Marlborong Express. Published Every Evening Friday, December 15,1899. BLUNDERS, BUNGLES, AND BLOODSHED!

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 294, 15 December 1899, Page 2

Marlborong Express. Published Every Evening Friday, December 15, 1899. BLUNDERS, BUNGLES, AND BLOODSHED !

♦ Unless the British commanders now m South Africa mend their ways the present war will go down m history as one m whioh the British army was, to use a term made famous during the Australasian maritime strikes, an army of "lions led by asses." Anything more depressing, more humiliating, and more exasperating than the true story of the defeat — "reverse" is only a misleading euphemism — of General Gatacre's force at Stormberg could not well be imagined. The force which went out to surprise was itself surprised, and that so rudely, so completely, so disastrously, that practically onefourth of those who oomposed the would-be " surprise party" are now amongst the killed, wounded, and missing. The fatuous trust displayed by so experienced a campaigner as General Gatacre proved himself to be m the Ghitral Expedition and the last Soudan Campaign, is almost inconceivable. Confiding m the guidance of a policeman — whose nationality may only too probably have been Dutch — the British general and his men were led into a terribly bloody trap, the only wonder being that the whole force was not wiped out by the canning enemy. Of individual gallantry on the part of the British soldier there was, as usual, no laok. He fought like a demon ; but his courage was all m vain. He was led by men who had either hopelessly blundered, or who had been treacherously misled, and his fate was to be shot down by hundreds. No one who reads the descriptions of the battle whioh have appeared m these columns can doubt the fact that the British commanders were hopelessly outmanoeuvred. The Boers are evidently led by officers who are skilled m military taotios, and whose superior foresight, greater knowledge of the country, and immeasurably superior knowledge of the value of positions, assure viotory to their followers. The British officer is one of the most gallant fellows on earth, but when it comes to using his head, and to a knowledge of taotics, he is, if the present war be taken as any criterion, most lamentably behind hand. That a force of 8000 men should have depended, apparently, upon the guidance of one man and one man alone, and have followed his lead unohecked and uncontrolled, is the most lamentable example of misplaced confidence that the records of war can afford. It is simply pitiable to read between the lines of the irritatingly vague cablegrams the dreary, damning record of official incompetency, and abominable bungling and blundering. In no other army m the world would General Gatacre be allowed to regain his oommapd after such an overwhelming disaster as that which, through his foolhardy confidence m a policeman, has befallen the British whioh set out to Burprise the Boers at Stormberg. There is no use mincing woids. Outside Ladysmith, at the Modeler River, and lastly and most disastrously at Stormberg, the British commanders have displayed a lack of caution, which is positively criminal. Another disheartening feature is the incompleteness and inefficiency of the Bdtish artillery. In practically every big engagement up to the present the Boer artillery has done immeasurably better service than the British artillery. It may be that pur guns are less powerful — that is the fault of the War Office. It is certainly fortunate for our soldiers that the shells fired from the enemy's guns are of suoh tyad manufacture that a large proportion of them fail to burst ; but as to the serving of the guns it is evident , that the superiority lies with the Boers. Now and then we get scrappy little cablegrams about the enemy's guns being silenced, but the faot remains that m Natal, and m the Colony large bodies of welltrained soldiers are being kept at bay, and defied by an enemy whose soldiers q-re roughly trained farmers. No wonder there is wrath m kqnclon. Our only wonder is that every pane of glass m the War Office buildings

has not by this time been destroyed by an infuriated mob, mad with anger at the apathy, tbe utter ignorance, the sloth, and the exasperating inoompetenoy of those m power who have so ridiculously underrated tbe strength of the foe, and shown so disgracefully their inefficiency as guardians of the Empire's military honor. Meanwhile, the death roll inoreaßes weekly by hundreds. Up to Tuesday last tbe total number killed, wounded, and missing on tbe British side was 4570. No wonder the despatoh of a third army corps is being hurried on with. As to the imbecile blundering of those responsible for the Stormberg disaster, no language can be too strong to use m condemnation of their conduct. It was not enough for the British force to be led into a death trap, and mown down like sheep by the well-placed Boers with guns of heavier calibre than our own ; but a further and yet more disgusting mishap had to be chronicled m the firing upon their own of the British artillery. Small wonder the Continental press ridicule the British oommanders, who, were they m the service of any other country, would run the risk of being shot. It is not now a question of fighting against a horde of black men armed with spears or muzzleloaders, savages who are mown down m their thousands by Maxim guns or blown to atoms by Lyddite shells. To-day Greit Britain is meeting a foe well armed and better led, and to this foe the opposing forces are being l^d by officers who, howover individually gallant, are steeped m a spirit of overweening self-coufidenca, a^u who at every step apbvrvss the most ghastly blunged. "We shall have to see l^id thing through," said Lord Kosebery tbe other day. That is true, but when the war is over the War Office must be swept out from door to roof m the same way that the Admiralty was swept out some years ago. We have neither space nor patience to disouss any other features of the war news. For the present the frightful disaster at Stormberg robs us of all confidence m the British commanders. It is to be hoped that m Natal and before Spyfontein matters will turn out better ; but m the northern portion of the Cape Colony the British arms have suffered a disaster, tbe true meaning and full consequences of which we have yet to learn. If there are to be any more such blunders as that of which the Gataore column were the victims, the Cape "Dutch will be emboldened to rise against the British as one man, and it may become a serious question as to how Port Elizabeth, or even Capetown itself, is to be protected. And if John Bull does not howl with exceeding fierceness for a sweeping reform m bis army and its leaders, then he is ten times more thickheaded and stupid than his worst foes have declared him to be.