The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-18
WHY GIN. WARREN FAILED
LORD ROBERTS CRITICISES THE
BRITISH ABANDONMENT OF
SPION KOP
THORNYCRoFT WAS IN ERROR
Might Have Saved the Day Had He
Prepared for Defense of the
Position Taken-BuIIer,s
Report.

LONDON, April 1.-THE war office to-
night publishes in the Gazette a dispatch
from Lord Roberts, dated Feb. 10. sub
hitting Gen. Buffers dispatches describ-
ing the Spion Kop and other operations
from Jan. II to Jan. a. Lord Roberts
deals severely with Gen Warren and
some others. Even Gen. Butler does not
escape. Lord Roberts complains that the
pan OF operations is not clearly described
IN the dispatches. After sketching Cen
Buffers intentions, as communicated IN
Sir Charles Warren, who cornmen ded +bo
whole force, Lord Roberts points out that
zen. warren seems to have concluded.
afeer consultation with his officers. that
the Ranking movement ordered by Gen.
Butler was impracticable, and therefore
so changed the plan of advance as to ne
cess1tate the capture and retention of
spion Kop. Lord Roberts continues:
AS Warren considered it impossible to
make the wide thanking movement which
was recommended, if not actually nre-
scrloed' IN the secret instructions. ba
should, forthwith, have acquainted Butler
with the course he proposed to adont
mere is nothing to show whether he did
SO or not. But it is only fair to warra,,
to point out that Butler appears throngb
out to have been aware Of what was
happening"
Regarding the withdrawal from spion
Kop, the retention of which had heconoo
essential to the relief Of Ladysnith
Lord Roberts says:
1 regret to be unable to concur with
in hiY0Iyi TN1...
wise discretion in ordering the troops 10
retire. am of the opinion that Thorny,
croft's assumption of responsibility and
authority was wholly inexcusable. Dur
ing the night the enemy's fire could not
have been formidable, and it would NOT
have taken more than two or three hours
for Thornycroft to communicate by mes
senger with Maj Gen Coke or Warren.
Coke appears to have left Splon Kop at
$3.50 a. M, for the purpose of consulting
with Warren. Up to that hour, the idea
OF withdrawal had not been entertained.
Yet almost Immediately after Coke's de-
parture, Thornycroft issued the order.
without reference to superior authority
which upset the whole plan of operations.
ana rendered unavailing the sacrifices al
ready made to carry it into effect.
On the other hand, it is only right to
state that Thornycroft appears to have
behaved In a very gallant manner
throughout the day. e
WARREN'S ERROR.
1T is to be regretted that Warren did
not himself visit the Spion Kop in the
afternoon or evening. knowing as he did
that the state of affairs was very criti-
cal, and that the loss of the position
would involve the failure OF the opera
tons. He consequently was Obliged to
summon Coke to his headquarters, and the
command at Spion ISop thus devolved on
Thornycroft. unknown to Coke, who was
under the Impression that the command
devolved upon Col. Fill as senior officer.
Omissions or mistakes of this nature NAV
be trif1tng in themselves, yet they may
exercise an important influence over the
course of events sand believe Butler was
justified in remarking: There was A
want Of organization and system, which
acted most unfayorably on the defense
The attempt to relieve Ladysmith was
Weil-devfsed, and 1 agree with Butler in
thinking 1t ought to have succeeded
That it failed may in some measure have
been due to the difficulties of the ground
and the commanding positions held by
the enemy, and probably also to error of
judgment and want of administrative ca
pacity ON the part of Warren. But
whatever faults Warren may have COM
mitted, the failure must also be attributed
to the Discrimination of the officer in SUI
| preme command to assert his authority
| and see what he thought best was done
| and also to the unwarrantable and need
less assumption of responsibility by a
subordinate officer"
The dispatch concludes: ''The crafty.
ing feature of these dispatches is the adj
mirable behavior of the troops through
out The operation"
GEN. BULLER'S REPORT.
Gen. Buffers report commenting on
Gen. Warren's reports OF the capture and
evacuation of Spion I<op after disputine
the correctness of some of Warrens as
! sertions ard describing the dangerous
situation occupied by Warren's forces,
! tells how he saw the force at Spion Kop
| had given away before Warren knew of
| it. Butler therefore te1egraphed to War
/ rem:
| Unless you put real good hard fight
ing man in command of the top you will
! lose the hill. suggest Thornycroft.'
| Gen. Butler continues: 81 have not
1 Chronic NasaV Catarr1, osc