New-York tribune., 1900-04-18
ROBERTS BLAIHES LEADERS.
CENSURE OF BRITISH OFFICERS FOR
THE FAILURE or OPERATIONS
AT SPION KOP.

London. April 1.-THE War Office tonight |
publishes in The Gazette a dispatch from Lord |
Roberts, dated February 13, submitting General
Buffers dispatches describing the Spon Kop and
other operations from January Il to January "a |
Lord Roberts deals severely with General War
ren and some others. Even General Butler does |
not escape. Lord Roberts complains that the |
plan of operations is clearly described in the
dispatches. After sketching General Buffers in |
tentions. communicated to Sir Charles War !
rem, who commanded the whole force Lord Rob |
erts points out that General Warren seems to
have concluded. after consultation With his Off
GERS. that the fanktng movement ordered by !
General Butler was inpractcabIe and therefore |
so changed the plan of advance as TO make
necessary the capture and retention of Spion
Kop. Lord Roberts continues:
AS Warren considered it impossible to make
the wide thanking movement which was recon-
mended, if not actually prescribed in the secret
instructions, he should forthwith have ac-
quainted Butler with the course he proposed TO
adopt There is nothing to show whether he did
that Butler appears throughout to have
been aware Of what was happening.
CENsURE OF THORNEYCROFT.
Regarding the withdrawal from spion Kop, the
retention OF which had become essential TO the
relief Of Ladysmith, Lord Roberts says:
regret to be unable to concur with Butler in
thinking ThOrn6ycrOft
in ordering the troops TO retire. 1 am Of the
opinion that Thorneycrofts assumption OF re-
spOnsibility and authority was wholly lneXcusa-
BILE. During the night the enemy's fire could not
have been formidable. and ii would not have
| taken more than two three hours for Thorney-
croft TO communicate by messenger with Major
General Coke Warren. Coke appears TO have
left Spion kop at $50 p 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 departure
Thorneycroft issued the order, without reference
/ to superior authority, which upset the whole
/ plan Of operations and rendered unaVallng the
sacrifices already made to carry it into effect
on the other hand 1t is only right g 10 SIa'e "a
! that ThorneyCrOft appears TO have behaved IN
! very gallant manner throughout the day
! It is to be regretted that Warren did not him
self visit SpiOn KOp in the afternoon or evening
! knowing he did that the state or aT1alrs was
! very critical and that the loss OF the position
would involve the failure of the operations. lie
| consequently obliged TO summon Coke TO
! his Headquarters, and the command at Splon
/ Kon rbuc devo1ved on Thornevcroft unknown TO
! Coke. who under the impression that the
! command devoved upon Colonel Hill as senior
| officer. Omissions or mistakes of this nature
may be trivial in themselves. yet they may eXer-
! else an important influence on the course OF
/ events and I believe Butler was justified in re-
! marking. There was a want OF organization and
/ system which acted most unfavoraply on the de-
/ fence"
CAUSES OF THE FAILURE.
The attempt 70 relieve Ladysmfth was we'll de-
vtsed, and I agree with Butler in thinking II
! ought to have succeeded. That IL failed may IN
! some measure have been due 10 the difficulties
! of the ground and the commanding positions
! held by the enemy. and probably also TO errors
| of Judgment and want Of administrative capacity
/ the part OF Warren But, whatever raults
/ warren NAV have committed the failure
! also be attributed to the Discrimination or the
| officer in supreme command to assert his author
! ity and see that what he thought best was done
| and also TO the unWarrantable and needless
assumption of responsibility by a subordinate
| officer.
The dispatch concludes:
The gratifying feature of these dispatches is
the admirable behavior of the troops throughout
the operation
GENERAL BULLER'S REPORT.
General Buffers report. commenting Cen
| eral Warren's reports of the capture and evacua-
| ton of Spion Kop after disputing the correct
ness Of some of Warren's assertions and describ-
ing the dangerous situation occupied by War
ren's force tells how he saw the force at Spion
! Kop had given way before Warren knew Of II.
Butler therefore teegraphed 10 Warren;
Unless you put a really good, hard lighting
man in command top you will lose the hill
I suggest Thorneycroft
General Butler continues:
I have not thought It necessary to order an
Investigation. If at sundOWn the defence Of the
summit had been taken in hand, intrenchments
laid out and the dead and wounded removed the
/ whole place would have been brought under reg
ular military commands and the hills would
have been held am sure But no arrangements
We're made Coke appears TO have been ordered
! one succeeded him. Those top were in ig-
norance of the fact that the guns were coming
up and generally. there was a want of organi-
zation and system that acted most unfavorably
on the defence. II is admitted that all Of Thor
| neycrOfts command acted with the greatest
gaanrry throughout the day and really saved
the situation, but preparations for the second
days defence should have been organized during
/ the day and commenced at nightfan. AS this
was not done I think ThOrneycrCft exercised
wise discretion.
THE RETREAT FROM SPION KOP.
General Warren sets forth the fact that the
Spion Kop operations had entered into his
original plans as his instructions to oC-
cupy a plain north of il. On consultation with
the commander in chief on January 21 how
ever when the question Of retiring from at
tacking Spion Kop discussed, Warren ex-
l pressed his preference for attacking. This was
successfully accomplished by General Woodgate
Then came the order Of the commander in chief
to put Thorneycroft in command on the summit
In the mean time Warren had sent General
1 Coke m to reinforce him. with orders TO as
sumo command. Intellectual efforts were made
3 to heli5graph Thorneycroft and ask whether he
had assumed command. Toward sunset he was
, finally enabled to get orders through, and con
I cluded the position could be held the next day
/ if guns could be provided and shelter obtained
- Both thDse conditions about to be fulfilled
when IN the absence Of Coke whom 1 haC