| Show t Oll R WAll A BLESS i NG N Ir mSGmS TO V Jm UUlmll 11 Spirit of f the Days of ClothYard Shafts and Bows of English i Eng-lish Yew Now Inspires the I Subjects I of the Queen Mobile Mounted Infantry and CrackShot Cavalrymen Cavalry-men are All the Demand Now i London Feb 2tWe have sent the loyal Londoners who pined for a chance ito i-to show their patriotism off to the Capo with the strains of Rule Britannia rinsing in their ears we have cheered the dupurllng Yeomanry and wished them safeback on their farms and estates es-tates and now we are preparing to go iI into ecstasies of enthusiasm over the return to the colors of the old soldiers and nilleeia who are resppmlmg < < to the invitation of the Queen to her subjects whoarc versed In the art of war to rally ral-ly 1 to the defense of he threatened empire em-pire Exactly how the empire is seri ously threatened it is hard to say Apart I from the meaningless utterances of a parliamentarian who is famouo for his brilliant bu aks thC Is no danger In sight on I he continent that might not have been equally as Imminent I at anytime any-time during the past dozen years as It is now But the truth t Is England has the patriotic pa-triotic fever and It pleases the people to imagine that the bulwarks of the cmphv arc in immediate danger of being be-ing demolished and therefore It he hooves < < all ablebodied men to talk war devote their I leisure time to learning how to shoot and at odd moments to expatiate on the alleged fact that England I Eng-land Is going to the dogs at racehorse pace and thut only a complete revolutionizing revolu-tionizing of existing conditions in ofll cial circles will prevent a national ca lastroDhc It IK all for the best The cobwebs will be swept from tho British War otlice soporific influences will be dispelled the nation will forget Its shopkeeplmy for a time and the spirit that Inspired the men of the days of clothyard shafts and bows of English yew to devote de-vote a part of their lime to target practice prac-tice will piompt the formation of rifle associations and the expenditure of generous sums In systematically training train-ing the young men of the British empire em-pire to become crack rifle shots I Doubtless the world at large is learning learn-ing valuable lessons from this surprising surpris-ing war The lesson thai the British are learning may be summed up In this sentence Less plpeclay and bettor shooting The style of fighting has already al-ready greatly changed since Tennyson wrote Form form riflemen form From the days of the American Civil war onward the value of a regiment that combined the mobility of cavalry with the fighting force of Infantry has been increasing obviously with each campaign but the British owe their complete conversion In I this t matter to the Moors l who have bullied the ablest commandoi by their appaiant capacity for being In two l places at once So far l tho most effective and practical work has been done by forces of colonial volunteers vol-unteers utterly deficient in the drill I of the barrack square but accustomed nil I i I r 4 1 h J I e J 5 5 I L ii ii 3l11 t F I I l I a f t pt j ca r r 14 7 rV L d 7M11 4 i11qLL Ij1t i 1J I ll ri Men of the Sixth Dragoon Guards loading belts for the machine guns before a rcconnoissance These guns havo proved their practical value in bringing out the strength of tho enemys concealed forces although their unprotected crows have suffered heavily I i I1y 4 c V g tr Ii A JSMiaKla srsKVTIs M I Jy1 vjf 4 fr L abJ 4 if i 41t13 < 141c i7t7T9 1fT i e4 I 5 4i i4 4 JtcW uJ 1 1 T 4 7 A r dU j A well placed English shell in action at the Modder river exploded directly di-rectly over one of tho enemys machine guns The result was awful or the whole guns crew there was sarccly one survivor The gun was also put out of action effectually for the time being I their lives to rldr a horse and handle a I rifle The British have In short hud to learn to nnct the Boors in their on I way and with their own tactics with bodies of men who cannot merely tight I as British Infant always I have fought but who can scout for miles ahead and lay trap for trap who can be rapidly moved from place to place in a manner impossible for infantry and who can hen the time comes flip trenches and I I orcupy them and Carry positions with the bayonet when the moment arrives for delivering the llnal assault Vc vouldsT6fier scon rdKlmnl of hifVin ry Chan one of those fellows said a Boer prisoner aflet a recent engagement engage-ment in speaking = of the Colonial acoutB It Is I enough to make the stock and pipeclay martinets of a couple of generations gen-erations aco turn in their graves to hear of men being sent out to fight f In Norfolk jackets and felt hats and providing pro-viding their own horses l clothes and saddles strict uniformity i and pattern I pat-tern not being insisted upon Good I characters good shots and good riders wre called for and the War office got just the material wanted In the I Yeomanry Yeo-manry Just sent to the Cape The natural nat-ural question arises If these are thi hind of men wanted why were they not thought of befArc and herein lies till permanent lesson of the war The I British homo authorities have undoubtedly undoubt-edly blundered grievously they have miscalculated everything tho numbers the armament and the lighting capacity of the enemy and as a necessary consequence con-sequence the amount and the quality = of the strength that it I t would be ncces sarv to nut forth to crush resistance As i ll > gal < 1s homing and manning I and I aiming I the British have admittedly the finest artillery In the world and It Is a scandal I thai such inen should l be sent > out only to fInd themselves outiangod I by i = the Boer puns at every serious engagement en-gagement Tills i point however is so I evident that it will doubtless be seen to at once V here the real and complete reorganization of the whole army not I for this war merely but for the future and everywhere Is to bo looked for is i In the matterof mounted infantry The 4 vtir j I M EE > s i s t k M N 1Wd3I KffltawwBit iu I n Ui q ii I 4 2 1 I i I 1 I I f l Ill tItit I I t Ij I 442 Lc j r I i 1y 1JT Vhilo his mistress tells 6f the sufferings of the men at the front he sits up at attention When defeat is mentioned a whine of sympathy comes from the fourfooted friend of Tommy Atkins At the word victory shrill barks of joy tell that the war Is over and the Boers dispersed He carries no cup nor tambourine but it is snfo to say that as a beggar he is an unqualified success gathering many pennies for tho benefit of relief work Boers have taught the British and the Var ofllcc by the new regulations fur the Imperial Yeomanry has admitlod that to shoot and to ride and to be able to use ones eyes and brainy in the open I country are things of more value than line uniforms and castiron drill Yours HKO the daring innovators iiifllslod that and army of wellmounted infqntry with the necessady artillery could de I lent and demoralize double their num bev of men mainly on foot who > e slow Hoffs of movement set the time for the whole army The Boer war has proved It Alobllily and eflfecilve scouting will r1 the future bf the prime requirements < if j nn army In the field and these it Is cainied ale what will be found In a high degree In the Imperial Yeomanry who art now on their way to South Af rua I I 1 d p I 4 J T i r r J h p i I p Many of the English correspondents at tho front have charged the Boers with acts of cruelty and treachery that one would not expect in a foa professing civilization One instance in particular given An Englishman English-man a member of a hospital cops went to tha aid of a wounded Boer who asked for a drink Finding his canteen empty the Enl En-l glishman turned to call a comrado when the Boer drew a revolver and shot him dead 2 I C 4 t p 7 N e I ej h I i 4 c z e 3 U ft ir K = = ii = S Ws lUSirPMSiS Zatr r cw7TP < C = I Ii imw M IiI I KV < UA 1IZ 1 iiR IZ tt 4 d r Swiftdarting torpedo boats are today continually patrolling the harbors and coast of Africa Iceeplug a sharp outlook for suspicious craftrind e possible Boer filibustering cxpcdi tions or vessels that may contain contraband of war Here is one of the big fleet of little watchmen who 1 serve the part of Great Britain cyc fc V v a fT l t 10 v 1 b |
