The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-01
Alleged Neglect and Improper Care of
Sick and i'm south Africa
Agitating the Public.
POOR SUPPLIES FOR ARMY
SHOES LIKE PAPER BAGS, WITH
sHREDS OF LEATHER INSIDE.
Kid-Gloved Methods in warfare-Sir
Claude MacDonaId-Week of So
ciaI Gayety in

copyright, 1900, oy the Associated PreSs.I
LONDON, June 30.-The yellow peril"
as the Chinese crisis is now called here, is,
for the moment, ~relegated to second place.
Public interest in the hospital scandals in
South Africa so absorbs attention that no
amount of official quibbling can suppress it.
The treatment OF thousands Of wounded
and fever-stricken British soldiers in the
field threatens to become as serious a mat
ter for public agitation as the military
camps were after the Spanish merican
war. If Lord Roberts was so frankly will
Ing TO shoulder the major part of the re-
sponsibility, the outcry which Mr.. Burdett-
Coutts's letters raised would well nigh have
swamped the government. But few people
care to seriously criticize the successful
general whose consideration for his men,
especially the wounded, is a by-word in the
army and elsewhere.
The action OF Lord Lansdowne, the secre-
tary Of state for war, in submitting the
criticism of Lord Roberts himself, was a
masterstroke of politics which temporarily
saved the governments head. However, if
the proposed parliamentary committee finds
the War Office failed to adopt necessary
medical precautions 1T will take the Con-
servatives q long time to re-establish their
prestige with thousands In Great Britain
who have suffered bitterly through the loss
and illness of relatives in South Africa. 1t
has been hard enough for those bereaved 10
grin and bear" the long casualty lists, but
with the suspicion that lives were needless
ly wasted there is no longer any restraint
to their sorrow or limit to their indigna-
ton.
A significant sign of the times is the an
nouncement in the July issue of the Nine
teenth Century that most of the dis
tinguished men, regardless of party, have
agreed to join an association with the OBJ
ject of fixing steadily public attention on
the lessons of the war, foremost among
which is the necessity for examining the
d~efenses of the empire and the need of con-
Quoting the various departments of state
on ordinary business principles. Among
those who have promised to become mem
bers are Lord Rosebery, the Earl of Leven
and Melville, the Earl of Roose, the Earl of
Clanwilliam, Viscount Peel, Cardinal
Vaughn, Sir Weymiss Reed, Sir Howard
Vincent and a large number of members of
the House of Commons and army officers.
XXX
v%iscount Deerhurst, colonel of a volunteer
battalion of the Worcester Regiment, who
married an American, Miss Virginia
Bonynge daughter of Mr.. Charles F..
Bonynge. formerly of San Francisco), In
testifying before a parliamentary commit
tee this week. brought home with startling
force the %rottenness of the material sup
piled to the army. He declared that, after
paying an extra price for shoes for the
battalion, after one march they were like
paper bags. with shreds of leather inside
and you could easily put your finger
through the majority Of the solos,
An amusing story is current regarding
Harry Beaumont, of the best dressed Lon
don clubmen. who married Miss Jessie Eel
loves, of New York, and went to South
Africa as an officer of the Cheshire
Yeomanry. 1t is said that he requisitioned
a Boer house for his own use. but before
occupying II he "showered the building
with insect powder" and "drenched it with
eau de cologne" How tired the people of
England are becoming Of such kid-gloved
methods of warfare could be judged the
other night, when Sir Evelyn Wood, the
adjutant general to the forces, who is no.
toriously influenced by feminine advice, re-
ceived a hostile reception at the hands of
such a broad-minded body as the Institu-
ton of Mechanical Engineers.
Somewhat on these lines Sir Claude Mac
Donald, the British minister to China, is
coming in for criticism. 1t is frequently
| said that he is a better hand at afternoon
teas than in preserving the empires inter-
ests in China. A local paper at Tien-Tsin
| once said il was evident Sir Claude's motto
was: 81 do not care what her flag is so
long as she is fair" 1t is not generally
known that last September Sir Claude Mac
Donald was suffering so much from heart
disease and other complications that he
could scarcely walk a hundred yards.
Xxx
Real social gayety reigned this week for
the first time this season. Heretofore the
festivities have been few and far between
and of a rather forced order. But during
the last few days, what with the arrival of
the Khedive of Egypt. bazaars, entertain
ments, the state concert and countless din
ners, London has taken on it's old time
aspect for this time of the year. The
Americans here have taken a conspicuous
share in the festivities. Mrs. Mackay's
house, which had so long been closed on
account of mourning in the family. was re-
| opened on Thursday with a concert. Mrs.
Mackay received her guests at the top of
the historic staircase which once was in an
Italian castle. She was dressed simply in
black, her ornaments consisting of a few
costly black pearls. With her was her
| daughter, princess COlOnnd, and her ddugh-
| ter-in-law. Mrs. Clarence Mackey, who was
| much admired. in white and silver with
mauve orchids and a diamond tiara with
urquois points. Most Of the notable per-
sons in English and American society were
present, including Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley
Martin, Mr.. Eugene Kelly, Ladies Craven
and Hesketh, the dowager Lady STAFFORD.
Mrs. Padeford and Mrs. Moreton Frewen.
Mr.. William Waldorf Astor. who also
lives In Carlton House Terrace, gave a
musicale the same night, at which his num-
erous guests heard Nine. Calve and Pader-
ewski.
The most lavish entertainment of the
week. however, was Mrs. Bischofheim's
dinner party for the Prince of Wales. on
Wednesday. The papers announce that IT
cost over s15,000. 1t began with a dinner
which was not over until IL. and ended with
a supper. While royalty Toasted a jap
anese troupe, which came here from New
York on its way TO the Paris exposition.
but which seems in no hurry to go there.
performed three plays in a large tent
erected In the garden. The prince. Duke of
York and Prince Christian. with their
hostess and her daughter, occupied the CEN
ter seats in the front row. Among the in
vited guests We're the Duke and Duchess of
Devonshire, Lady Randolph Churchill. Mrs.
George Keppel. Lady CRANKY. Mrs. William
James and Mr.. and Mrs. William GrenfeII.