I have a keen recollection of the last Franco-Prussian War.  I remember how the English newspapers ridiculed the French military authorities because, whilst the Germans had accurate maps of every province within the French borders, the French themselves were grossly ignorant of their own territory.  Now we can eat our own sarcasms and enjoy the bitter fruit of our own irony, for, thanks to the Intelligence Department connected with the War Office in Great Britain, we to-day stand precisely in the same position towards our African enemy as France did towards Prussia.  A glance at the country through which I have recently passed shows only too clearly that, whilst Paul Kruger and his advisers knew our full strength to a man, we, on our part, knew nothing about him or the men, money, or ordnance at his command.  We knew nothing of the country which had been patiently fortified by the best skilled military engineers in Europe.  We know nothing of his rocky, well-fortified country, which lies behind that which we have already attacked.  Our generals, instead of being supplied with maps covering every inch of country within the enemy’s borders, have to gather information at the bayonet’s point at a loss to the Empire in men, money, and in prestige.  If our commanders blunder, who is to blame but the criminally negligent officials who have supplied them with false or foolish data to work upon?  The Empire has been betrayed, either wilfully or through crass idleness upon the part of men who have dipped deeply into the Empire’s coffers, and the nation should demand their impeachment, apart from their position, place, or power, and punishment of the most drastic kind should follow speedily in the footsteps of impeachment.

The failure of General Buller to relieve Ladysmith was not due to any want of sagacity on the part of that General.  It was not due to any want of bravery on the part of his troops.  The General is worthy of his rank, and worthy of the confidence of the nation, and his troops are as good as the men who, under the same flag, taught the Russians to respect the power of Britain.  The cause of the failure lay mainly in the want of knowledge on our part concerning the strength of the country the Boers held, and the strength of the country they had to fall back upon when hard pressed.

That information the “Intelligence” Department ought to have been able to place in the hands of General Buller before he moved forward to the relief of the beleaguered garrison in Ladysmith.  But they could not give what they had never possessed.

Right up to the present moment, when the Boers have been forced to meet our troops at close quarters, they have been found to possess no other arms than the rifle.  This has given truth to the belief that the enemy as an attacking force is next door to useless, as no men, no matter how brave and determined, could do very much damage to first-class troops armed with the bayonet.