The Wichita daily eagle., 1900-07-01
BRITAIN IS AROUSED
Over the Hospital Scandals in
South Africa.
GOVERNMENT is SHAKEN
Movement to InfuSe Business
Sense Into Army Affairs.

Sense Into Army Affairs.
tCopyright, 1900, by the Associated Press.)
London, June 3O.-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 at
tention that no amount Of official quib-
thousands os wounded and fever-stricken
British soldiers in the field threatens TO
become as serious a matter for public
agitation as the military camps were
after the Spanish-American war. If Lord
Roberts was rot SO frankly willing to
shoulder the major part of the respon-
sibility, the outcry which Mr.. Burdett-
Coptts' letters raised would welI-nigh
have Swamped the government. But few
people care to seriously criticize the sue
cessful general, whose consideration for
MS men especially the wounded, is a by
word in the army and elsewhere.
The action of Lord LansdoWne, the
secretary VI state for war, in submitting
the criticism of Lord Roberts himself,
was a master-stroke of politics which
temporarily saved the governments head.
However, if the proposed parliamentary
committee finds the war office failed to
adopt necessary medical precautoins it
Will take the Conservatives a long time
to re-establish their prestige with thous-
ands in Great Britain who have suffered
bitterly through the loss and illness of
reatives in South Africa. 1t has been
hard enough for those bereaveG to grin
and bear the long casualty lists, but
with the suspicion that lives were need
iessly wasted, there is no longer any re-
straint to their sorrow or limit to their
indignation.
Il sign or the times is the announce
fnent the July issue of The Nineteenth
Century that some Of the most distin-
guished men, regardless of party, have
agreed to Join an association with the
object of fixing steadily public attention
on the lessons of the war, foremost
among which is the necessity for exam
ming the defences of the empire and
the need of conducting the various de-
partments of state on ordinary business
principles. Among those who have prom
ised to become members are Lord Rose
berry the Earl of Leven and Melville, the
Earl OF Rosse, the Earl of Clanwilliam,
Viscount Peel, the. Bishop of London
Uhe Rt Rev. Mandel Creighton, D. d.,
Cardinal Vaughan, Sir Wemeyss Reid,
Sir Howard Vincent and a large number
Of me nor Of 1f
and army officers.
vtscount Deerhurst, colonel of a valun-
teer battalion of the Worcester regiment,
who married an American, Miss Virginia
Bonynge of san Francisco, In testifying
before a parliamentar ycommittee this
week. brought home with startling force
the rotttenness Of the material supplied
TO the army. He declared that after
paying an extra price for shoes for the
battalion. after one march they We're
like paper bags with shreds of leather
Inside and you could easily prt your
finger through the majority of the soles."
An amusing story is current regarding
Harry Beaumont, one of the best-dressed
London clubmen, who marred Miss Jessie.
South Africa as an officer of the Chesh-
ire Yeomanry. 1t is said that he re-
uuisitioned a Boer house for his own use,
but, before occupying it, he ''showcred
the building with insect powder" and
"drenched it with eau de cologne" Eow
tired the people Of England are becoming
of such kid-gloved methods of warfare
could be Judged the other night, when Sir
forces who is VIGOROUSLY influenced by |
feminine advice. received a hostile re- |
:epton at the hands of such a broad |
mined body as the Institution of Mechan- |
lcai Engineers. !
somewhat on these lines Sir Claude NJ. |
Mcdonald the British minister to China, |
Is coming in for criticism. 1t is fre- |
quently said that he is a better hand at /
afternoon teas than in preserving the en- |
pire's interests in China. A local paper |
Mt Tien Tsin once said 1t was evident |
Sir Claudes motion was: Il do not care |
what her flag. SO long as she is fair"
Ii is not gtnerally known that last Stp- |
tenlber Sir Claude Mcdonald was suffer
Ing so much from heart disease and other |
complications that he could scarcely walk |
q hGndred yafdS.
rRcai socIaI gaiety reigned this week for
the first time this season. Heretofore the /
festivities have been few and far be-
tween and of a rather forced order. But
during the last few days. what with the /
arrival of the Khedive of Egypt, bazaare.
etner ,ainments, the state concert and |
countless dinners. London has taken on
It's old-time aspect for this time OF the
gear. The Americans here have taken a
share in the festivities Mrs.
Mackay's house. which had so long been
closed on account of mourning in the
family, was reopened Thursday with a
concert. Mrs. Mackay received her guests
al the top Of the historic staircase. which
once was in an Italian palace She was
dressed very simply in black. her orna-
ments consisting OF a few costly black
f.r=rs. with her was her daughter. the
Princess Colonna. and her daughte--in-
law, Mrs Clarence Macl1ay. who was
much admired, in white and silver with
mauve orchids and diamond tiara with
turquoise points. Mr. William Woidors
Astor who also lives in Carlton House
Terrace, gave a musical the same night.
at which his numerous guests heard Nine.
Calve and Paderewsd.
ChicasO's Welcome TO Wheeler.
Chicago, June S0-General Joseph /
Wheeler. the commandazt of the depart
ment of the Lakes was today formally
welcomed to Chicago at a public recep-