The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-12-27
STORM BREWING
GENERAL Sir William Battle,
Warned the British War
Office
Some Time Before IIostilitips
Began Of the Preparedness
Of Beers.
war Office Turned Him Down
and the Public Inquiries
Why.

NEW YORK, Dec. *7.--A dispatch to
1he Herald from London says: It an.
pears that storm is brewing ON the
SUBJECT OF the course of the government
towards General Sir William Butler,
whose conduct at the outset of the war
met with much criticism.
1t is said that General Butler. nre.
vious to the war, sent series of dis.
patches warning the government
against attacking the Beers, giving de.
tails of their condition for war which
have been verified by recent events.
But his dispatches were very distasteful
to the government and were put away
out of sight and General Butler was
harshly criticized.
General Butler, it seems, drew atten.
ton to the manner in which the English
We're misled by the blindness of the in.
telllgence department, which, from
what has taken place, was totally una.
ware OF or purposely misinformed by
the Beers as to their arms and numeri.
Cal strength. 1t is we'll known here
that British agents of the intelligence
department We're sent from time to
time to Hnd out what the Beers were
doing In the way of armament. The
Beers knew all about it, but simulated
nalvette and conducted visitors around
forts which they chose for their own
purposes, where old guns were set up
| and shown with an affectation of pride
by President Kruger's men, who were
cunning enough to inspire strangers by
their plausihility.
Gulled by the Willy Burgher.
Thus the British intelligence depart.
ment received the most minute reports
of the calibre, range and number of the
cannon possessed by the Beers, but
were merely Sulled by the willy burgh-
er. The real guns with which the war
Is conducted, the Cruesots and Krupps
were SO carefully hidden that scarce a
soul outside 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 the
Beers understated their numerical
forces and small arms.
1t is understood that all these things
We're told to the home government by
General Butler, with the result that
Butler waP,alled disloyal and pro-
Boer. and iAbil papers demanded his
degradation.
Ask For the Dispatches.
But since the war began people who
knew the contents Of General Buffers
dispatches have come forward and
asked that they be published. The at.
,ention Of members Of parliament has
been called to the matter and when the
commons are assembled, in six weeks
time demand will be made for the pub.
lica,ion of the dispatches.
If it be asked why General Butler
did not speak out. it must be remem-
bered that he is military man in a
high position and says My lips are
sealed" but the subject is now occupy
ing the club gossips.
one very clever clubman remarked
that the question really amounts to
this: is he traitor or a martyr
Another said: rs General Butler
tile Drcyfus of this war, and has he
been snubbed by the queen? For it
will be remembered that when the
queen visited Bristol, he was with
drawn from the chief command OF the
Western district and it was stated that
he would have been hooted had he APP
pearel. Has he been insulted by the
nress in order to shield the war office
which believed the intelligence depart
ment rather than the chief of the South
African forces"
Some one else said: Remember
Lord Wolseley's recent dispatch, We
have been grossly misinformed as to
the strength and resources OF the Beers.
The public naturally asks Deceived by
whom: