The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-09
SIR WILLIAM BUTLER DE-
TENDED.
lie Tried 20 stave off the War for which
England Was Unpreparcd.
(From the Westminster Gazette.

4ub hA4nttuE etAatckAhs Nv tao ottbo-
and for the once the clubs seem to be
peopied exclusively by amateur strate-
yists-say roundly, from their posts on
the hearthrug. that " Butler" (they never
allow the unfortunate ger tleman any
title or prefix TO his nanis) II TO blame
for this, that, and this other; for the In
accurate counting OF the Boer guns. for
tho underestimate which was formed Of
the forces which the enemy could put
into the Geld, for the numerical weak ness
Of our al my 10 South Africa at the out
break Of hostilisies and for thousand
other things besides. Sir William
Buffers sole offence lies in the fact that
he failed to estimate rightly the pugnacity
Of the cabinet, and, further, that he,
more clearly than any other man, forssn y
the magnitude Of the struggle In which
We were engaging with so light heart.
and the strain which would be put upon
our national resources before we could
hope to bring 1t to successful Issue.
Up to his departure for Europe Sir
Alfred Miner had refrained from adopt
ing any strong line Of policy IN regards
the Trsnsvaal and the grievances Of the
Uitlanders. Sir William Butler, to whom
no denfiits instructions were given, was
left to fill Sir Alfred Miners place, and
he proceeded to do what In nine cases
out Of ten would have been the thing
most earnestly desired by the Govern
ment which he was serving. That Is to
say, he did all in his power to keep things
quiet, and to avoid what in common
pariance We term Grow" Every one
who has served In outlying portions OF
the Empire Is aware that this Is the line
which most generally oommends itself to
any blame attaches TO Sir william Butler
In this matter, 1t is that he was some.
what more outspoksn In the oaufe Of
peace, somewhat more definitely opposed
to maanifyiLg grievances, than mere
rettcent man would have been. Sir
William Butler on all the Questions at
which we have glanced were widely op-
posed, and In the end he made represen-
tations upon the subject to the Colonial
Office. The cogs Of the machine clut shed
one another, and the War Office was set
In motion So nething resembling rep
rimand was addressed to Sir Villa N
Dutler, who at once acted In the ger erous
and unseliieh manner which was TO be
expected from him. He pointed out that
he had done what he believed to be the
thing most desired by the Imperial Gov
eminent; that he had every right TO be-
l,evs that he would be supported In sucn
action, both on account OF all that had
gone before, and from the absence Of any
deflu Ito Instructions as to the line which
IL WAS desired that he should take; and
he wound up by Offering to resign his
| command II his presence In South Africa
| In any way hampered the Executive. As
"a ivn - In rwn , %
| by the War Office, though as u prcof that
his action had not been OF kind i1caps-
| bic of defence he was promptly gaz itte1
to a command which Is techni ally super
Tor to that from which he was removed.
| This move had also the effect of prevent
| ing Sir William Butler from uttering q
word In explanation Or defence OF the
conduct which. during the last few
| months, has been made the object OF so
much thoughtless abuse.
But before he left the Cape Sir william
| Butler gave some advice which, IL icl
lowed, might We II have al ssred the who 10
| course Of the present campai On. Nate
must be aband oned go far as Its norts g IN
|diatricts were concerned. ha said. A
| foroa of some twenty thousaT men mus
1 10 placed to guard the line of the TuRala,
and an army Of not less than hundi ed
thousand more must tie employed In the
advance on Blosmfonteia through Cape
l
regarded as ridtcrlouilr large. The ex-
periences OF the past few weeks show only
| too lairly how accurately SIR Will am
| Butler gauged tho seriousness of the sit
uation with which the Government was
| confronted, The shortcomings Ct
the loosl INTEL gence Department must
he attributed to the neg sot OF his pre-, g.
cegsors rather than to any failure urcn
his part. When III Is known 10 will lie
found that re estimated the task teioi q
Us with surs accuracy In which orr
other military authorities have he' u
sadly lscking; that the l,ss Of his adv ce
and lonel knowledge at IA critical mon ent
is prize paid for prejudice whioh Ii
positively incaloplatls; ana that ttt
| ssnsel ,ss outcry raise against him by q Z
press, which renders 10 pIaot'c4lly i'm
| possitls for Weakened department. 10
send him back to plios whore tie wat 6
OF really scientific gsrersl Is maxi 8
Itself 40 wofully fell Ia robri1R the
country OF one Of its test weaponf.
Eng land IL rightly proud OF hsr SCI iiers
In South Africa, but this actions Of hsi
| gene -als have not hitherto been Of char
| scter to IN AXE her throb with enthusiasm.
| We are waiting breathlssily to see whsl
| Sir Red vers BIZ llsr can do; Sir ChaIlss
Warren, In WHOM many Of those who
know centre their best hopes, only landed
In Cape Town . day or two ago.. Ell
| william Butlsr, who knows tie tricks Of
the diffiouli game batter, perhaps. than
either. Is eating his heart out 10 Enehrd
| scorned, abused and slandsred teaauss
he forssaw more Clearly than his fellows
the horrors of the present, and strove e
J avert what he believed TO he natioEa
| calamity.