Excerpt from Mr. Chamberlain's Defence of the British Troops in South Africa Against the Foreign SlandersI go on to a complaint which perhaps is more serious, that we, the Government, have not pressed forward this war with sufficient vigour. I do not think I have ever been afraid of admitting an error that has been committed. But before I can deal with this charge, let me know against whom it is directed. Is it directed against the Government, the civilian administration, or is it directed against our military advisers? If it is directed against the Government in its civilian capacity, then all I can say is that I hope no Government will ever be found in this country that will take the details of military operations out of the hands of the military authorities (cheers). We are responsible for their selection. We are responsible so long as we continue to employ them, and if it were charged against us that we had ignored their advice, that we had failed to give them the assistance and the confidence which they desired, I should say it was a serious charge (hear, hear). But it is a charge which could not be truly made. You have heard from many speakers before me, and it is the fact that we have given everything that has been asked for in the way of troops, of supplies, of reinforcements. But there is another charge which does undoubtedly affect the Government - it is that we have been too lenient towards our opponents (hear, hear). It is that we have not dealt with the rebels or with the guerrilla bands with sufficient severity. That is our responsibility, that is the policy of the Government which is questioned. There is no question which has given us greater anxiety, more serious consideration.I think that the time has come - is coming - when measures Of greater severity may be necessary (hear, hear, and cheers), and if that time comes we can find precedents for anything that we may do in the action of those nations who now criticise our barbarity and cruelty, but whose example in Poland, in the Caucasus, in Algeria, in Tonquin, in Bosnia, in the franco-german War we have never even approached (applause).About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.