The Washington herald., 1912-07-11
RECKLESS SPEECH AND WRITING
ANNOYS ENGLISH PUBLIC MAN


That many are growing more reckless
Of speech and writing seems to be the con-
clusion which must be drawn from the
frequency with which public men of late
have had to defend their honor in court
Even the King of England. George v him
self. had TO take action year ago in a
case of libel and recently Winston
Churchill. the present first lord of the
British Admiralty. has had to proceed on
similar lines
Not long ago a politician, in a public
speech, made the statement that Mr..
Churchill broke his parole while prisoner
OF war, at Pretoria during the South
African war, for which remark. subse-
quently he apologized. And yet a British
magazine with a high literary reputa-
ton printed a poem, the object of which
was to satirize prominent members of
the cabinet. and in which occurred the
following verse, obviously referring to
the First Admiralty Lord:
More fond of warlike words than blows.
When captured by our Asian foes.
How cleverly he homeward stole.
And broke his prison and parole.
The magazine in question also published
an apology, but in order to prevent any
one else to give currency Of such rumors.
Mr.. Churchill took the case into court.
where he was fully exonerated.
II is difficult to imagine how this false
story could have been invented, for the
historian has given detailed account
OF the entire episode, which forms a
particularly interesting story Of the Beer
war. At the time of his capture Mr..
Churchill was acting as war correspon-
dent for the London Post. On Novem-
Der Is, 1899. he Joined the crew of 100
officers and men OF an armored train
which had orders to proceed to Estcourt,
forty miles from Ladysmith, to ascer-
tain how far the line was practicable
for the passage of an army. This train.
on reaching Chievely. ran into Boer
trap. The enemy were posted on either
side of the line, and the train was met
with a haiistorm of bullets
An attempt was made to reverse the
engine and run back. but the trucks
suddenly exploded. the cars were rent
asundeY, and their human freight spilled
like potatoes out of a bag. The Beers
had placed an impeachment on the track
behind the train, so that 1t should be
wrecked II it started TO retreat. thus
placing the British troops at their
mercy, in which they were successful.
Three times the train crew drove back
the Beers in spite of their rapidly firing
Maxims and nine-pounders, while Lieut..
FARMLAND. of the Dublin Light Infantry,
aided by Mr.. Churchill and other volun-
teers. strove to free the engine and re-
move the wreckage. At last they had
engine, tender. and a few cars righted
and safely charged with their mutilated
human freight and started on their mel
ancholy return journey. Mr.. Churchill
then returned to help those of the wound
ed. who had been left behind, and was
made a prisoner, together with Capt.
HaIdane, of the Gordon Highlanders.
Lieut.. FARMLAND. and fifty-eight of the
wounded soldiers.
Despite a pouring rain the party was
marched to Calenso. Next morning they
were taken to the Boer camp near Lady
smith, and thence via Modder Spruit to
Pretoria. What the contemporary press
at the time thought of Mr.. Churchill's
conduct is recorded in the columns of
the London Echo. as follows: In this
affair Mr.. Churchill. though a noncom-
blatant. displayed the courage OF his
stock. and cheered the men in the work
OF rescuing the wounded and the bodies
Of the men, crying. Come on, men, with
all the courage that his father showed
in political warfare, or his great ancestor
on the field OF Blenheim or Malplaquet.
When the engine steamed OF Mr.. Church.
When Mr. Churchill was taken to Pre-
toria he was confined in the State Model
Prison with a large number of commits
stoned officers, who had fallen into the
enemy's hands in the earlier operations
Of the war. No parole was offered him.
He was held as a prisoner of war on the
same terms as the officers. He was in
h,r h.
Transvaal government that there was lit
tie chance OF his release. 1t was then
that Mr.. Churchill got busy discussing
with himself the best means of struggling |
for freedom. / quote again from history: |
The State Schools Prison was well |
guarded it was surrounded by a high |
wall. and the sentries were vigilant in the |
extreme. He formed for himself a plan, |
however and once. when the back of his |
sentry was momsptarily turned. he took |
his courage in both hands, as the French |
say, rushed at the six-foot wall scaled it, |
and let himself down into a neighboring |
garden before his movement could be de- |
tected."
In a little while Mr. Churchill found |
himself wandering unrecognized through |
the streets of the town, and he struck 1
out for the Delagoa Railroad. Sticking |
close to the rails he bided his time eau
tiously in the vicinity of an adjacent sta
ton. There he watched for the coming of
a train, and just as it sped past him he
made a leap toward a truck with an agil
ity born of sheer despair. grabbed at
hook on the edge. boarded. and soon was
in a cargo of coal sacks
But there remained the danger of be-
ing discovered when daylight came, so
the future First Lord before dawn took
a flying leap. landing fat on the en-
bsnkment. For the next five days he
concealed himself in the dense African
forest, tramping along close to the rail-
l DAD track. under cover of the trees.
But the hue and cry had gone forth.
After his escape. the Boer authorities