The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-19
War ONCE Reticent ON the Subject,
but Belief Is General that Both
Omcers Are i'm Disgrace.
COL. CR0FTON ON HALF PAY
ALSO CONCERNED IN THE NATAL
CAMPAIGN BLUNDERs.
Legion Of Foreigners Enlisted by the
Boers-Chicago Red Cross Corps
Said to he Fighting for Kruger.

rains impede the movements of the Brit
ish columns. The siege of Wepener con-
tinues. although relief is near. Large
quantities of stores are being moved south
ward from Bloemfontein. which is a re-
yersal of the course of freight for the last
six weeks. These shipments are made
necessary by the operations in the SOUTH
eastern part of the Free State. There are
1900 sick in field hospitals. most of the
cases being of dysentery and enteric
fever.
With the exception of the foregoing facts.
the embargo on war intelligence is almost
complete. The special correspondents send
trivialities or statements which obscure.
rather than explain the situation in their
efforts to prepare matter that will pass the
censor. Here and there a phrase indi-
Gates an expectancy that large things are
about to happen.
What Is to be done with Sir Redvers
Butler and Sir Charles Warren occupies
everybody's attention. The papers con-
tinue to comment earnestly on Lord Rob-
erts's censure OF these commanders. They
ask If more errors are not likely to occur.
together with fruitless waste of life, in the
event that men who have been declared in
competent by their superior continue to
command 10000 troops. 1t is now generally
accepted that the government had pur-
nose In the publication of Lord Roberts's
dispatch and that the recall of General
Butler and General Warren has probably
been decided on. 1t was persistently stated
in military circles yesterday that Warren
has been ordered to return home, but the
War once declined to give any information
in regard to the reports.
Lord Roberts's criticism of General Bull
Ter, General Warren and Colonel Thorny-
croft was the topic of greater interest yes
terday All the afternoon papers comment
at length on the structures Of the British
commander-in-chief In South Africa, taking
the same lines as the morning papers,
praising Lord Roberts for his frankness
and speculating upon what the publication
of the dispatches at the present moment
portends Some of them maintained there
IS nothing left for General Butler but to
resign
The ST. James Gazette was particularly
scathing. Referring to General Buffers
report. IL said: Never in the history OF
armies did IL happen that generals
scribbled their confessions OF failure and
defeat. of useless deaths of men and OF
discredit to the flag in a manner which
suggests a careful selection from the
forced jocularity OF the funny man, the
slangy chatter of the horsy woman ana
the eabble OF the smoking room late In the
evening
The Globe declared that a more pitiable
record Of indecision in plan and execution
we have seldom read. and adds that what
little reputation General Butler had left has
been scattered to the winds.
Colonel Crofton, who was in command at
Spion kop from the time General Wood
gate was wounded until Colonel Thorny-
croft was appointed to the position. and
whose heliograph messages to General
Warren caused General Butler TO appoint
Thornycroft TO the command. was placed
on half pay yesterday.
Private information received from
Shrewsbury is to the effect that General
Gatacre is leaving South Africa this week.
to resume command Of local district.
According TO Boer reports. there is
steady flow of foreign volunteers TO the
Transvaal. Hitherto these adventurers have
been attached to the various commanders.
Now 1t is said they are TO be formed into a
special legion. with continental officers,
end there is a rumor that the command
will be given to a distinguished French
soldier. lately retired. who is now in the
Transvaal or is nearing the end of the jour-
ney thither.
Presumably the officer referred to in this
report is General De Negrier, former men,
Der OF the French Supreme Council of War,
who was removed from the active list last
~. -. a. u.
ciplinary measure during the excitement
arising from the Dreyfus court-martiaL
dispatch from warrenton. dated April
IL. says: Finding the Beers busy making
new trenches we exploded lyddite shells.
following up these with the Maxims The
enemy's ambulance was afterwards OBJ
served on the spot"
Spencer Wilkinson. in the Morning Post,
to-day. criticIses the delay in the British
offensive operations caused by the Boer
raids in the southern part OF the Free
State and the necessity OF relieving wepe-
ner- He regards the raids as designed TO re-
commander the surrendered Free Staters.
and adds: These Boer measures can only
be effectively stopped by defeating and de-
etroying the Boer army In the field. DELAY
I'm offensive operations Is. as a rule, equiva-
lent 10 a victory for the defenders, and the
present general halt has lasted a long
time" Mr.. Wilkinson proceeds TO criticise
the omission to supply the needful re-
mounts. clothing. boots and stores. and the
rolling stock to convey these TO Bloemfon-
tein. Precisely the same reasons. he re-
marked. have prevented the relief of Mafe-
king. He cites General Morgan's raid in
Kentucky. In 1862. as an instance OF the
probabilities against the Beers IL the Brit