The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-05
DEBATE in PARLIAMENT
sPION KOP DISPATCHES DISCUSSED
IN BOTH HOUSES.
MIR. wyndham and Mr.. BaIfOur Elk
plain I'm the Commons and
Lansdowne I'm the Lords.

LONDON May AIN the House Of Com
mons to-day several questions with refer
ence to the war were asked. The parlia-
mentary secretary OF the War Office. Mr..
| Wyndham said no further report had been
received from Lord Roberts with reference
to the Koornspruit disaster.
The government leader N the House, Mr..
| Balfour. replying to questions regarding
| the reports Of the Ill treatment of British
| prisoners at Pretoria, said her Majesty's
| government was considering the ADVISABLE
| ty of further representations on the subject
| through Washington and through the
| United States consul at Pretoria, Adelbert
| S. Hay, who has charge OF British inter-
ests In the Transvaal.
| Later the House went into committee Of
supply on the War Office vote. Walter
Runcieman. Liberal, representing Oldham,
| started the debate on the publication Of the
| Spion kop dispatches He declared the gov
| eminent had disregarded every considera-
| ton except publicity and asserted that the
responsibility for the publication rested en-
| tirely with politicians, although in this
| case the secretary for war had deliberately
| attempted to throw the responsibility on
| the commander-in-chief." The public, Mr..
| Runcieman asserted. had expected the re-
| call of the censured commanders.
Mr.. Wyndham, in reply, quoted the Duke
of Wellington precedent for the publ
cation of the dispatches. In so doing, he
said, he resented the grave inSinuatlon that
| the secretary of state for war was guilty
| of anything dishonorable in requesting
| General Butler to rewire his dispatch. Con-
tnuing Mr.. Wyndham said he was pre-
| pared to discuss the question of the judg
nnent and the discretion, but not of the
honor or rectitude of the Marquis OF
Lansdowne. Many misconceptions in regard
| including the belief that Lord Roberts and
| General Butler had criticised General Me-
| thuen's operations and that the criticisms
| had been suppressed, as supposed, by IA
| voritism. The only point at issue was why
the criticisms of General Butler had been
published If the government intended to
leave him in command Mr.. Wyndham con-
| tended that 1t was impossible to isolate the
| Spion kop dispatches and treat them as
| no other dispatches had been treated In the
history of the last hundred years. The
War Office, he asserted had acted entirely
| ir accordance with the Queens regulations.
| 1t was said that the publication would
shake the confidence of the troops in Ma
| tai in their commander. but Mr.. Wyndham
| said that was not the view of the govern
| ment. nor the view of General Butler, who
| was in the best position to decide.
| ist, member for East Mayo, interrupted.
| saying he had never asserted that he
| wanted the dispatches published.
| Mr.. Wyndham continued: But the gall
| liant general has been applauded for saying
/ he would stick to what he had written,
| and would he have made great show of
| candor If he thought no one would know
what he had written?" This remark was
| greeted with cries of "Oh, OH" Mr.. Wynd-
| ham then said he thought General Butler
| merely had been unlucky and that General
| Warren's services should not be overlooked.
| The case for the government that
the right course was to publish what it
| had published and no more. He was per-
suaded that both General Butler and Lord
| Roberts had sent the dispatches home for
| publication. Did the House suppose harm
/ was done to commander by a dispatch
| showing his scheme was a good one and
| ought to have succeeded or by deciding
| five points in his favor while one point was
| criticised?
| With regard to General Butler ito at
tempt to apologize for him would be
great insult to so great n man. who had
| deserved well OF his country. and his
| troops would be glad to know his strategy
| was praised by Lord Roberts
| Henry Labouchere. advanced Liberal,
member for Northampton. declared the
government was charged with deliberately
| undertaking to cook dispatches for
presentation to the British public" adding:
| "All honor to Butler. who refused to be
| party to deceiving the public"
Mr.. Balfour said Mr.. Labouchere had
made 1T a question of honor dishonor
| of a great public servant. He added that
! his speech was the elimination of a series
/ of attacks of persons who had discovered
/ the meanest and basest motives in the gov
| ernments action. The government he
/ continued. accused of favoring one
| general at the expense of another. It was
| said they meant to prepare the public for
| the dismissal of General Butler Such at
| lacks were not worthy OF the opponents
| of the government. which by publishing
| the dispatches simply followed precedent
| Was the government to understand as a
result of to-day's criticism that no further
| dispatches were to be published? He re-
| pudiated most earnestly the accusations
| hurled at the secretary, OF state for war
and said he thought IL shocking that such
| accusations should be made in the House
| of Commons. claiming that no worse or
| more scandalously unjust accusations
| could be made in any assembly of gentle
| men.
| Sir Henry Campbell-B Zimmerman the Lib
| eral leader in the House. said all Mr. Bal
| four could do was to appeal to mere party
| fidelity. The government. he asserted had
| no precedent for its action and had de-
parted from the immemorial practice of
| the army.
Mr.. Runcieman's motion to reduce the
War Office vote by goo was rejected by
| Els to 116 votes.