Evening star., 1902-03-04
CLASHED OVER REMOuNTs
Generals and War Office at Odds Since
African War Began.

"A dlspatch from London yesterday saws.
parliamentary paper was issued tonight
containing dispatches and reports regard
Ing the remount department in South
Africa.
1t refers to the American mules as be-
ing the "best received from anv source
magnificent workers and kept in condition
under the most adverse circumstances ;,
The American horses the report SAYS, va
ried greatly, but the majority were excel
lent.
me paper on the remount department
Is considered the strongest indictment of
Its own capacity yet issued by the war
office, and it will probably go far to ex-
plain to the public the reasons why the
war has been so unduly protracted. This
paper shows continual conflict throughout
the war between the generals at the front
appealing for horses, and the officials of
the war office, who were endeavorng to
limit the number of mounts sent out
When the war broke out the remount
department in Cape Colony consisted. of
one officer. fifty men and one veterinary
officer, and when the British reverses came
q scratch remOunt establishment was hur-
riedfy gotten together. This proved itself
utterly incapable of dealing with the sud
den demands.
1t appears that in August. 1899, General
FOreSterWalker wired home that the opin-
ion of experts was adverse to mules. Again.
in December, after the mishap to Lord
Methuen. General Forester-Walker sug-
gested that no more American mules were
wanted. After the disasters to General
Butler the government first began an eX-
tensive purchase Of remounts and the
strain caused chaos to reign in the remount
department.
The blue book shows that the percentage
of losses in horses during their transit by
sea was comparatively small, but great
wastage arose from the fact that the
horses were put to work too quickly after
their voyage.
After Paardeberg Lord Roberts wired ur-
gently for remounts, adding. without mo-
bile forces l can do nothing in this coun-
try" Again, on March 0, 1900, Lord Rob
erts repeated his appeal
Lord Lansdowne about this time was
pressing Lord Roberts to forecast the time
when the supply OF horses could be dimin-
ished.
After Pretoria was captured, in July.
Lord Roberts thought the supply of
horses might be reduced twenty per cent"
He soon revised this miscalculation. how
ever, and in August was urging the gov
ernment to send more horses. In the mean
while Lord LanSdOWne was equally urging
the necessity to diminish the demands for
animals
In November of 1900 Mr.. Brodrick came
upon the scene with the representations of
financial necessities and the suggestion
that now the harder portion of the cam
paign is over the supply might be dimin-
ished In March, May, June and Septem-
Der Of 1901, Mr.. Brodrick wanted to dimin-
ish the supply of horses, Lord Kitchener
always replying that this was quite impos-
sible.
The parliamentary paper then sets forth
complaints from the war Office of the
wastage of horses through the inefficiency
of the remount department. and Mr.. Brod-
rick wired in November: I'VE cannot con-
tinue indefinitely to send from 10000 to L.
600 remounts a month to be used up by
column commanders in few days"
The final dispatch given by the paper is
dated January 10, 1902. 1t is from Lord
Kitchener and says that the number Of
horses sent is satisfactory.
. In Parliament today Mr.. Brodrick an
nounced that the government was still dis
patching 1000 remounts monthly, and, ac-
cording to the Pretoria correspondent of
the Times, remounts are still badly wanted
in South Africa.