The Topeka state journal., 1900-04-18
BULLER MUST GO.
That Is What Roberts Censure
Is Thought to Mean.
Message of the COmmander-in-
Chief Held Back
SINCE FEBRUARY 18TH.
British at Wepener Are Still
Surrounded.
Beers Busy Making Trenches at
WarrentOn.
SINCE FEBRUARY 18TH.

London. April 1s.-1:55 P. M.-Lord
Roberts criticisms Of Gen. Butler Gen
Warren and Col Thorneycroft, continue
topics of acute interest. All the AFTER
noon papers comment at length on the
strictures of the commander in chief OF
South Africa. taking the same lines as
the American papers. praising Lord
Roberts for his frankness and speculat-
ing upon what the publication Of the
dispatches at the present moment por-
tends. Some of them maintain there Is
nothing left for Gen. Buller but to re-
sign The St. James Gazette IS partlc-
ularIy scathing. Referring to Cen Bull
ler's report it says;
Never in the history of armies dld IL
happen that generals scribbled their
confessions Of failure and defeat of use
less deaths of men and OF dlscredlt TO
the flag in a manner which suggests
careful selection from the forced Jocu-
larity of the funny man, the slanSy
chatter of the hOrsey woman and the
gabble Of the smoking room late IN the
evening"
The Globe declares that a more pitt
able record of indeClSlOn IN plan ana
confusion in execution we have seldom
read" and adds that what little repu-
tation Gen. Butler had left has been
scattered to the winds.
Practically no developments have
been reported so far in today's South
African cables. a dispatch from War
rentou dated Tuesday, April Il. says:
Finding the Beers busy making new
trenches We exploded lyddite shells fol-
lowing up these with the maxims. The
enemys ambulance was afterwards OBJ
served on the spot"
From Wepener there is nothing later
than Lord Roberts message of yester-
day and presumably neither side has
gained any particular advantage at any
point in the theater of war since the
last official dispatches We're received.
Lord Roberts dispatch was dated
Bloemfontein, Tuesday, April II, ana
was as follows:
"Our force at Wepener is still sur
rounded, but it is reported that the enc
my are attacking in a very half hearted
manner and are anxious about their
communications. hearing that forces are
approaching Wepener from two direc-
tiOns-One under Gen. Rumble via Red
dersburg, and another under Gen Bra
bant with Gen. Hart's brigade in sup
port. via RouXville
'On the reOccupatiOn of Rouxville
April 15 the few Beers there retired and
Cen Brabant. made some important
Violent storms of rain have some
what interfered with the march of these
columns, but it is hoped they will soon
be able to make their presence more
decidedly felt.
Gen. Settle reports from Kenbardt
April IA, that 200 Transvaalers made a
determined attack the previous dav on
l)opaspoort, held by a party of orpons
li'' Our losses were two killed and
one wounded The enemy's losses must
nave been heavy, as they applied to ms
LOT doctors and an ambulance"
why the government has chosen this
1s lhe moment to publish the dispatch
from Lord Roberts pronouncfne- censlIra
upon Sir Redvers Butler and Sir Charles
w Warren two of his most iunortant
sruDof9inate commanders is not known.
ms ulspatch, written February H.
mas Deen in the hands of the war office
Tor five weeks
me revelation of their incapacitv
must tend to undermine the confidence
OF the troops in their leadership
Lord Roberts dispatch with tho on
SiOsuIeS IS the great feature of the Lon
tol. press this morning. IN a long pdi-
.orIal' the Daily News speaks Of the
somewhat appalling language Of tbe
ulsPaleh and then goes on to saw:
Upon the Whole these disDatches a,.e
9isquletlng and disheartening in no or,
clnary degree. Following immedia+ei1
upon the recall Of General Gatacre theJ
VIII create a Widespread feeling of nm
easiness and anxiety" -
The Standard which is supposed IN h,
IN the confidence of the governmen,
1t is scarcely likely that the publica.
ton Of Lord Roberts dispatch is win
out a purpose. 1t irresistiblv suggag+
whether 1t is not to be followed by fnT.
---Afo4 Neti4A tldIAeS IN the SOI1fl
AFRICAN commands. Painful as sucl
measures may be, there must he n
hesitation IN carrying them out if the
are required in the public interest
Ihe Daily Telegraph compliment
Lord Roberts upon mot beei+a+jno
Where great national interests are q
stake, to wound private susceptibiii
ties" S'iolli
The Daily Chronicle confessos - O..
Feeling something like consterne tir,
When reading the extraordinary ras
sages of the dispatch. Pe-S
Ihe Times says
Lora Roberts severe cOndennatio-
IS justified only too clearly Nv tb .t4s .t9
cldl narratives of what took nlaca M
story IS painful; but it is wen fo,. -
iiation , anu Tor the army that it shout
be told clearly and simply. without ooI
cealment or eXaggeration NoA
1t is not the least of the e-ra,+ -
wees Lord Roberts is now reDderino -
SouilIIE mat ne exposes with judicis
severity errors and omissions in III
quarters which have cost us SO rn,3c6
w neither the government has anv sne
SiaI purpose or not in publishing tn
dispatch, the way in which it has bea
received viii make it most dificult T
retain the censured commanders in a.
tive service D a
Lord Roberts long wait and tha Do.
activity have seriously disturbed mi
nc equanimity. He is still 300 mill
from Pretoria. No one doubts the 17lt
mate success of British arms. bur he
hlnd the British army that crushes y
Boer armies an army of occupation wi
have to be installed From ,Sar,e+ "
sources come hints that more men tf,s
are already provided for will have to I
sent out
Lord Roberts indicates that at lea,
1O.VOo men are advancing to c1t off -
6oefs who are investing Wepener 4
tnere are reports from the Rasn-
border that firing has been heard il, n
9lrectlon Of the hills toward Dawif,
90rp' II Is possible General Cherm