Premier and War Office.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 315, 16 January 1902, Page 1

Premier and War Office.

MR DUTHIE’S LETTER.

’The following extraordinary letter from John Diithie, ex-M.H.R., appeared in the Wellington Times. It was written to the Post in December and was refused.

“ Sir,—Being desirous 'of criticising certain statements made by the Right Hon. the Premier, will you allow me to first sketch as a basis the national position in connection with this Boer war. The forces in South Africa, and the cost of this war, both exceed that of every war in which Britain has hitherto been engaged. Unreadiness—the first phase of national decay—is accepted as our ordinary condition, hut with this, the third year, the nation is ill at case to find that with 250,000 men in the field, it has failed to subdue the small remaining Boer forces, which probably do not now exceed 10,000. History has no parallel for failure with such odds, and the conclusion can scarce be disputed, that as a fighting force, the British have retrograded. Rampant nepotism and political jobbery are assumed to be the cause of the conditions disclosed by the war, and the people hailed the appointment of Lord Roberts as Com-mander-in-Chief with high hopes ; but the selection of General Buller for the command at Aldershot, when, as is now- apparent, there was full knowledge at the war office of his' suggestions to surrender Ladysmith, appears to show that Lord Roberts even is not strong enough to resist political pres, sure. A lurid sidelight is thrown on the state of discipline in the army by the need for the recent general order forbidding the officers of mobile forces to carry such cumbersome impedimenta as pianos and kitchen ranges with them in the field. While it cannot be argued that under such circumstances. >.nd i cm'during the ■"•mbfrs in the field, an additional thousand men can have much effect, still, probably Mr Seddon offered the Eighth Contingent solely from patriotic motives ; but it is to be feared that the manner he has gone about it has not only been unfortunate, but under the circumstances most mischievous. In the first place, he chose to make his first announcement to the colony when addressing a few returned troopers at a luncheon, and in terms subversive of all discipline, and this more especially by combining an explanation as to what lie had done over the case of Trooper Tasker, who hah been gui|iy of sleeping at his post when on duty as sentry. Tasker has been sentenced with the severity which military law provides for so grave an ofience, but from being a colonial the sentence; - as Mr Seddon tells U s, was reduced, first by the General, and again by the War Office, and so the fortunate Tasker stood to be released in January next, Such exceptional leniency is probably without precedent in the army, where an offence so sprioiis must be sternly punished', and it is evidence of great Consideration for Tasker as a colonist since such a remission must be jealously regarded, and generally have a bad’ effect upon the soldiers of the army. Mr Seddon, however, apparently attaches little value to such considerations. and be told these troopers that for such a crime as Tasker s a week’s imprisonment was enough—a statement which, if in future to be insisted upon, probably reduces colonial assistance to a farce and a danger. Then Mr Seddon spoke of Tasker as a lad implying that he was immature and unequal to the fatigue of the service. But Mr Seddon should not forget that as Defence Minister he is responsible tor this, and perhaps he will explain how Tasker came to be accepted In the speech to these troopers, Mr Seddon further indulges in various disturbing statements, certain of which appear to have been telegraphed and published in London . . . For political reasons probably Kitchener has courteously approved, but still the officer in command has a right to the absolute control of every man in his army, and New Zealanders should not be sent in the vainglorious spirit dilated upon by Mr Seddon, but as soldiers ever ready to zealously perform whatever task is required by their general, who can alone assess their fitness and the necessities of the war.”