The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-26
MARKING TIME.


the subject of the course of the gov
eminent toward General Sir William
Butler. whose conduct q the outset of
the war met with m:1ck criticism.
1t is said that General Butler, pre-
ViOus to the war, sent a. series of dis
patches. warning the government
against attacking the Beers, giving de-
tails of their preparation for war which
have been verified by recent events.
But his dispatches were very dtstaste-
full to the government and were put
away out of sight, and General Butler
was harshly criticized.
General Butler, it seems, drew atten-
tion to the way in which the English
were misled by the blindness of the in
telligenCe department, which from what
has taken place, was totally unaware of.
or purpOsely misinfOrmed by the Beers
as to their arms and numerical
strength.
1t is well known here that British
agents of the intelligence depa rtment
We're sent from time to time to find out
what the OBers We're doing in the way
of armament The Beers knew all about
IT. but simulated uaivete, and conducted
the visitors round forts which they
chose for their own purposes, where old
guns were set up and shown with an
affectation Of pride by President Kru-
gers men, who were cunning enough to
inspire strangers by their plauSibiIitV.
Thus the British intelligence depart
ment received the most minute reports
of the calibre, range and number of the
were merely gulIed by the willy burgher
The real guns. with which the war is
conducted. the CreusOts and Krupps,
were so carefully hidden that scarce a,
soul outside of the immediate circle of
the government knew of them
The English government sent out
guns equal in calibre to what the agents
had been allowed to see
In the same view it is thought that
the Beers understated their numerical
forces and small arms.
1t is understood that all these things
were told to the home government by
Gen. Butler, with the result that But
Ter was called disIOyal and pro-Boer
and rabid papers demanded his de-
graduation
But since the war began people who
know the contents of Gen. Buffers dis
patches have come forward and asked
that they be published. The attention
OF members of parliament has been
called to the matter and when the com
mons are assembled in six weeks time
demands viii be made for the publica-
ton of the dispatches
If it be asked why Gen. Butler did not
speak out, it must be remembered that
ne IS q military man in high position
and says, My lips are sealed" but the
subject is now occupying the club gOs-
sips.
one very clever club man remarked
lIiaI the question really amounts to
this; Is he a traitor or a martyr2''
Another said; Is Gen. Butler the
Dreyfus of this war. and has he been
snubbed by the queen? For it will be
remembered that when the queen visi-
ted Bristol he was Withdrawn from the
chief command of the western district
ana II was stated that he would have
been hooted had he appeared. Has ne
peen lnsulted by the press in order to
shield the war Cfffce which believed the
intelligence department rather than the
chief of the South African fOrces?''
someone else said: Remember Lord
Wolseley's recent speech, we have been
grossly misinfOrmed as to the strength
and resources of the Beers The public
naturally asks, deceived by whOm?' "