Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-14
WAR CHEST is LOW
British Parliament May Be Called
on ier@re ossy.
IT Is EXPECTED 70 Meet JANUARY |
Promise Of More Developments
in the Bullek Case.
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


the first assembly of ministers-apart
from the scratch consultative group that
! Mr. Broderick managed to gather
round him when General Buffers case
| was under consideration at the war
office-for nearly three months. During
that time the war expenditure has been adj
ded to by we'll on to 10000. 900, Lord Kitch-
ener has issued an entirely abortive proc
lamation, and the leading Boer generals
have been frequently 'routed''-a pleasingly
humorous way of saying that they have
every time escaped the pursuing column.
But the cabinet is back. Ministers have
come to London by special trains from
Scotland, by fast boats from the CONT
nent, and by express trains stopped at
rural stations to pick them up at their
own park gates.
| All this looks like patriotic hurry to meet
a great national emergency but ministers
came to town quickly with the intention OF
going away again Just as quickly, and al
most Of then Fs on IN the tssm wing
each others faces, No one Is aware that
they did more than exchange personal COM
pliments. and hear from Mr. Broderick that
ener that he asks for AS for the man in
the street he did not appear to take the
slightest interest In. the meeting.
Parliament to Meet in January.
Parliament, understand. is to be called
together about the middle Of January. and
at once the financial question will become
urgent. The chancellor Of the exchequer
has, hear been recently in communica-
| ton with the leading bankers and other
high financial authorities in the city, the
| significance of which action. may be OPP IN
| to rather wide political speculation. But
| the more Sir Michael Hicks-Beach puts
himself into communication with city mag
mates the more impressed must he become
with the gloomy view which the great
| business men take of the prolongation Of
the war The amassing of huge national
| debt Is not the only disquieting thing
| Business men feel the strain in their daily
! lives and all the "votes Of confidence" IN
1rthe government passed at country meet
! ings will not get rid of the fact that the
city is thoroughly disappointed and dis
gusted with the government and the war
| office. z
The Butler question does not seem any
nearer solution. despite ,the row that the
| public making over his dismissal.
| have purposely avoided any mention Of
this scandal. as it surely will develop later
on. and as I supposed that Butler would
| have spoken before this. There seems to
be doubt that feeling has been against
| him at the war office for a long time. We
are promised developments later on.
| Ministers. believe. are greatly surprised
| at the outbursts of sympathy with Gen.
| Butler which has taken place in the coun-
| try, and which comes from conservatives
| quite much as from liberals. They had
| no idea apparently that the feeling in
favor of the general was so widespread In
view of Buffers career in South Africa,
which was not fortunate, the strength of
the feeling in his favor is considered 20 be
very remarkable, and It is absurd. as the
leading unionist paper does to describe 1t
| as tempest in "a teapot" The official
! supporters of the government are declar-
| ing that If the movement in favor of Gen.
Butler continues or extends they will re-
| taliate by telling in detail the whole story
| of the Natal campaign.
Mysterious Whisperinss Abroad.
There are mysterious whispers as to the
revelations that may be made, but whether
| there is anything of real Importance that Is
| not known to the public Is at least doubt
| full. I don't think there is any disposition
to deny that Butler made serious mistakes
| in Natal. But whatever his errors the gov
| eminent knew all that he had done or failed
to do before they sent him back to Alder
| shot. Ministers, therefore, come badly out
| of the matter, whether you take the view
| that Butler is hero a failure.
/ don't think the government can make
| much use of what is called the surrender
! telegram. Lord Roberts regarded this
| matter of SO much Importance that he
| called at Gibraltar in order to see the origi-
| nal of the message In the possession of Sir
| George White. He therefore knew nearly a
| year ago the exact words of the telegram
and also the reply which Sir George White
| sent to it. The commander-in-chief had
| also studied with great care the history
! of the Natal campaign. and with all this
knowledge in his possession he sanctioned
! the retention of Butler in the Aldershot
| command.
King Pardons COnvfcts.
The king has done a most diplomatic
thing in freely pardoning the three Austria
lians who were sentenced to death at a
| South African court-martial for resenting
| being called "white-livered ours by their
| British general Much. dissatisfaction has
| been expressed from time to time by Aus
tralians and Canadians at their treatment.
and it does not bid fair for another British
war, when this country wants the help OF
I her colonies. The kings action, however,
will go far to reconcile his oversee SUBJ
Jects. who are as Independent in most ways
as our own couHtrymen were in 1116.
Grievances are still cropping up how
| ever. A bushman reports that of the sec
| ond contingent of Australian bushmen who
went out to South Africa only eight are
| still fighting on the veldt. Sixty-eight are
| dead and the remainder have been inva-
! lided home. A man writing to the Times
declares that these heavy losses have Gre
! ated serious impression in the colonies,
and that there is strong feeling in Aus
! tralia that if the colonies are again called
| upon to aid the empire 1t shall be by means
! OF an Australian brigade, which shall act
as a complete unit, and not be split up into
small parties, as during the present war.
The heavy losses are ascribed to the
abuse OF Australians as scouts for English
reglments' hei;Engfish cavalry are de-
clared to be. inferior Inn scouting to the
e col and the NGltsr likes the blame on
the English cayatfyIao Nicer /. Whether this
reformers that the, fact, efhat only men Of
substantial means Gan afford to accept
commissions in .caValry regiments is a
grave era :, evil and aome4see to efficiency.
English cavalry ofieerso but the present
physical courage is pot an adequate equip
ment for leader ossmenl on the veldt.
Still Investigating Fogs.
hold an inquiry into, the. causes Of Lon
don's fogs. Of which I wrote last week, has
given general satisfaction here. Some ludi-
crous incidents arose. cut1nf the fog which
settled down on Londanx on Saturday, but