It was the result of a method of warfare which was imposed upon England by circumstances, but for which no individual Minister or General was solely responsible.

The matter was brought about by successive steps that turned out to be necessary, though they were deplorable in every respect.

Failing the capture of the Boer commandoes, which was well-nigh impossible, the British troops were driven to strip the country, and stripping the country meant depriving not only the fighting men but also the women and children of the means of subsistence.

Concentration, therefore, followed inevitably, and England found itself burdened with the immense responsibility of feeding, housing and clothing some sixty thousand women and children.
In spite of the British officers in charge of the Concentration Camps struggling manfully with this crushing burden of anxiety, and doing all that lay within their power to alleviate the sufferings of this multitude, cruel and painful things happened.

The food, which was sufficient and wholesome for soldiers, could not do for young people, and yet it was impossible to procure any other for them.