The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-08
Scenes at Headquarters. Where the
Correspondent Of the London Mail
Was GraciousIy Welcomed.
PRAISE FOR LITTLE B0BS,
WHO HAS IMBUED HIS MEN WITH
UNCONQUERABLE ENTHUSIASM.
The Sirdar n Busy Man-Incidents
of Buffers CamPaign-A Modern
ActionsDescribed by Churchill.
,OrrespOndenee OF the As.ocIa,ea Pre.s.

Correspondence OF the Associated Press
LONDON, Feb "a little gray-headed
man with very compact. well-knit figure
and resoiute look and very keen eyes. That
is the hero of the hour, Lord Roberts. the
victor of Kandahar, the savior of Kimber-
ley. the victor of Paardeberg, as he is de-
scribed by Charles +. Hands, writing from
Cape Town to the Daily Mail. The same
correspondent continues: Everywhere I
seem to come across him. and everywhere
he happens to be people turn round and
look at him as he passes and hurry back
for another look, and are so impressed that
they almost forget TO cheer. And wher-
ever he goes, with his alert step and his
grave. strong look, confident purpose and
resolution seem to spread around. He
looks so thoughtful, everything he does
seems so thoughtful. so well considered.
part of a definite scheme.
~ got glimpse OF him alone in a big
office room. 1t is very small matter to
him which l want TO put before him, / am
thinking. But he does not seem TO think
so. To him no detail seems unimportant.
He considers it rapidly but thoughtfully.
gives decision and a reason for IL, and
then, the subject dismissed. remembers TO
say something of a subject that is very
close TO the heart of every Daily Mail
writer and Daily Mail reader too
Lord Roberts is the man with the plan.
the man who knows what he is going TO DO
and is taking every step necessary to do 1t.
And the colonists. who were getting very
them. fuller OF enthusiasm than ever. and
enthusiasm. And how they volun-
teering to him. A dozen bodies OF irregular
colonial horse are being raised; as many as
are wanted can be raised. Business at
last, real business.
81 seek on opportunity TO get a glimpse
of the general manager of this great BUSH
ness undertaking at his work. 1 am told
to be there at ten minutes past nine. 1 ar
rive at five minutes past nine and wait in
an outer office for what seems an hour.
look at my watch and find IL is eleven min
utes past nine i begin to doubt when L
remember that my watch is a minute fast.
1t is exactly ten minutes past nine when
door is opened and my name Is called.
81 go into a long room in which are sew
eral desks like the desks in the manager
Office of great railway company. And
at each desk, bending over piles of papers,
sits high officer. And At the Ind OF the
room at a taDle Wnicn cofninanuS d~NleW
of all the rest of the room and OF other
desks sits a big, dark. stern man with
heavy mustache, intent upon papers Be
fore he looks UP L have time to note the
telephones and neatness and orderliness or
| the ARRANGEMENT of the table. When ne
does look up he keeps his finger on the
paper in front of him, marking the place
where he left of.
al begin to tell what / have to say. He
| looks at me with very keen, bright, gray
| blue eyes, and before l have said two
words he seems to know all the rest. In
| GLIDING that which / had planned artfully
| to lead UP to. In ten words he says what
| he has TO say. He asks me about some
| thing which he wants to know. hears what
| / have TO say, remarks that he is very
busy and before l have quite realized that
| have shaken hands and said good morn
| ing he is. bending down again over his pa
per. deep In a calculation at the point
where he left off. Lord Kitchener-for IL Is
he's engaged, they tell me, in reorganiz-
| ing the transport system.
Think of that-in time OF war. an the
midst of a campaign, he is doing for him.
self what the whole Of Pail Mall would
have bungled at for years in times or
peace But he thinks IL is necessary, he
knows that he can do il, and no one seems
| to have the slightest doubt that IL VIII be
a very advantageous thing TO do. And
observe that OF the men Immediately
around him many down to the merest sub
| ordinates, are men whom he has trained
and tried himself at the other end OF Africa
| to know what he wants and 10 do what ne
wants.
THE head manager has brought his sub
managers along with him, just as Sir
| Thomas Upton or Sir Westman Pearson or
any other would do IL he had big new
| scheme to carry out. Business-Dig busi-
nesslike business"