The Transvaal War.

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9976, 24 June 1901, Page 1

The Transvaal War.

: —-»'.'■ w „ . w This has provided a; subject for many, an article, and it has" had amongst the mass of literature, good Itmdaffd V indifferent, Jb.urled.ai .onej to" "distinguish, where fair criticism'endsanfl 7 rancourous opposition,. to^Britishmet'- • hods of warfare commences. ■' out of the army of-writers'otae* has l' struck the right nail on the head and has, in the lew sentences cabled 1 to us, uttered a trenchant criticism on English methods and faults it-is" the American attache! with the -^British troops in South Africa, who has foiS l warded a despatch to Washington, and of which a precis came with this morning's cables. He states, some? what paradoxically, it might appear - ! to some, that ,had the British shown less bravery (and hemfghyweU'have added more, tatet) o^~losites'^w"oufd have been leßS' ;and*;6u¥' l"|VVictcilrie*i * greater. "And there'"'are. few 1 with " any intimate'knowledge of the'cimpaign who will deny, the truth- 'of "■* the statement. -Had' less' bravery been displayed and more intelligence •• brought to bear upon the military problem, for such it was; had those magnificent ."hub disastrous, attacks in "j quarter column formation been -abandoned, and cunning met with cun- '' ning; r had foolish dare-devil feats ' been severely condemned instead of • gaining praise; in fact had. theseglori ous but resultless dashes been sup*' planted by cool, level-headed, calcula- . tions of results and the'"value of .the '' victory when gained, many 1- lives, would have been'saved. Of Boiler's , march after Ladysmith he comments' j * in unfavourable terms, but has pos-, sibly no information-at hsnd^—unlesa ' he was with ths Natal, and not Lord Roberts' column,' and' 1 if such be the* case he is not in a position to cri-'1 tise the Field Marshal's operations.,, General Buller remained at Standerton .for weeks,' and even.'telegrams", 1' from Lord Roberts could not induce him to leave this" position* unt3iJ he '" was satisfied that the. Boers Jhadjnpr- 1 ed northwJhJs and that ihey could not raise any serious opposition:-to his advance. Why was' it itldne? itl' might be .asked. Why? General Bui- . ler had fiad his Spion Kop as General! Methuen had his Magersfontein, General Gatacre his Stormberg 1, and Long his Nicholson's Nek.'' Enough/ sure-' ly, to deter any mag. from making *• rash move. The effect of SpionKop .upon General Buller was evidenced by the fact that after Ladysmith was relieved and the Boers' were fleeing to. north,,of .the Delagba, Jine A ,he,mftV-" ed; onwards .with' fthnost fbeartrbrejaking slowness—Hi&JladtJoetltne oeury agepus abandon ;6f the Bri;t»hitifl|^'ji he, ?vas; cautions", >r wiry^ figtitfi^oiiii. ' nihg' withp cimning^ }%stias£H-yfiXL his head as { well :rasl las-swordi 7 Coupage is com&endablej^lft^lticli a w*i" as'that-in; South Amca';c«ution the more ./voidable. attribule.Vi.^iLora Roberts failure to^cut jbfo'jQeliwo^ Say line"and v prevent' KrugertesWpe is - unconsciously ' explained 'by' >Ibha • American attache in this, own •despatch.. The delay of General;',Buller'a forces at Staorderton injured the combination/ It was Ijbrd Roberts duly, to drive the, Boers outTarii to the east of Pretoria 5 'it was Buller's duty to Have' but^the, Uriosidf ' communication north, of < and, intercepted the" disorganised Boer army as it fledieaitwaß|sv,.and before it had time to reorganise. It' is evident the American attache has not accompanied the army with his eyes closed, and judging by the few details cabled regarding his despatch to Washington' his communication to - the 'American Government should not only be interesting but decidedly instructive.