New-York tribune., 1905-06-30
ENGLISH WAR SCANDALS.
Sir UiVian Batler's Indictment OF
,4r,uu Seruice and Contractors.


~-..o, ..-;hute r, the purity of the public ser
,1ce his ra,na.k at the Union League CLUB
.,s. he did not hear of single case of corrup-
flor ell the tire that ne was In the cihteu
Einrdon1 is quoted during the same week "ieh
The port of a departmental commetee on saies
a ref,n5s TO contractors has been made pub
lie. and self-respecting ErgiishInen are reiuc-
tently forced to adrut that the compliment eouiu
,or h,ya been raid if his departure had been
deferred n fortnight. The comments or Lohoon
Journals on the army scandals are cautious ana
,.rs,eo. fo,. two libel suits have been
hroueht nv officials implicated in these uansac-
+sons and appeals have been taken to higher
co,,rts Yet vyithou. fncurring the risks OF con-
tempt of court by taking up the charges asai'e'
army officers and contractors they ACCEPT .iio
renort as an impeachment OF the whoie aoiini
,strative system. Millions were wasted py iii
entItude and rnisinanaxenlent In South Aliiea-
That was the frst impression of the conllnneee,
and 2 more charitable view of the transactiohs
could not have been formed AS the lHFes'ied
zion nroceeded there was increasing sense Oh
.nsniciop until finally ''the idea or even cuipa
81. ,a.,icence had to be abandoned and In its
,,o,e the impression of cleverly arranged con-
t-,y.nce substItuted." with SO startling re-
MORT from the War ONCE in a blue BOOK anu
hundreds of pages OF evidence IN SIX speohe
cases the English press frankly coneeues .
Ar Cboate,s tribute TO the purity OF the puohe
service is undeserved-
Al the close of the war in South Africa en..e
was four months stock OF military s'oiee 10
aooooo men and 100000 animals anu snrls
were a1oat to augment these supplies Inc
War Office is censured in the report ioi Aee
,.o.,,r ~ divert the supplies. which were III
,r,nsit nv sea. and to send out a small tralleu
..ae 70 dispose of the surplus STOCKS ihe
husnesslike course would have been 10 use use .i.o
stores SO far as possible for the gafrisoi' "1
remained large for several months anu aiso ~
fbe renatriation of the Boers Ii, Two coioiiie''
,,,s..re in accordance with the convention they
ware 10 be restored to their homes ana put IL
the wav of supporting themselves. me ac-
crroulated stocks sold at a sacrihce "
,.-.c+ors and then repurchased at enhanced
,,-;ces for the garrison and the Boer refugees.
A more wasteful system could scarceiS iia'e
heen devised, or one more prontaoie ~ rie
contractors; and the only intelhsioie EXCUSE
offered for il was that tie expenses OF d lax isS
clerical staff were saved and serious rishs anu
liabilities avoided a trained staff from 'ho
army service corps would have earned ils '
aries and large percentage OF the surplus
ssores va,yed at six or seven millions stefiiiis
would not have been sold and bought back 10
the enrichment of contractors Tnere was ~ ~
intelligent forecast Of the amount OF stores re-
euired either for the army or for the Boer SET
tlers and the sales and purchases went Oh
without supervision from the general stan anu
with almost incredible careiessness on The part
of The War Office in neglectng to ask for offl-
clio, returns The ineptitude of the military
authorities in these proceedings was most
en,azing The contractors were allowed free
hand and army scandals were inevitable IN
deed, this trenchant report contains dark hints
of .an impenetrable background where some
eeeper calculator had his abode.
aTime brings its revenges to a veteran, is
the comment made by military rnen on this re-
mort The author is Sir William Butler, one
of the strongest and most picturesque figures
in the British army. He was in command OF
the garrison in South Africa when Lord Miner
was conducting his negotiations with President
Kruger and he well informed that he
able TO warn the government at home of the
ma gaitude of the struggle which was i'm
pending He was considered aiarnlist, and be-
fore the outbreak of the war he was recalled t.
routine work in the southern counties and was
charged with being Boer syTnpathizer and
Little Englander. Like good soldier. he held
his peace and went with his work in silence
Indifferent to criticism and abuse. His vindica
ton when exhaustive reports on the con-
auct Of the war contained evidence of the
sagacity Of his forecasts, of which no heed
was taken at the War Office; yet he did not
seem elated by this reversal Of public judg
resentfu When department investigation of
sales and refunds to contractors was ordered
he was readily induced to conduct it, and with
his great experience and active mind he COM
pletely overslladowed his colleagues Some OF the
critics assert that he allowed his prepossessions
and his zeal as Liberal standing for Parlia-
ment at the next election TO run away with him
and that he took unfair advantage of an OPP
portunity for exposing the ineliciency which
was shown in carrying out Lord Kitchener's
recommendation for the sale OF the surplus
= stores. A gallant soldier whose conscience has
aWays been in his work, ought not 10 be ex-
posed to structures OF this sort He discov-
cred that bad work had been DONE and consid-
cred that the department was entitled to an
honest ana candid report and the country to
iui knowledge OF the truth As he was silent
wnen he was grossly. nlaligned a few years ago.
ne ought now TO be credited with high motives
IN making this exposure of military inefficiency
sir William Butler, moreover is a man of
letters, who has written several spirited books
ana mas the Irish talent for vividness of style
and rhetorical ornament. Military writer's ac-
euston1ed TO the dull levels Of raediocrity and
commonplace in official reports are shocked to
mo passages Hike this: Some clumsy pam
taloon in putties-eYen some agile harleoui, ;tie
heinlet-may occasionally be caught or the
catsnc description, the readiest reckoner Of
proht OF whom the history of military con-
tracts has any record They COMPLAIN tha.
the report is too picturesque in phrasing. too
rhetorical in form, TO be regarded as a. judicial
coloriess document; and certainly it does not
lack either feryor vivacity Sir William
Butler has been deeply interested in his work.
has kept firm grip upon the facts. and has
known how to make his points. If his pen
sometimes away with his discretion he
never loses sight Of his object which is 10 make