TWO YEARS OF CONFLICT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7293, 4 January 1902, Page 4

TWO YEARS OF CONFLICT.

. » DR CONAN DOTLE'S VIGOROUS STORY OF THE WAR. iDaily Mail.) In his new and enlarged edition of "Tha Great Boer War," published by Smith, Elder, and OC, Dr Oman Doyle has brought the story of events in South- Africa down to Oct. 11, 1901. His narrative in its later passages is as vividi and dlraujflitic as ever, and is worthy of the ■widespread popularity which ihas brought the volume, to a thirteenth, impression. There are, however, certain, passages which, while they represented* in the earlier editions the best attainable knowledge, should ihave been revised now" tihat fuller in-, formation is at -the service of all students. It should, we think, have been mentioned that Lord Roberts gave tihe order to 'advance to t'lie final relief of . Lady smith, for otherwise the present Comanandier-in-Chiief is deprived of credit which is fairly his. He took the responsibility, and' had. disaster resulted he would have had the blame for ordering an operation for the. execution of which the soldier Who was to carry it out thought himself too weak. So, too, the narrative of the Sauna's Post affaiir has to some extent been rendered obsolete by General Coiville's work, which shows to the satisfaction of most soldiera ihat it was a physical impossibility for the Ninth Division to have come into action m sufficient time to save General Broodwood. Th© mistake here made "was clearly in not holding the waterworks in. force from the moment when, Bloemtfontein was .occupied, or in mot giving orders a day earlier for the Ninth Division) to move out to Broadiwood's support.