Evening star., 1900-04-21
CLASH IN AUTHORITY
Rumored Disagreement Between Gen.
erals Roberts and Kitchener.
KING OSCAR VISITS ENGLAND
Spain is Now Fortifying the Canary
Islands.
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP


| LONDON. April 21-This has been a sad
week for the British generals. The brew
ing storm that last week was overhanging
their heads received it's. electric spark
through the publication of Lord Roberts
censures regarding the engagement at
Spion Kop. 1t descended in a merciless
torrent from an unanimous press. At the
present moment General Butler could find
no better way to endear himself to the
hearts of the people than to request his
recall, but one who knows the Natal COM
mander intimately tells the representative
of the Associated Press that he is far too
thick-skinned to take such a step. and will
stick to his post despite all criticisms and
avalanches of adverse public opinion.
Nor is Lord Kitchener spared in the
present outbreak There is a story going
the round of the clubs that the great man
of the Soudan'' has been severely sat upon
by the little man of Afghanistan," and
specific instances of disagreements between
them are quoted. Once, gossip says.
with mysterious references to private let
ters and such inner sources of information
Lord Roberts felt constrained to put Lord
Kitchener in his place.
Il wish you to understand" kandehar
is reported to have said to khartoum. IF
You please. that command this army. You
are my chief of staff. l don't seek your
advice. and 1 shall decide myself on what
is to be done and shall issue my orders ac-
cordingly."
No Documentary Evidence.
No documentary evidence has been OBJ
tanned to prove the truth of this, and it
may be pure invention. but it has already
been printed in London and originated in
much the same way as the first stories
arose regarding the fiascos of Generals
Gatacre Butler and Methuen. which were
only too fully borne out by later official
and detailed accounts.
With regard to Lord Kitchener there is
another story current which insists that
after the Colenso disaster the queen de-
manded that Butler be superseded by the
conqueror of the KhaIifa, and that the
cabinet protested. but compromised by send
ing Lord Roberts as hgurehead. This is
considered rather Improbable: but if true
the cabinet has caught a Tartar in the
shape of Lord Roberts.
1t is marvellous to note the whole heart
edness of the English public trust in this
old general. Not one paper has attached
to his criticism of General Buller-his pre-
decessor in the command-one iota of un-
fairness or Self~intercst. This. perhaps is
explained by the universal recognition of
the fact that the field marshal has little
to gain by this campaign and that he gave
up all to which lorg and brilliant service
entitled him in order to serve his country.
Whatever the outcome of the Boer war
Lord Roberts name would stand in Eng
lands military annals as one of the most
successful and best loved of her comman-
ders. This fact is ever before the public
and they believe their conmander-fn-chief
in South Africa to be miles above any feal-
ousies or rivalries that might actuate other
generals.
King Oscars Visit
The visit of King Oscar of Sweden and
Norway to England, though undertaken IN
cognlto, has attracted surprisingly small
amount of interest. The spectacle of that
monarch-burly, despite his seventy-one
years and standing head and shoulders
above his fellows-pushing his way past
the station barricades to shake hands with
the Swedish workmen who had cheered him
as he entered the London depot, can for
human impulSiveness be scarcely exceeded
in the actions of the most democratic ruler
hlng oscar is no stranger to England He
mas paid frequent visits to this country
and his abilities as historian and writer
upon abstruse subjects have gained for
him honorary degrees from the English
universities. OF all European potentates
he Is probably the most cultured, the tall
est and the most impulsive.
The possibility of trouble between the
United States and Turkey has attracted
passing comment in England, though the
average newspaper reader is much more
interested IN the Croton dam riot. In con-
nection with the former subject the Bir-
mlngham Post is responsible for the state
ment that Turkey has placed several i'm
portant commissions with the Kr1pps to
be completed before the end of the year,
which include better machine guns than
are at present used by any European power
and 10000 Mausers. which Immediately
upon their receipt will be delivered to the
Turkish 1st Army Corps.
Spain FOrtifes the Cnnarfes.
Spain is apparently scared by post-belum
publications showing how many author
ities thought the United States would have
been well advised Immediately to attack
the Canaries, for Premier Silvela's minis
try is now sending to these islands a num-
Der of heavy guns for defensive PURPOSES
One of the most frequent comments heard
IN English naval circles is that America
should have captured the Canaries at the
outbreak Of the Spanish war
The great chalk headIand at Dover
known as Shakespeare Cliff is to be level
ed, in order to give the new rapid-fre bat
teries of that harbor's defenses better
range.
The recently announced death of Thomas
Dudley from bubonic plague at Sydney re-
calls the terrible story in connection with
the loss of the yacht Mignonette of which
he was the master, in 1884, when she
fcundered. Dudley. with two other men
and boy, was adrift for many days In an
open boat. During this time the men kill
ed the boy and tried to eat his body for
which, after their rescue. they We're sem
fenced to death in England. This sentence,
however, was subsequently commuted to
six months imprisonment.