The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-18
Commander 10 Chief Of the British Forces
Criticises His officers.
HE POINTS OUT BlUNOFRs OF EACH
of the Commanders Lacked Judg-
ment-BulIer Under the han.

scribing the Spionkop and other opera
lions from January II to January "a.
Lord Roberts deals severely with Gen
eral Warren and some others. Even Gen
eral Butler does not escape. Lord Rob-
erts complains that the plan OF operations
Is not clearly described In the dispatches.
After sketcbing General Buffers intentions
as communicated to Sir Charles Warren.
who commanded the whole force. Lord
Roberts points out that General Warren
seems to have concluded, after consulta-
tion with his officers, that the flanking
movement ordered by General Butler was
impractlcable, and, therefore SO changed
the plan OF advance as TO necessitate the
capture and retention of Sporkop.
Lord Roberts continues: ''As Warren
considered IT impossible to make the wide
Ranking movement which was recon-
mended, II not actually prescribed in the
secret instructions, he should, forthwith,
have acquainted General Warren with the
course he proposed TO adopt There is
nothing to show whether he did so or not.
But it is only fair 10 Warren to point
out that Butler appears throughout 10
nave Oeep aware VI MhdL u1RfSbsh''
Regarding the withdrawal from Spon-
kop. the retention Of which had become
essential to the relief of Dldysmith, Lord
Roberts says: 81 regret To be unable 10
concur with Butler in thinking ThoFney-
croft exercised wise discretion In order
! ing the troops to retire. | am OF the opin-
ion that Thorneycrott's assumption OF re-
sponsibiity and authority was wholly in
excusable. During the night the enemy's
n form Iah1 la M
1t would not have taken more than two or
three hours for Thorneycrott to COM
municate by messenger with Major GEN
1 erals Coke or Warren.
Coke appears to have left Spionkop at
| $50 p. m for the purpose OF consulting
with Warren. Up to mat hour the Idea
OF withdrawal had not been entertained.
Yet, almost Immediately after Coke's de-
; partpfe, Thorneycroft Issued the order
without reference to superior authority
4 Which upset the whole plan of operations
and rendered unavailng the sacrifices al
ready made to carry IL into effect
ION the other hand. 1t is only right
TO state that Thornrycroft appears TO have
behaved in very gallant manner
throughout the day ss II Is to be
regretted that Warren did not himzelf
visit spionkop in the afternoon or even
Ing knowing as he did that the state OF
affairs was very critical and that the loss
OF the position would involve the failure
of the operations He consequently was
obliged to summon Coke to his headquar
tiers aud the command at Spionkop thus
developed on Thorneycroft, unknown to
Coke. who was under the impression that
the command deyolved upon Colonel Hill
az senior officer Omissions or mistakes
OF this nature may be trtling in a. ~
selves yet they may exercise an impor-
ant influence over the course Of events
and ! believe Butler was justified in re-
marking: There was want OF orsaniza-
ton and system which acted most I'M
(avorably on the defonse.'
The attempt 10 relieve Ladysmith was
well devised and ! agree with Butler in
thinking 1t ought to have succeeded That
1t 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 10 errors o.
Judgment and want of Administrative Ca
pacity on the part of Warren. But what
ever faults Warren may have committed
the failure must also be attributed TO the
disinclinatlon of the officer in supreme
command to assert his authority and see
that what he thought best was done AMI
also TO the unwarrantnble and needless as
sumption of responsibility by a subordi-
nate officer"
The dispatch concludes: THE crafty
ing feature OF these dispatches is the ad :
| -, - = - 'e''- 49,
'r %
= uene,a. Buller report commenting on
u apI Marrens reports OF the capture
ana evacuation OF spionkop, aker disput-
: .ne .ne oo'lcosnese OF some OF warren
assoF.ions, ana Geserining the dangerous
situation occupied py Warrens force tells
noN he saw the iNFee AT Spionkop had
Sven way before warren knew OF IT, Bull
,er therefore teiegraphed to Warren; I'm
res you put really good, hard lighting
man IN command on top, you Will lose
me MIL ! suggest Thorneycroft
General Buller continues 81 have not
q thought II necessary TO an investigation
II at shutdown the defense of the summit
had boon taken I'M hand, entrenchments
: laid out and the dead and wounded re-
moved the whole place would have been
y brought under regular military commands
e and the hills would have been held
am sure. But no arrangements were m sde.
: Coke, 1t appears seems to have been or
derod away Just as he would have been
d useful and no one succeeded him. Those
[ on top were ignorant OF the fact tina. Inc
guns wore coming up and generally there
was a want q organization and syeten
that acted most nnfavorablv ON enc AZ.
Tense IT Is admitted that alI ~ u.s.
II ,,o...... e.,. AL