Sin,—I was in Rome during the winter of 1899-1900. In
the house in which I was staying was the son of a Bavarian General who had borne an honourable and distinguished part in the Franco-German War, who informed me that his father considered the English army had done as well as any army could have done under the cireumstances. And yet English- men seem to delight in abusing the conduct of the campaign, because, I suppose, we did not subdue the Boers in a few weeks ; and even the Spectator appears to consider the story of the Boer War does not redound to our credit. I should have expected the Spectator to know that the half-armed Camisards kept the trained French army at bay; so did the Tyrolese riflemen under Andreas Hofer; so, again, did the Vendeen peasants ; and that there is nothing wonderful in the mounted Boer, knowing his ground and used to depend on his rifle, gaining some advantages over our army. But when did the British army fly from the field in confusion ? Not once. We were repulsed, but never defeated decisively. For people who read no history to speak of the campaign against the Boers as disgraceful on our part there is some excuse, but one expects the Spectator to remember that the British Lion was never absolutely invincible. lam old enough to remember the Maori War, when a British regiment actually
ran away I—I am, Sir, &c., RICHARD F. jIIPP. 15 Clifton Avenue, West Hartlepool.
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