THE CASE OF GENERAL DULLER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 7061, 21 January 1902, Page 4

THE CASE OF GENERAL DULLER.

The "National Review's" Answer to His Challenge.

Is it a Forgery?

Tho friends of General Puller and tho political antagonists of the Government, especially the pro-Pocr section of tho L--CSB, have boon making tho most of Sir L.cdvors' sudden retirement on halfpay, but thoir efforts to rouse public indignation to concert pitch at the " scandalous treatment " of tho gallant victim of " rank bad luck " have not so far been rewarded. It is true that resolutions have been passed condemning the Government by this association and that; that Lord Roberts' picture thrown on a screen at a place of entertainment was greeted with hisses, whilst that of Puller was wildly cheered; and that good Devonians all the world over are being invited by the Mayor of Exeter to subscribe shillings towards tho erection of a statute, or a soldiers' home, to commemorate thoir ill-used countryman's " brillant military service." Put the vast majority of Englishmen, whilst heartily sympathising with Puller, and condemning the Government for tho maimer in which tho retirement was cß'octed, entirely refuse to be worked up to that pitch of indignation which must bo achieved before the case of Puller becomes a national question. The truth is that we don't believe wo know tho whole truth concerning Puller and Ladysiuith, and some of us have perhaps an idea that instead of the Westminster speech, for which Sir Redvers was ostensibly " broken," being the head and forefront of his offending, it was merely the coping stone of scries of " indiscretions " of which the public know nothing, and which have nothing to do with Puller's South African work. The cardinal fact, at any rate, is that the majority of people aro keeping uncommonly quiet on the Huller topic, and not even the National Review's startling reply to Sir Redvers' challenge to produce tho helio message he sent to Sir George AVhito after Colenso, has served to disturb their caution. It has, however, piqued their curiosity, and a strong fooling is setting in that the Government would bo doing justice to all parties concerned if they published the fullest details concerning what we may call " the Puller emeu to " from the time he arrived at the Tugela to tho day ho made his famous " rank-btul-luck" speech at AVestminstor. The National Review publishes what puports to be the text message sent by General Puller to Sir George AVhito at Ladysmith on the evening of the battle of Colenso. It will be remembered that in his now famous AVestminstor speech Sir Redvers Puller said he had been accused of writing a telegram ordering Sir George AVhito "to give up Ladysmith to destroy his books, and so forth," and he challenged his detractors to publish his telegram. The message as printed in the National Review is as follows:—- ---" I have been repulsed. You will burn your ciphers. You will destroy all your ammunition. Yfou will then make the best terms you can with the Poors after I. have fortified myself on the Tugela."

Sir Redvers Builer, in the course of his speech, exclaimed, '• I challenge them to produce tho telegram, and say how they got it." Here, in his own words, is the explanation which the editor of the National Review gives of! the manner in which he became possessed of tho document:—" The ' perfectly secret telegram' which we arc challenged to produce, and which it is implied wo obtained in some illicit manner, reached us under the following circumstances :— A civilian friend, who went through the siege of Lady-smith, informed the editor nearly a .year ago that groat injustice was being done to Sir George White and his gallant garrison owing to the suppression of certain messages. He asserted that tho stupefying fact that on the night of the battle'of Colenso a Hash-light message counselling surrender was sent by General Hiiller to Sir G. AVhitc,and that the text of the transcript whs familiar to himself and many others, and the editor took it down from dictation. This is the document the production of which is demanded :— ' I have been repulsed. You will burn your ciphers. You will destroy all your ammunition. You will then make the host terms you can with the Boers after I have fortified myself on the Tugela.' So far from treating it as ' perfectly secret telegram,' our informant bogged lis to publish it forthwith, in order that justice might ho done to the defence of Ladysmith, and that England might know that, besides being a chivalrous and high-minded gentleman, Sir George AVhito had played a similar part to Nelson at Copenhagen when given an analogous order by Sir Hyde Parker. AVo refrained from publishing it simply to avoid a bitter and scandalous contro. versy. .During the past year wo have made one or two discreet allusions in these pages to this message, in order, if possible, to save General Hullci-from the perils of his own rhetoric, and as a hint to the Government that certain things could not be done which unfortunately have been done. AVc understand that both Sir Redvers l.ullcr and Sir George AVhito have officially applied for leave to publish the authorised version, and we connot conceive why this joint request should he declined." We should perhaps add that the same civilian who supplied the ' unauthorised ' version of the surrendered message produced another piece of information, which solves one of the mysteries of the Natal campaign and removes a serious reproach from Sir G. AVhito. The entire world'was surprised that there was no co-operation between j General Puller and General AVhito on December 15th, during the battle of Colenso, and the latter has been severely blamed for his inertia. At that time the Ladysmith garrison was comparatively fresh and lit, and men wondered why, when Sir Redvers Puller attacked the Poors in front, Sir George White remained passive in the rear. The answer to this, according to our informant, is that Sir George White was told that tho attack was to take place on December 17th—i.e., two days after tho battle of Colenso—and he was ordered to make his preparations for that date, which he did. Men in the Ladysmith garrison can confirm this, as extensive preparations were made for December 17th. Judge, then, of the surprise and dismay which was caused in the beleaguered city when General Puller's guns were heard booming on December loth. Why should not the public be allowed to know the true history of the war ? Why all this concealment, subterfuge, suppression, and consequent scandal ? " The Review holiogram is, of course, a very different message to that Sir Redvers at AVestminstor indicated he sent to Sir George White, and it is very probable that tho editor of the National Review has had his "leg pulled." He, at any rate, does not vouch for tho authenticity of the message, and Sir Redvers Puller has already declared that it is not his holiogram. AVhy cannot tho Government produce the genuine message ? They have hinted that they kept it back for Buller's sake. Builer, however, professes that he is quite prepared to have the public's judgment on it, and, indeed, threatened in his Westminster speech to publish a certified copy of his message to Sir George AVhito. lie has not done so yet. i