The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, DECEMBER 30. 1901.

Waikato Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1135, 30 December 1901, Page 2

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY, DECEMBER 30. 1901.

Amidst all the rejoicing incidental to the season, there has, no doubt, been the damping fact present that the war in South Africa is still dragging its weary length along. If we analyse facts we shall find that there is not any very great reason for the disgust which is generally felt. This feeling is greatly due to the majority of - people having jumped at the conclusion, based purely upon surmise, that the war would end in a given time, many months before the present date. The people have not yet grasped the fact that the war is unique of its kind. It entails the subjugation of a white race characterised for centuries by a dogged perseverance akin to unreasoning obstinacy, determined to fight so long as a man or a round of ammunition remained. A correspondent,, writing from Pretoria, says : 1 Nothing belter illustrates the difference between the present campaign and a European war than the small effect that the losses of the Boers have on their capacity for doing mischief. Owing to the vast extent of the country, the tactics and dispersed condition of the enemy, a commando of 250 requires as many troops to look after it as a commando of 350, and when reduced to 150 it Still seems capable of causing us D;e same amount of annoyance.’ The temper of the Boers has shown that, the war is not ty be brought lo an end by a coicj), however brilliant, even if one were possible.

That the British Government has asked for more assistance from the colonies must nob be looked upon ns an admission that the force at present in the field is not capable of concluding the war; but many of these troops are stale, heavy marching and hardships having damped the ardour of the men and crippled the capacity of their horses. Again, the , training of colonials necessarily makes them more apt guerilla soldiers than is possible for men born and reared in a denselypopulated country. A correspondent of the London Times, writing on the number of troops at Lord Kitchener’s disposal, says: ‘ I have every reason to know that Lord Kitchener is satisfied with the number of w troops he now has. With more men he could shorten the campaign, but he would not be able to secure an immediate coup, to which, in his opinion, lie would commit himself by, asking for more troops, hut merely to keep up the number at present in the field, and to be prepared to keep up that number indefinitely and always of an efficiency unimpaired by long uninterrupted service.’ The difficulty in settling the present war emphasises in the most cogent manner that it fluist nob end until the Boers are absolutely crushed. Powerful and wealthy as is the British Empire* her statesmen cannot afford tq risk a recur rence of a war which has cost an enormous sum of money, the loss of thousand, i? Jkr worse feature still, has weakened her foreign policy, a fact of which other nations-in China and elsewhere have hot faded to avail themselves.