The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-14
Britons Upbraiding the Government
and Military Omcers.

when the people or Great Britain no longer
keep silent regarding the mismanagement
OF the war. The fioodgates of criticism
have opened, and under the stream of ad-
verse comment pouring forth regulations
are whiting. The upbraiding of the govern
ment by papers that almost for a century
have been conservative has already been
touched upon in these dispatches. Abuse Of
the War Office has always existed, and il
is now only little more bitter than it was
before. What chiefly marks the passing of
the British from a period of discomfort to
most severe fault-finding is the outspoken
abuse Of their generals In the field. There
are unpleasant stories of jealousies. and, in
short, all the army's shortcomings. which
heretofore have been secretly whispered in
clubs, are this week finding their place in
print. and not in disreputable journals. but
in organs that a month ago would have
fercely denounced such tales as unpatriotic
whether they were true or not.
It is known now that General Butler de-
spises Field Marshal Lord Roberts and
hates General Lord Kitchener: that Lord
Wolseley, the commander-in-chief, shares
General Buffers feelings, and that Wolse-
ley is scarcely on speaking terms with the
secretary of state for war, Lord Lans-
downe. To such a fragrant extent does his
enmity go that Lord Wolseley wrote to
Lady Butler that he knew nothing about
Lord Roberts's appointment to command
the British troops in South Africa. and that
he disapproved of 1t. With enormous OBJ
stacles to overcome in the Beers resist
ance and initial advantage, this condition
of affairs between the leaders would con-
stitute drawback to the success of the
British. One paper. usually we'll informed
on service matters, declares it is quite
likely that General Butler will give up his
command and come home. This is prob
ably an exaggeration, but it is admitted on
ali sides that he is likely to make himself
| as disagreeable as possible to Lord Rob-
erts.
AS If that were not enough, II is openly
said General Lord Methuen has gone mad: /:
| that his mother died insane, and that all
| his life he has been afraid he might share
her fate. Hence, it is added, his unceasing
restlessness. Only this week high cav
airy officer returned from South Africa
with complaints against Lord Methuen;
that the general, during one of his first
| actions, had ordered him to advance with
his cavalry, and that, on the colonel send
ing the general word that horses and men
were too exhausted to be physically cap
able of doing so. Lord Methuen is reported
to have said: ''Well, you had better go to
hell" The officer to whom this remark was
made has come home demanding a trial by
court-martial. but it is probable he will not
get it, as he has been slated for another
| command.
Generals White, Gatacre, Clery and
French all come in for their share of abuse,
and there Is evidence presented that the
senior generals are divided against them
selves. How all this will end If the cam
paign drags on much longer. without Sc
rious change for the better, no one can tell.
The resignation Of Lord Wolseley would
| not have surprised those acquainted with
the inner workings of the War Office. A
victory would quiet the feeling of discon-
tent till the day of reckoning in Parlia-
ment. But, lacking that. there seems pend
ing an upheaval which BODIES iii for the gov
ernment, the War Office and some of the
generals in the field. for these wranglings
are current not so much among the lower
classes, but among the highest born and
most even-minded of Great Britain's best
citizens, nor Is the discomfort confined to
the inaction of the generals
Several of the most powerful civilian fac.
tors in English life, some Of them almost
as much financially interested in the future
of South Africa as the government itself,
have repeatedly urged certain reforms in
the methods of carrying on the war, not
meddling with the purely military phases,
but offering, for instance, to purchase
horses for the Cape, pointing out a better
method of transport, urging a more Wig
orous campaign, giving information to
the best routes toward the detectives, and
supporting everything by expert witnesses
brought often at great expense from the
Cape.
A reporter Of the Associated Press learns
that body, including a former governor
and about dozen men who have held civil,
military or irregular positions of control
during the recent trouble in South Africa,
waited on Major General Ardagh, director
of the military intelligence department of
the War Office, the very week previous to
that which marked the three disasters to
the British arms. These men begged Gen.
eral Ardagh to accept certain. offers, and
intimated that he had underestimated the
opposing forces. The general listened and
replied: THANK you, but you are wrong.
We outnumber them at every point, and we
have got EN- like that" Thereupon Gen.
eral Ardagh banged his open palms to-
gether In spite OF this reception the men
referred to repeated their offers, and the
War Office now seems to have awakened to
the seriousness of the position, and the off,
Gals are likely to accept one of the most
daring projects ever undertaken, the full
scope of which the Associated Press is not
at liberty to disclose, but which, If per-
fected, will work independently of the War
Office to achieve one Of the most important
British detectives.
The imperial yeomanry, after the first
flush of public applause, is being gagged
gingerly. 1t is dawning on the minds of all
that what Great Britain wants are crack
shots and rough riders after the type of
the Americans. and frequent comments ap-
pear pointing out that the average yeo-
man. who is a farmer. does not come up
| to this standard, while the average lord
| ling. who adds brilliancy TO the force, is
| not generally much nearer tte mark In this
respect than his yeoman tenant; that