The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-04-15
INcoMpETENr COMMANDERS.
Serious Charges Against Several Prom
inent British officers Again
Repeated.

Repeated,
Correspondents OF Associated Prcss,)
LONDON, April "a British officer
writing in Today, OF vaal Krants,
says:
Il do not know II It Is any use TO
descant always ON the SHORTCOMINGS
of our generals, but they are brought
home Co US SO constantly by bitter ex.
perienccs tha, We cannot keep them
from our minds. and we cannot resent
the obsIinacy OF the war office 0uthori-
ties who deliberately allow thousands
OF lives TO BE- sacrificed rather than
remove those who, In peace have won
favor and promo ion by social iptluenc
and backstairs intrigue and are really
responsible for most OF our disasters,
The general who led his brigade in
mass Of column under the cncmys
guns at Colenso Is s,in In command OF
that brigade aud there has been no
voice raised In England against such
stupendous folly. Five hundred and
tifty men were lost on that occasion
but because the Irish brigade stood
firm 1t did not attract public attention
The Highlanders at Magersfontein
under similar but less aggravated cir
cumstances, suffered no greater loss.
retreated three times from the field
and all England clamored for the sup
preston OF the responsible person.
Since then General Hart has lost
no opportunity Of repeating his Of
ferse; he even attributed the IN sue
cess OF the day TO the fact that the
battalions were afterward extended TO
single instead of double rank and cen.
sured commanding officers for having
saved an even greater disaster, Near
Spionkop he took personal command
OF the York and Lancaster and South
Lancaster regiments and ordered a tu-
tile bayonet charge NJ an enemy nearly
l.a00 yards away. This attracted such
heavy fire that the two regiments
sought shelter and declined To follow
their officers another yard. The Irish
brigade had to be called To the rescue
and passed through the prostrate line.
No one has any confidence In Cen
eral Hart's leadership and every officer
and man from General Butler down
is aware OF his incompetency. Nearly
half OF his brigade have been killed
and wounded; neither the Highland
nor any other brigade has suffered In
anything like the same proper. ION the
lnniskilling fusiliers have only three
OF the officers who were with them
three months ago still serving and can
now In all muster five officers. ! few
more battles and the brigade will cease
to exist.
General Hart's talents ut him to be
drill sergeant-not a leader of men.
No latitude is given to even the most
experienced commanders. He must al
ways keep, as he says. a tight grip on
his brigade, which means discomfort
and annoyance in peace and disaster
in war.
As an example Of the extreme TO
which this policy Is carried. | will give
one instance among many. After the
battle of SpiOnkop the troops who mad
been for ten days under constant fire
and endured every sort OF hardship.
were naturally somewhat exhausted;
moreover they had had severe night
march covering the rear Of the retreat
ing army
General Butler decided 1t was neces-
SdIN Alluk AiitN nave SOtlit uAgH
rest and camping ground was select |
ed. The tents, however, were not
pitched in the morning and the men |
lay out in the sun all day. In the af- |
ternoon General Hart was OF the opin- |
ion that the camp might be within the |
range OF the enemy's big guns and de- !
cided 10 pitch camp a mile further |
back. But instead of pointing out the |
ground to the commanding officers and |
directing them TO move their batta-
lions to the place. he formed ne four |
regiments on a brigade parade and af- |
ter some time had been given up to |
covering correctly, an elaborate brig |
ade maneuver began.
The ground was broken and covered !
with deep water courses. so that the |
dressing and distance was difficult to |
maintain. Stan officers galloped from |
place to place the men and officers We're |
abused, halted, moved to the right, |
moved to the left. II was impossible |
to shut ones ears to the muttered |
curses Of men. worn out with fatigue |
and want OF sleep, at this useless show, |
which might possibly have been very |
at Aldershot at royal re-
view but which, in actual warfare, |
strained the much needed strength OF |
the soldiers.
AN hour and a half was occupied |
In traversing mile and a half of |
ground, which could easily have been |
covered In twenty minutes. In this |
way the men were harassed and worn |
out at time when they should be re-
covering strength for future efforts;
In this way the hospitals are filled with |
soldiers who have never been nit by a
Boer bullet, but whose constitutions
have been sapped by unnecessary la
bOrs.
General Hart placed himself on
hill with telescope and a bugler and
ordered the brigade to attack posi-
ton; the bugler sounded alternately
throughout the day advance double
charge / need not say that this
method of fighting resulted in terrible
loss; sixty officers and 1900 men Is a
terrible total for one brigade. nearly
20 per cent Of the whole. 1t would be
impossible to enumerate the vageries
hat daily occur, but through the worst,
| regret to say, that General Hart Is
not the only brigadier notorious for
At least two other
D1gadiers were unfit to command, but
the accidents Of war has removed one
Jf them The divisional commanders
were no better but war has also made
some changes here and It would be
premature TO Judge their successors"
WORKING UP A BOOM.