Show BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN AFRICA IS CRITICiSm CRITICISED Work of of Portuguese se Colonials Cob Colo- nials Also Is Rapped by Correspondence of the Associated Press LONDON Feb According to Information information In- In formation received here here from Capetown Capetown Cape Cape- I town a a. demand has sprung up there for a searching investIgation into the I manner In which the British campaign was con conducted in East and Central Africa after General Smuts had relinquished re- re command to come to En- En gland When 1 he left lett it was believed that the campaign had been virtually concluded Owen Letcher formerly an officer ill ht the East Af African ican expeditionary forte forcE reviews the campaign in a series series se- se ries of articles in the Cape Times and strongly advocates a commission of Inquiry Belief prevails in Capetown I It is said that the sport of yachting I at Salaam Dar and elephant huntIng hunting hunt hunt- ing In 1 the Interior were largely responsible responsible re- re for the prolongation of the lie fighting The campaign is said to have ex- ex ce ded the cost of the Boer war amounting to about To the casualties which were heavy In killed and wounded must be added I man many men mf who will suffer from fever for the rest of their lives The work of the Portuguese colonial I forces is also the huge headquarters staffs taffs maintained by the British hundreds of miles from the scenes ot of actual fighting Discussing the Portuguese Letcher writes In common justice to our forces It must be set on record that n t only did the Portuguese colonial army put up poor defense against the marauding Germans but that their I presence was a very substantial advantage ad- ad vantage to Von Lettow German commander corn com mander inasmuch as they frequently frequent frequent- frequent I ly embarrassed our movements and surrendered to the enemy guns rifles machine guns and supplies of which the Germans were badly in need The engagement of about thirty miles from which was fought In the beginning of July 1918 was a particularly disastrous disastrous trous event for us since after the Portuguese Portuguese Por- Por had lost two guns with a lot lotof lotof of other equipment and the native troops despite the efforts of their officers officers of- of had broken in disorder the enemy attacked Major Gore Brownes Browne's King African Rifles detachment and largely through the employment of the two captured guns Inflicted a severe I t to us |