Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-08
ARMY SUPPLIES.

Whole Lot of Dishonesty Being Un-
 earthed in Connection With War.
 London, Feb S.-The apparent in- competence and, it is claimed, possible dishonesty, which permeate the pur- chacing departments of the British army. as revealed this week in parlia- ment, have caused public agitation that augurs badly for the war otnce Judging from recent and promised dls- closures scarcely any of the supplies for the army in South Africa were se- cured on business principles. Specu- lating contractors are now known To have made hundreds of thousands of pounds by re-selling contracts. The op- position vainly endeavored to get de rails regarding the new contract for the supply of meat. announced by the government in the house of commons, with the view of ascertaining If saw ing over the former methods will really be effected. The government success fully avoided answering. but the Asso- ciated Press understands that the con- tract In question was first re-sold at g 10000 premium. and then at 94O.- GOO. while Cecil Rhodes and the De Beers group handed over S200.000. and thus finally secured the privilege of supplying the troops in South Africa with fresh meat. These figures are likely to be shortly published here. and when known will doubtless add fuel to the fire of public indignation which threatens to center around the secre- tary for war, MT Frederick. as vicious ly as it did around Lord Lansdowne, when the latter was sponsor for the early blunders of the war. A dozen or more committees of investigation are now sitting, or are in process of formation. But. as the Saturday Re view says, ''these are only too often synonyms of oblivion"
 s"The fact remains" adds the Satur- day Review. that we have been swim dled on a very large scale.''
 Were such disclosures as appeared here this week cabled from America there would arise from the Saturday papers of that class such howl of shocked surprise at the political im- morality of the United States that would only be equalled by sanctimoni- ous expressions of relief over Great Britain's freedom from official vanal- fty
 While these stringent criticisms of the war office are being publicly aired, here is proceeding beneath the surface a revolt which threatens to be of even greater importance. The leading au- thorfties of the volunteers, including many of the commanders of the best known regiments. several of them titled persons and nearly all wealthy, are holding frequent meetings to de eide on the best methods of defeating MT Brodrick's new volunteer regula- tions. The committee which MT Brod- rick appointed to hear the grievances only aggravated matters.
 The commanders of the leading regi- ments had previously formed them selves into deputation to wait on Mir Brodrick. and he, temporarily, declined to see them; but the secretary for war stole march on the members of the deputation by announcing in the house of commons that he had appointed a committee of his own, In which not one of the deputation was included. His action created intense feeling among the members of the original deputation, who privately declare that the new volunteer regulations are the "deadhead committee were intro duced for the sole purpose of making conscriptfon possible
 The colonel of one of the London regiments said to representative of the Associated Press: We know Mir Brodrick wants transcription, though. perhaps. in modified form. If his ideas win the day the volunteers will gradually cease 10 be an effective force and will thereby supply the war office