They were
officered and manned almost entirely by members of the various colonial
volunteer forces, and thus possessed the advantage of a certain amount
of initial training which was destined to stand them in good stead in
the field. It should never be forgotten that their success was mainly
due to the persistent effort of those officers, whether Imperial or
colonial, who during the past twenty years had given their services to
the development and organization of the colonial forces. It was the
existence of these forces that kept up the military spirit in the
colonies.
Small as was the force contributed by the Empire (nearly 80,000 men) it
was none the less a material assistance, whose value can hardly be
overrated. It practically doubled the mounted force, and thus made
possible those sweeping movements by which Lord Roberts reached
Pretoria. Above all, it gave the Imperial Government a moral support
which enabled it to face with equanimity the almost universal hostility
of the European powers or the fanatical outcries of a few
anti-Imperialist partisans at home.
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