The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-16

1t Is a pity that the British royal family
! has not recognized the duty of representa-
! tion on the firing line in South Africa to
any greater extent than has been involved
! in sending to the front the Duchess Of
| YOrk's proligate brother. the Duke of
| Teck. When other monarchical nations are
at war their regning dynasties would con-
| slider it disgraceful not to share the dan
gers of battle with their mobiles and people.
But it it is different in the case Of Great
Britain. The Prince of Wales. as heir APP
parent. might be excused on account of the
Queens advanced age; but his son has
three boys to take his place if he were
killed. and Victoria's third son. the Duke
of Connaught, is a general. is said to be a
good soldier and willing to take his
chance with others; yet even he does
not go.
If the scandal raging in South Africa
and London is based on truth. it would be
better if even the wretched Duke of Teck
had remained at home. 1t is openly
charged against him that he was RESPONSE
BILE for the disaster at Koorn Spruit; that
he neglected every precaution which an
officer in command of a convoy escort
should take; that he rode into a trap
which a little scouting would have IN
covered, and then. when surprised. showed
the cur by deserving his men and guns
and leaving them to their fate. Military
people in England curse him under their
breath, and declare it to be notorious in
the army that the battalions and convoy
at koorn Spruit could have been saved if
the Duke of Teck, who commanded, had
put up any kind of fight at the beginning,
instead of acting the abject coward as
he did.
Any man in the British service other
than a prince of the blood would have
been court-martialed and shot within
twenty-four hours for the offence that
Teck committed. Being what he is. roy
atty and even Lord Roberts are trying to
shield him by making General Gatacre
the scapegoat of the occasion.
The whole unpleasant matter is being
smothered as much as possible, but it is
the table talk of all England today. just
as the bigamy of a certain other royal per-
sonage was few years ago. In a day or
two the Continental press will take it up
and lampoon the whole tribe of Guelphs
numerically. 1t may be impossible TO
keep the scandal out of Parliament. Even
such conservative journal as the Lon
don Times is showing its venerable teeth
over the affair. On Saturday it said edi-
torially:
eve have yet TO learn the name Of the escort
officer, who presumably 10 the really respon-
sibie. Why has it been held back Why have
we not been furnished with his explanation. il
explanation he can give? If he cannot then he
would seem to be a subject for stern but indis
pensahle military justice Lord Roberts, trust,
will not hesitate, in all proper cases, to follow
self set. He will have the strenuous support OF
the nation in the adoption OF salutary 4
COURSE"
Nobody supposes that "Bobs' would take
the extreme course of shooting a great
grandson CT George III for cowardice, yet
that is exactly what the London Times
counsels, and what the British masses de-
clare ought to be done. The miserable
degenerate who has made all the trouble
may, and very likely will, escape with
nothing more than a reprimand; but the
monarchy, by demanding immunity for an
offence committed by one of its fiedglings,
which in a man of lesser rank would be
capital will suffer seriously in prestige
and respect, and deseryedly so.