How the War was Protracted.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVI, Issue 155, 5 July 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

How the War was Protracted.

Tiierk must have been in South Africa during iLo second j.hase of the war, s.ays a waiter in Black wood's M igi-TAii'-, lup.av Ijundrc-clis of me!'; — one might almost say thousands— ■who felt that tbo nation had der-perate

ik.od of their services ; men who

voluntarily under look the risks and ]>; rils ol c. soldier's life, nob from a inpo of piefennc-nt, do? from Jove of ftdventuro, but from tree patriotism — a sacrifice to meet the nation's call In :he hour (A nor need. Bub that d;.:y ; n-'on passui. The tiile turned, !i!.••.] cUsh (A urrna ce;uoi upon our own fjouiiora and wi'hin our own d-'pr■i.iueii-cios, end the din ff war :cu;:de.i faintly from the heart of the {■ii!K,v't' country. Then true patrioti.m fiiiJccl; ;iiy an-n who bud gone io.th v.'i'th Slick" country's 'acclamations resumed as their obliga'ums expired. Tbcre were no patriots of tie f-auie cks* found to take tht-ir places. Yft the exigencies of the struggle re quirt d even more men ill-ia bad been iv the field when Lord Roberts made his extreme eff-rf. to reprieve t.hrs earlier misfortunes. Then it was th-:t Lord Kitchener committtd one 0' Iho few error? of judgment which have marked his conduct of the o•■:nipaign. Be—aud he was not singular in this—believed that in Dt-cember, 1900, the edifice of the Boer resistance was crumbling to its foundations — that it was like a ru;ghty smokestack, already min-.d at its bare, and but requiring fuel at the dummy supports to bring the whole structure in ruins to thegroucd. He called for fuel. The cry went fi.Tth for men—men —men. Any men; only let there be a sufficient quantity. The war was over. Had not the highest officials said thai it was over. The recruiting-sergeant went cub into the highways and hedges to collect fuel for Lord Kitchener's final operation. It mattered not the quality—it was only quantity. The war was over. The gates of the Gold Etef City would again be open. Then the mass cf d: graded manhood which had fled from Johannesburg at the first muttering ot thunder in thu war cloud flocked from their hiding-places on the Cape Colony seaboard and fdlon the recruiting-sergeant's neck. Mean whites that they were, they came out of beir burrows at the first glt-am of sunshine. Greek, Armenian, Pole, llussian, Scandinavian, Levantine, aud Jew. Gaol-bird, pickpocket, thief, drunkard, and loafer, they presented themselves to the reemitiugsergeant, aud in due course polluted the uniform whish they were not fit to salute from a distance. The war was over ; there would be no more lighting, only a quick march to Johannesburg, and disbandment within reach of the filthy lucre which they coveted. Their "appearance gave new life to the enemy. New confidence, and free gifts of rifles, ammunition, clothes, and horses. These men had not como to fight. They had enlisted only to reach Johannesburg, and th?-y re-fused to fight. Surrender to them brought no qualm or disgrace. They posfesped no faculty sensible to shame. Then the enemy hardened his heart. And who can blame bio.-. He had ever been told that the supply of British fighting material was limited. He found these creatures in the field against him. Ho stepped up to them, and without an effort disarmed them at will. Then he said, we have i-x----liaused their supply of teal fightinir nun. They are now forced to place this spurious article in the field. Wo will persevere just a liU-io longer. If we persevere till disease shall further dostioy their good men, wo must win in the long run. The error in judgment which allowed cf the enlistment of these men has perhaps done more thau anything else to prolong ihe war. If any doubt rnnain, let the curious call upon the Government for a return of arms and ammunition surrendered to and captured by the i-norny between November, 1900, ana November, 1901, and then, if the answer be jueily given, judge of the nec-ssilyot arsenals for our enemy.