The Taranaki Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1900. WHO IS TO BLAME?

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9938, 15 January 1900, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1900. WHO IS TO BLAME?

There is a concensus of opinion in England, as elsewhere, that the British Militaiy authorities havo failed signally in their conduct of the piosent South African campaign, for which the Wav Office had made no adequate preparations up to the date of war being declared against Britain by the Boers. Loul Wolsolcy, the Commander-m-Chief of the British Army and hend oi the War Office, seems to have been inexplicably ignorant of n hat was bciug done by the Boers iv piopaiation for war, or of the number and character of their artillery and small aims, and to havo lost sight of the fact that the Boers are <i mounted foico, and can move about the country so lapidly as to completely bafflo our immobile forces, winch they have henunod iv and prevented from moving to tho relief of Ladysmith, Kiinborley, *nd Mafeking. So irate are tho British public with our losses up to date from this cause that tho Home Government haß arranged for Parliament to meet on the 30th inst to take into consideration Britain's unprcparcdneas for the presont war and tho deadlock which tho insufficiency of tho British forces in South Africa Las brought abont. The Hon. A. J. Baltour, Firßt Lord of the Treasury and loader of the House of Commons, iv tho course of a speech at Maueheator, said tho chief leeson loaruod waa that England had for the first time in the world's history met an enemy entirely mounted. This is not true, as she. hod tho same axpoiience iv South Africa, in 1881, and ought to havo learned from that disastrous 6\ent tho Boers' mothod of warfare, and that they roliod on their long-distancß raugo guns and rides and tho mobility of thoir forces. But the British Military authorities aro, like old dogs, very hard to toaoh new triolca, so to apoak, and tho War Office took no practical heed of tho experience of our forces m South Africa m 1881, when tho Boers inflicted auoli disastrous and astounding defeats on them. At tho present momont General Bullor, with 33,000 men under himj is powerless to relievo Ladysmith, although he is within a day or two's march of it, because ho has not the transport facilitios he deems requisite to wan ant him in making an attempt to go to tho rohef of General White and lub sorely bolcagured comrades in Lndysmith. General Bullor is reported to ha\o Bhelled tho Boer trenches ,it Coleneo, whilst tho enemy Hi-io ilta ijinjr LadysiMfli hat nwi., v, llhoul ohcitii.g a reply. This soems to look liko the Boeis having left tho vicinity of Colcnso on that dato to assist in tliu attack on Ladysmith, and that had Goneral Buller been properly posted up iv their movements he might have found tho vra.y clear for his men to havo followed thorn up and attacked thorn in the rear whilst ttonoral White's small forro was successfully beating them off I in front. If the Boers wero takon from Colonso to assist in the attack on Ladysmith, General Buller lost a golden opportunity of attacking them at a most critical moment and of gaining a decisive victory over them.

The rumour that Licut.-Genoral Methueu is to be replaced by tho gallant Macdonald shows th.vt there is the sanio dissatisfaction at the former's want of success as in the case ot Sir Rcdvore Buller, who is no stranger to the looality ho is at present located in, as ho was thero in 1881, and no doubt knows tho country in that part of Natal thoroughly. The arrival of Lord Roberta in South Africa it is hoped will speedily put a new face on things military there, but we hardly see how even so energetic and capablo a commander can extricate the forces under Generals Buller, Mothuen, and Gatacre from their present positions until he has moro mounted men and proper transport facilities available. That he will do all that mortal man can do with the materials within his reach we feel certain, but it is "a forlorn hope" to attack the Boers with foot soldiers, as tho mounted enemy can quickly retire to a place of safety whenever closely pressed, whilst their assailants cannot follow them up except ou foot and at a slow pace. Truly our military authorities have been very slow to learn, whilst the phlegmatic Boer has displayed a wonderful aptitude for war, and adopted tactics which have been amazingly successful against hitherto invincible British regiments, led by men who have had long ospenence and won high distinction by acts of valour and successful generalship.