Arizona republican., 1902-03-23

did he break his own rule and scatter
 his plans to the winds Along with me
 he admitted seven other correspond
 ents, taking eleven after vowing that
 only three could go.
 In that incident you see the crippling defect of the man and are able to un-
 derstand in a great measure why he may be a very valuable subordinate
 but never can achieve success where he
 is charged with supreme authority and
 responsibility.
 What a very strange career has his
 been in this war. He came as the hero of the British Africanders Cor whit.
 men of South Africa) because he had
 done nothing in the Bechuanaland
 campaign and had done that nothing
 with lofty bearing and impressive
 manners. All England looked to him
 as the best it had. for at the beginning
 of the war lords were measured by the
 weight of their titles, and nothing more
 was asked of any soldier than that he
 be an aristocrat. Methuen was to re-
 lieve Kimberley by a hop, skip and T
 jump. and he and Butler were to end
 the war so as to be back in London on
 Christmas. Butler, over a glass in his
 club, had actually boasted that he
 would finish the war in a few weeks.
 But it is not fair to Lord Methuen to
 couple Sir Redvers Buffers name with
 his except as history compels it. For
 we shall see that Lord Methuen, de-
 spite his defects, is a brave, gallant.
 earnest and godly man, capable of the most brilliant work when occasion of fers. Methuen has been twice wound ed in. this war. We cannot fairly couple his name With that of Butler. Butler was then commanderin-chief
 and engaged on the Natal side of the
 great field war. It was he who handi- capped Methuen a the start and in sured failure for his expedition. He took all the guns and horses he could obtain, and ordered Methuen to move with only about 1.500 mounted men in force of 10000, though every man under him should have been we'll mounted. To order Methuen to make a dash, to call his a flying column" was like dressing a man in the metal suit of ] l diver and asking him to swim across the Hudson in race with naked swim mers.
 He started with a "hurrah" not often enjoyed by any general, getting world wide credit for victories at Belmont ana Graepan winch were not victories,
 but were parts of the plot of the Boers to draw the British on and on until
 they were to be trapped, decimated and stalled at Modder river. Commandant Prinsloo set this forth in an interview in the Bloemfontein Express before Lord Methuen started. The plan failed
 at Modder because of the bravery shown by Lord Methuen and General Pole-Carew, both of whom threw eau tion to the winds and pushed into the river under hail of Boer lead. Sucn courage and dash could never be taken into account in any plans made a Boer whose method of fighting is always cautious and generally tricky. relying upon ambushes, stolen British un,- | forms. the display of white or red cross | flags or any one of a score of other in | genuities. The wonderful trap at Mod der was passed in safety by the British
 and the Boers went on to Maghersfon- | tein.
 Prinsloo had said Spytfontein would | be the last stand of the English if they l passed Modder river. but the plans