THE SPIONKOP AFFAIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11986, 7 June 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE SPIONKOP AFFAIR.

("FROM OIR OWS rORRKSI'O.VDKNT."! *; London, April 23. England's military reputation abroad La* not gained, I need hardly say, by the publication of those Spionkop despatches which T summarised last week. In fact, Continental observers are almost stupefied with, amazement at the glaring ineptitude displayed all round, which i< redeemed only by the splendid courage of our soldiers; Even now we do not know all. tor Sir Chaiiefl Warren, who was so-bitterly censored by Sir Redvers Bnller, writes :—" For the pa--':. two years I. have considered it right to re- . ''} main silent under the criticisms pissed on me in the desparelfes. But re- k cent!}' a White-book has been published Containing, 1 have nc doubt, all the de* spatches having reference to the Spionkop - operations which had reached the War Office in Man.?!. 1900. This White-book, however, does net contain some of the most) important documents bearing on the subject. And those now published, if considered by themselves, give a totally incorrect view of the matter, and one that reflects most in- ? juriously upon the military reputation oj myself and those-who served so well under m me. T trust that my conduct will be justified by the publication by His Majesty's Government of complete documents, a course I should infinitely prefer to undertaking my own justification. But the military imputation of myself and of those who were under me is involved. Pending such Government: action, which I trust may. taken without) delav, I refrain from troubling you with any further statement at present." But the War Office flatly— to Bay snappishly—has refused to produce any mora information about the matter until the war is over. The Times may well say that the Spionkon despatches recall an episode of which "the single redeeming feature was the splendid conduct of our troops in circumstanced \ which tried to the utmost their discipline ami their courage. From every other point of view the story of Spionkop and the behaviour ofmost of the principal actors concerned in it. must remain painful reading tf» Englishmen."