorious conclusion. The Patriotic Fund another matter and deserves all encouragement and sympathy.— YOUrS NOT A LITTLE ENGLANDER. December 26fch, 1899.