Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-04-19
LORD ROBERTS, DISPATCH.
Report Criticisins Operations of
IBmller AND Warren.

bulleE. ailu WARREN.
London, April ls.Ihe dispatch
from General Roberts censuring War
rem, Butler and other officers for the
evacuation of Spion llop and other OPP
erations from January II to "a was
published in the Gazette last night.
After stretching General Buffers in
tcntions. as communicated to Sir
Charles Warren, who commanded the
whole force, Lord Roberts points out
that General Warren seems to have
concluded, after consultation with his
officers, that the Ranking movement
ordered by General Butler was imprac
ticablc, and therefore so changed the
plan of advance as to necessitatc the
capture and retention of Spion kop.
Lord Roberts continues:
CAS- Warren considered it impossible
to make the wide thanking movement
which was recommended, if not ac-
tunlly prescribed i'm the secret instruc-
tions, he should, forthwith, have ac-
quaintcd Butler with the course he
proposed to adopt. There is nothing
to show whether he did so or not But
it is only fair to Warren to point out
that Butler appears throughout to
have been aware of what was happen
ing
Regarding the withdrawal from
Spion kop, the retention of which had
become essential to the relief of Lady
smith, Lord Roberts says:
81 regret to be unable to concur
with Butler in thinking Thornycroft
exercised wise discretion i'm ordering
the troops to retire. ! am of the opin-
ion that Thornycroft's assumption of
responsibility and authority was who'll
ly ineNcusable. During the night the
cnemy's fire could not have been for
midable and it would not have taken
more than two or three hours for
Thornycroft TO communicate by mes
senger with Major General Coke OF
Warren. Coke appears to have left
Spion kop at $3.50 p. III, for the pur-
TO that hour the idea of Withdrawal
had not been entertained. Yet, almost
Immediately after Cokc's departure,
Thornycroft issued the order, without
rtsfessnce tiastlperior authority. which
upset the S,slsole plan of operations
and rendered unavailing. the sacrifices
already made to calqessesiyt Unto effect.
con The other hand It Is. only right
to state that Thornycrofts appears to
have behaved in very gallant man
per throughout the day. =
cit is. to be regretted that Warner
did not. himself visit Spion kop in the
afternoon or evening. knowing as he
did the state of affairs was very crit
icar and that.thc tpss ofathe position
would involve .theEfaihite of the OPP
eiations. He consS'd Se.rtas:syss obligc,
to'.summon Coke 4, lis headquarters
aud, thestommand at ..Sptpn llop thus
devo1ved r.ilell,-T'hornycrSft. unknown
to Coke, who was under the impress
sion that the command devolved upor
Colonel Hill as senior. Omissions OF
mistakes of this nature may be trI
fling in themselves, yet they may eN
crcise an important influence over TIL.
course of events, and | believe Butler
was justified in, remarking: Their,
was a want of organization and sys
tenn which acted most unfavorably OF
the defense The attempt TO relieve
Ladysmith was we'll devised. and
agree with Butler i'm thinking it ough,
to have succeeded. That it failed ma,
in some measure have been due TO tn.
difficulties of the ground and the com
handing positions held by the enemy
and probably ,also to error of judg