| Show MAKEUP MAKE UP OF BOER ARMY american officer makes report on what he sa washington juno june 19 the division ot military information ot of the war department part ment is preparing for publication reports report of different officers who have recently had an opportunity to observe military movements and campaigns oce one ot of these Is captain carl of the seventeenth infantry who went from the PhIlipp philippines inee to south africa and tor for seven months observed the operations ot of the boer army on his way to tho the transvaal be he slopped stopped at madagascar lie ile eaid said the french were doubling the garrison ot of that island perhaps in view ot of possible complications with england when he arrived in the transvaal he be met president kruger who asked him it if he had come to soe the fight ot of one against five captain says that the ages ot of the boer soldiers ranged from 18 to 50 that the transvaal army numbered and the orange free state had captain says that the boer burgher Is not a soldier ho has not as a soldier and his fighting methods are the outcome of his environments viron ments and personal character the boers doers are reserved and dignified people and made lew few comments even when they beard of the destruction of 0 their homes and property ly by the british As to the breaches ot of the civilized war with which they are charged he says it Is due to ignorance or accident they are democratic in their character and institutions much of this portion of 0 captain report Is represented by asterisks showing that there have bene eliminations in order that no offense may be given to those he be criticises criticizes upon the whole he found that very good discipline was maintained in the boer army and that the soldiers were equipped with good arms and plenty 0 of ammunition bayonets were used captain says that volunteers played a considerable part in the south african war among the organizations in the boer war was an italian company of seventy five men under captain riccardo who had been with aguinaldo Agul naldo in the philippines ip he ile said there was a body of irish americans who went as a ho hospital a corps but dropped their insignia and took up rifles as soon as they were within the boer lines there was a small company of american scouts under captain hassel II assel these had dwindled I 1 to a few men at the time of the capture of pretoria the foreigners included nearly all nationalities the kaffits cut considerable figure in the army and were subject to military duty for the transvaal |
