Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-04
Intense Interest In Trans
yaal Situation.
BY ALL CLASSES
In Some Quarters White Is Blamed
While in Others the War Office
Comes in For Censure-WOrk on
the Naval S%quadronS.

London. Nov. 4.-(Copyrighted, 1899. by
the Associated Press. ALMOST the only
subject of discussion this week in Eng
land was the disastrous reverse suffered
by General Sir George Stewart White,
the British commander at L.adysmith, and
this was made the occasion for pouring
out torrents of criticism and advice. Pub
lie opinion seems fairly divided, one sec
ton bitterly blaming the general COM
handing and the other maintaining he
probably is not so much at fault as he
made himself out. The latter section,
which includes many service men and
nearly all the service publications. urges
the withholding of definite criticism pend
ing more detailed accounts The Naval
and Military Record. after expressing this
sentiment, sums up the situation as fol-
lows:
'tOnside.in the nature of the country,
the lamentable unpreparedness of Eng
land and the unwillingness Of the opposi-
ton to allow a British regiment to go to
South Africa until Presidents Kruger's
ultimatum was received, it is almost sur
prising that we have been able to hold
our own SO far. Not only have the Beers
themselves proved determined fighters
and splendid sh~arpshooters, as we knew
them to be. but they nave developed sur
prlslng military and strategic qualities.
Ihey have nearly s~urrounded every gar
rison we hold. and have invariably occu-
pied almost unassailable positions, fight
ing with great courage. Against such
lighters our little force, left isolated far
from our base and without hope for re-
lief for days to come. has not only done
splendid work but has gained successes
which We venture to believe no other SOL
diers in the world. placed in similar posi-
tons and in similar unfortunate condi-
tons, could have achieved
Although this may fairly be said to rep
resent conservative military opinion. it's
to the action of the opposition
as preventing the sending of troops in
good time is entirely erroneous. Since the
!!fSt news Of the Ladysmith disaster
reached england there has been a storm
gathering over the head not of Sir George
" hlte, blu of the secretary of state for
war, the Marquis of L~ansdowne, and this
e~hlanates not so much from the oppon-
ents of the government as from it's warm
est supporters. Some Of the ablest of the
latter have said privately that almost
crimina neglect has been shown in not
sending at least 10, 900 more troops before
Or by Oct. 4, and that if Lord Lansdowne's
hands were tied by higher powers he
ought to exculpate himself beyond a
shadow of suspicion. The failure to send
troops enough cannot be charged to
the opposition for parliament was not
then sitting. If there were any intention
to hold Natal at all costs an ADEQUATE
force should be sent out by Oct. 4, when
the excuse that such reinforcements
might be taken by the Beers as a menace
no longer held good as the Indian troops
We're already on the way.
Hearing these criticisms in u~nexpected
quarters, the correspondent of the Assoc
ciated Press repeated them to a high gov
eminent official. While non-commita re-
garding the failure to send REINFORCE
ments earlier, this official declared that
the broad lines of policy affecting Natal
had been much misunderstood.
are often asked" said he, why
we sent Sir George Stewart White up the
neck of the Natal unless we were sura
ne could hold it. Considering the tremen-
douS reinforceinents now on the way to
him its occurs to almost everybody at
hrst sight that we ought to have retired
without risking engagements but it is
forgotten what would happen in Natal
unless we made a vigorous stand there.
Natal has risked her little all on behalf of
the empire and the least we can do is to
risk something ourselves and to prevent
the o~Nerfunllng of her prosperous towns
and rich fields by hordes of the enemy.
Purely military considerations I admit.
might point to the fact that we ought i'm
mediately to have Withdrawn from such
advanced positions, but purely military
considerations have sometimes to be sub
ordinated to the interests of the emnire
and. although many good lives have been
lost in the cause, they have not been
wasted
Deserters from both the army and navy
continue to give themselves up in order
to be returned to their regiments and
ships for active service. Several small
attachments of county yeomanry are go
ing out independent of the war office to
the seat of war, on the chance of joining
the light horse. Lord Lorsdale and Lord
Harris. both yeomanry officers, are aid
ing the movement. The heavy losses
among the British officers in Natal have
led the Military Journal to suggest that
the sword be abolished not only on ac-
count OF its u~selessness, but also because
It's glitter attracts the aim of an enemy
and indicates the officer.
Her majesty, it is reported. has person
ally conveyed to Field Marshal Lord
Woiseley. an expression of her gratili-
cation at the manner in which the whole
military machine has worked since il was
first set in motion by the Boer uitinatum.
especially in the matter of mobilization
Apparently the queen has not forgotten
the existence Of the comuander-in-chief
"a lapse OF memory to which the public