Of the military situation as a whole we may fairly
say that it has a little improved. No doubt there are still many ugly fea- tures. Our force3 are scattered up and down South Africa in a most unfortunate confusion. We have no one army of greater strength than that of the Boers confronting it. We have no proper supply of t.-kneport or of mounted troops anywhere, and our guns are not as good as those of the Boers. We have a large force at Ladysmith closely invested, and two towns, Mafeking and Kimberley, undergoing sieges. Against this, however, must be placed the fact that the Boers seem quite incapable of following up a victory, and that they do not dare to attack even a retreat- ing force. They cling to their entrenchments at moments when a forward movement might mean the most serious risks for us. In fact, they give us time, and time is in our favour, and will allow us to correct all our blunders, and to endow our armies with the cohesion and the striking power they need.
