The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-14
British Generals in the Field
ROundly AbnSed.
STORIES OF JEALOUSIES
REPORTED THAT GEN. BUTLER
DEsPIsEs LORD ROBERTS.
Also Hates Kitchener. While Wolse-
ley is Scarcely on Speaking Terms
With the Secretary Of State For
war-Conhict of Officers in South
Africa Is Likely.

London, Jan. 1S.-The time has come
when the people Of Great Britain no
longer keep silent regarding the mis-
management of the war The food
gates of criticism have been opened,
and under the stream OF adverse COM
ment pouring forth regulations are
willing The stern upbraiding of the
government by papers that almost for
a century have been Conservative, has
already been touched upon in these dis
patches. Abuse of the war Office has
always existed, and now It is only a
few degrees more bitter than it was
before.
What chiefly marks the passing Of
the British from q period of passive
discomfort TO most severe fault finding
is the Outspoken abuse of their gen.
erals in the field. There are unpleas-
ant stories Of fierce service jealoUsies
and. in short, all the army's shortcom-
ings, which heretofore have been Sc
cretly whispered in clubs, are this week
finding their place in print, and not in
disTepuIable journals, but in organs
that a month ago would have fiercely
denounced such tales as unpatriotic,
whether they were true or otherwise.
Butler Despises Roberts.
It is now wei known that General
Butler despises Field Marshal Lord
Roberts and hates General Lord TGitch-
ener; that Lord WOlseley, the cOmman-
er-in-chief, shares General Buffers
feelings, and that Wolseley is scarcely
on speaking terms with the secretary
f state for war, Lord LandsdOwne. To
such a fragrant extent does this enmity
go that Lord WOlseley wrote to Lady
Butler that he knew nothing about
Lord Roberts appointment to COM
mand the British troops in South At
RIGA aud that he disappTOved OF it.
Without enormous obstacles TO over
come IL the way of the Beers strenu-
Gus resistance and initial advantages,
this condition Of affairs between the
army leaders would constitute a stu
pendOus drawback TO the success Of the
British One paper, usually well in
formed on service matters. declares it
is q-4ite likely that General Butler viii
throw up his command and come home
and be a thorn in the side of the gov
eminent This is probably an exagger-
alton, but it is admitted on all sides
that he is likely to make himself as
lisa gTeeable as possible to Lord Rob-
erts.
Methuen Gone Mad.
As if this was not enough, it is OPEN
~ said General Lord Methuen has gone
mad; thas his mother died insane, and
that all his life he has been afraid he
might share her fate. Hence it is add
ed his unceasing resuessness. Only this
week a high cavalry officer returned
from South Africa with complaints
against Lord Methuen that the general,
during one of his first actions. had or
dered him to advance with his cavalry,
and that upon the colonel sending the
general word that his horses and men
were too exhausted to be physically
capable of doing so, Lord Methuen is
reported to have said: ''WelI, you had
better go to hill"
The officer to whom this remark was
made has come home, demanding a
trial by courtmartial, but it is prob
able that he viii 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 themselves.
Woolssley May Resign.
How all this will end if the campaign
drags on much longer without serious,
change for the better no one can tell.
The resignation of Lord WOlseley would
not surprise those who are cOgnizant of
the inner workings of the war Office. A
great victory would probably quiet the
feelings of discomfort till the day of
reckoning in parliament arrived. But,
lacking that, there seems pending an
upheaval which BODIES i'll for the gov
eminent, the war Office and some of the
generals in the field. for these rankings
are current, not so much among the
lower, sensation loving classes. but
among the highest born and most even
minded Of Great Britain's best citi-
zens.
Nor is the discomfort confined 20 the
inactiOn of the generals. Several of the
most powerful civilian factors in Eng
lish life, some of them almost as much
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. 20
purchase horses for the Cape. pointing
out a better method Of transport. urg-
ing a more vigorous campaign, giving
information as TO the best routes to-
wards the objective and supporting
everything by expert witnesses brought.
often at a great expense, from the
Cape.