The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-19
WOLSELY REPLIES TO LANS-
DOWNE'S CRITICISMS.
DENIES SPECIFIC CHARGES
Former Commander Uses Pointed
Language in Remarks Con-
corning Secretary.

London, March 15-The house o.
lords was unusually crowded today il
anticipation of the reply of Lore
Wolsely, the former commander-in
chief, to the criticism of the former
war secretary, Lord L~ansdowne, now
secretary for foreign affairs. The gal
-leries were full of peers and others.
Lord Wolsely in his opening re.
marks said he regretted being com
PEELED to discuss a personal matter,
but he could not pass unchallenged the
severe comments Of Lord Lansdowne
on the manner in which he had per-
formed the duties of commandments
chief. Lord Lansdowne's personalities
were evidently premeditated. His i'll
'dlctments were grave and it almost
seemed as if the personal attack was
made in order to divert attention from
the questions at issue and throw upon
the commander in-chief the blame for
the mistakes made by the government.
Until the recent debate, he had never
had reason to suppose that he did not
possess the full confidence Of Lord
Iansdowne and the cabinet. EARLY in
1900 circumstances occurred which
left him no alternative but to resign,
which he did. If he did not possess
the cabinets confidence, that was an
opportunity which might have been
legitimately used to appoint another
commander-in- chief.
Lord Wolsely then proceeded to re-
flute the specific charges launched by
Lord L~ansdowne. He said he had
made every effort to improve the aux
iliary forces. In February, 1896, he
had recommended that additional
troops be sent to South Africa and rec
commended strengthening the Natal
garrison and the defensive occupation,
not of the town of Ladysmith, but of
the Bigge1sberg range, which was 20
miles in advance of Ladysmith. He
had never considered Ladysmith and
its surrounding hills to be tenable.
Lord Wolsely admitted that, in COM
mon with all the other authorities,
he had under estimated the fighting
power Of the individual Boer.
Lord Wolsely continued with saying:
II have said as little as possible con
sistently with any Justice to myself.
The noble marquis made strong per-
;sonal statements which were not sup
ported. I have made my reply which
is also unsupported. I cannot, how
ever, leave the matter thus. I feel I
am amply justified in moving that all
the papers be laid on the table. l am
disposed to prove by official documents
all I have said.'
Lord Lansdowne, in replying, said
he thought Lord Wolsely had hardly
scomprehended the purport of his for
mel speech when he said it was a per-
asonal attack OH himself. After thus
breaking his windows, Lord Wolsely
could hardly expect that he, Lord
Lansdowne, would not retaliate on his
conservatory.
Proceeding, Lord Lansdowne ques-
toned the correctness of some of Lord
Wolsely's statements. He reminded
the latter that after the Glencoe dis
aster he had suggested that the British
fall back beyond the Tugela river. If
the suggestion had been given earlier
1t might have saved one of the worst
disasters Of the war. General Butler
had written a private letter to Lord
Wolsely suggesting that 1000 men
might be necessary for the campaign.
Lord Lansdowne said he did not
wish to express his misjudgment of
the enemy, but Lord Wolsely should
bear his full share. Lord Wolsely had
suggested among other things the oc-
soupation of Delagoa Bay and an ap-
peal to the colonies.
Lord Salisbury said that he thought
1T undesirable that all the papers re-
ferring to the debate should be circu
lated. He was not aware that any
personal charges had been made
against Lord Wolsely.
Lord Rosebury, in referring to Lord
L~ansdowne's charges against Lord
Wolsely, said they were personal in
the Judgment of the masses of the
house and the commander-in-chief.
He alluded to Wolsely's historic career,
now closed, and defended the single
mindedness of his purpose in seeking
to improve the war Office system. The
reply was some argument and the
gravest personal attack.
Wolsely's motion was defeated 66 to
48.
RTKTNG FOR HEAT,Tu