CRITICISM OF THE WAR IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 57

CRITICISM OF THE WAR IN ENGLAND.

LONjJON, December 29. > The dqmand for.. Major-General Sir Henry E. Colville's resignation, thrown as a, sop, only servea to whet the ravenous appetites, of those who are howling for .the. responsibility of the reverses in South Africa being brought home to individuals. More heads are demanded. Where so many must be blamable it is felt that the selection of General Colville is woefully inadequate if not unfair. Indped, it is already said that liad not the? Yeomanry; force at Lindley, which Colyille failed to relieve, included some of the nobility and; Other Influential per-, sons; Colyille would never have been recalled- - i 7 . ; ■

The bitterness felt ;by: these Yeomanry at being compelled to surrender, because, as they allege, Colville refused to render the aid within bis ppwer, has never died opt, and ifc will probably re-sult-in one; of -the most interesting courtmartials in the annals of the British army, upon the result of which will depend- the fate of several other high officers who have proved unequal to the oe« casion. - . . ;\r-- .... ...

There are signs of the dawn of that oommonsense, the lack of which the English critics so deplore in the military sj’-stem, for. the cavalry now going out to South. Africa is discarding the lance and carbine, and substituting for these weapons rifles and sabres. After over a year’s fighting the authorities have awakened! to the utter uselessness of lances and carbines, considering that thousands of British' soldiers have never seen a Boer during the many engagements .

While Great Britain is tied hand and foot to South Afrca, the navy, which is not escaping the wave of criticism, is quietly increasing its strength and morale, For months both men and ships have, been kept in an x^nusual state of readiness, and there are now building in British yards no fewer than 11 battleships, 19 cruisers and 14 smaller vessels, totalling nearly 400,000 tons. These include Vessels which Have been tried but are unfinished.