The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-25
THE FALL OF BULLER
1T is NOW AsCRIBED TO THE IN
TERFERENCE OF LADY
ROBERTS
FORCED ON KING EDWARD
Lord Roberts Threatened to Resign
IL Sir Redvers Were Not
Placed on the Re-
tired List.

NEW YORK, Oct 24.-Interesting de-
tails concerning the enforced retirement
OF Sir Redvers Butler are given in a dis
patch from London to the Herald 1t is
an open secret that what is known as
'.petticoat influence" has been far too
strong at the war Office ever since the
Duke of Cambridge resigned, and the
present commander-in-chief has not
escaped it.
There are many people who are in
clined to applaud the speech of Mr.. II. c.
Richards, K c. NJ b. the night before
last at Northampton, who declared that
If Lord Roberts would leave bazaar open
ings to Lady Roberts and take the staff
selections and war Office reforms into
his own hands, there might be great re-
form at the war Office.
1T is doubtful if King Edward will
ever have to face more painful dilemma
than the one he encountered when Mr..
Broderick and Lord Roberts had an audi
ence with him at Marlborough house,
said member of the kings household.
when the news reached Balmoral of
Gen. Buffers Westminster speech, every
body in the house suspended judgment
until some sign was apparent how the
king regarded it.
Ever since Gen. Buffers departure
from Waterloo for the war, when the
king-then Prince of Wales-gave the cue
to popular opinion of the former COM
mander-in-chief with his parting salute:
Good old Butler, he has thus been
spoken Of
even since his return to England it
was known that the king had not
changed his opinion of his former Bon
comrade.' The day after the West
minister speech 1t became bruited among
the household that the king still held his
faith in the bluff general and regarded
his oratorical outburst as merely a mill
tary explosion in the face of bitter goad-
ing.
$50 it became an accepted conclusion
that no matter what the papers might
say, the king would stand by his former
friend even to the extent of comforting
a peerage, as a mark of PERSONAL friend
ship.
Some leakages OF this opinion found
their way to the public press and were
transmitted to the war office.
''It is said that ever since Gen. Butler
refused to correct his 'Spion Kop dis
patches, he has been subjected to the
bitter hostility of Lady Roberts, who
used every effort to force her husband
to demand his recall
within the last few days her an
| tipathy has found fresh incentive in his
Westminster speech. She induced ''Bobs'
to go to the war Office and demand OF
MI. BrOQefick- Lnat ne issue al OrUer IOE
Gen. Buffers resignation.
"Such an order was issued, but old Bull
Ter replied with fiat refusal to resign
s'Then Lord Roberts and Mr.. Broderick
put their heads together and waited for
the instant of the kings return to Lon
don to lay before his majesty the al
tentative of Buffers dismissal or their
resignation.
sit was by no means a pleasant inter
view. At first the king refused point
blank to countenance any such drastic
proceedings. He defended Butler right
and left and declared that such provo
cation as anonymous attacks was suffi-
GENTLY warranted for such an explosion
on the part of the bluff old soldier, but
Lord Roberts and Mr.. Broderick were
equally stubborn.
. 'Lord Roberts threatened to resign in
stanter unless a royal mandate were is
sued for Buffers decapitation.
10 this Mr.. Broderick also added his
intention to relinquish the seals of the
war office.
T 1.-THE latter threat would not have
weighed for moment with the king,
but 'Bob's' popularity is different mat
ter. His majesty used every effort to
induce the commander-in-chieft to recon-
slider his determination. Only when he
finally discovered this was out of the
question was the royal consent reluctant
ly given to the order for Gen. Buffers
Dismissal