Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-19
THE BEST NEEDED.
Great Britain Will Put Her Strongest
Men In Charge of the War.

Men In Charge of the War.
London, Dee 19.-The war office has
taken advantage of the earliest oppor-
tunity for explaining that the appoint
msnt of Lord Roberts as commander
in-chies is not intended as an indication
of lack of confidence in Gen. Bulier.
Apologies are not needed, since the
crisis in South Africa is too serious for
Consideration OF personal disappoint-
ments.
Gen. Butler cannot conduct the cam
paign in Natal and retain direct super
vision of the operations in Cape Colony
and on the western border.
Cen Forester Walker has been act
ing as Cen. Buller's deputy. although
his own department. that OF communi-
cations, requires his unremitting vigi-
lance, and Gen. Warren can only rep-
resent him temporarily.
| But Lord Roberts. the best soldier In
the army, is needed as commander-in-
| izer. at his right hand. as chief of staff.
and the ministers have put two of the
best men where they ought TO be.
The action of the government meets
with universal approval. Gen. Butler
! has warm friends, who assert that he
ougllt not 10 have been set aside on ac-
Ecount of Col. Longs blunder in taking
/ the guns too near the river.
| But there are two facts which they
! choose to overlook. One is the repulse
lof Buller's army with heavy losses al
a critical stage of the campaign. The
other is the complete paralysis of hi,
larmy corps. which was expected 10
march to Bloemfontein and Pretoria
4 but is now scattered over South Africa
and has failed TO accomplish any def
mite purpose.
There is a general impression that
the war office has been conducted in
the interest of what is known as tbs
''Wolseley gang" and that it needed q
good shaking up. Certainly the selec-
l3tion of Lord Wolseleys rival, Lore
i Roberts the best Of all the Indiar
4 fighters. is a rebuke to the headquar-
i ters favorites. who have been manag-
ling the campaign and making sefiou.
+ mistakes
Sir John Addagh. head of the intelli
gence department., may have. furnished
an accurate list of the Boer artillery
available for war but the staff. in tina
ease. had acted strangely in sending in
ferior guns to the seat of war whei
there We're howitzer batteries within
reach.
The shipment of the army corps an,
all the details of the transport on shor
may have been Well managed, but i
|remains true that the staff did no
adapt itself to the precise requirement
of the campaign with mounted infan
try, remarkable for mobility. and thai
the cavalry arm was neglected.
The new program of the war offic
calls for long-range artillery and al
unusual proportion OF mounted troops
The shaking-up process has alread
been useful. 1t is not necessary 70
: Lord Wolseley's indiscreet friends t
explain under their breath that tn
Lqueen has been suspicious of him sine
his refusal TO so to Canada as viceroA
and that Lord Roberts has been sen
to Cape Town to provide the duke G
Connaught with a high command i
E Ireland.
/ The best soldier is needed for a
| emergency of supreme Importance, an
i the queens ministers have summone
e him. heart broken though he is frol
. the loss of his only son.