Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-01-08
GENERAL LORD ROBERTS
Sketch of the New British Leader
In South Africa.
Known AS SOLDIERS GENERAL"

| Little Bobs- IL a Commander whom
Tommy Atkins Always Follows Inn
DIIcItIy-How He Won the Victoria
| Cross In IndIa-HIs Famous CAM
| paIgns In Afghanistnn.
To place Field Marshal Lord Roberts
in command in South Africa at the
present moment is at once an admis-
sion by the British government that
the most serious crisis has arisen and
an anticipation of popular demand.
| French reverses would inevitably have
| caused 4 cry in England for Little
Bobs," the soldiers general" With
| the army he has always been q COM
mander 20 be followed implicitly any
where. Since the famous march to the
relief of kandahar in 1850, by which
he retrieved the early disasters of the
Afghan war. he has enjoyed the repu-
tation of being the strongest general
England possesses. In military ability
general estimation places him on par
with Lord Wolseley, the present COM
mander In chief. He has not had the
direct control of the war office eXer-
cised for so long by Lord Wolseley,
but as commander In chief in India for
two terms has been responsible for
placing the Indian army i'll its present
condition of efficiency and for a com
plete system of defense arranged to
guard against Russian invasion from
the northwest frontier. In the ordi-
nary course of things he would succeed
Lord Wolseley as commander in chief
Of the British army ut the war office
headquarters in the course of next
year.
Lord Roberts is now In his sixty-sev-
enth year and at an age when his
days of active campaigning might be
considered over is called upon to face
the hardest task of his military ca
reer. But since his return from India,
while he has been quietly fulfilling the
duties OF commander of the forces in
India, there have been no signs of any
weakening of his vigorous physical
powers. and the small. spare frame of
tho veteran may well Withstand the
hardships of the South African cam
paign. II is a pathetic coincidence that
the day which called him to fresh duty
for his country should be that of the
death of bis only son, Lieutenant the
Hon. Frederick Hugh SherstOn Rob
erts. who has died from the wounds
received when serving with Thorney-
croft's horse in covering the retreat
and who had been through five cam
paigns, though he was not yet so. An
other bereavement had already be-
fallen Lord Roberts in the death of his
nephew, Major Sherston, in one Of Lord
Methuen's battles.
This is not the first time that Lord
Roberts has been sent out to the Cape
OH n military errand. With a soldiers
terseness and perhaps a touch of bit
terness in acquiescing in the instruc-
lions of the political authorities, he
thus describes the episode:
Il did not return TO India until the
end of 1881. six weeks out of these pre-
cious months of leave having been
spent In n wild goose chase to the Cape
of Good Hope and back upon my being
nominated by Mr.. Gladstone's govern
ment governor of Natal and command
er of the forces in South Africa on the
death of Sir George Colley and the re-
ceipt of the disaster at Majuba Hill.
While 1 was on my way to take up my
command peace was made with the
Beers in the most marvelously rapid
and unexpected manner-a peace, alas!
without honor. to which may be at
tributed the recent regrettable state of
affairs in the TranSvaal-a state of af-
fairs which was foreseen and predicted
by many at the time. My stay at Cape
Town was limited TO "a hours, the gov
eminent being apparently as anxious
TO get me away from Africa as they
had been to hurry me out there"
As a subaltern of Bengal artillery
Lord Roberts went out to India in
1852. But he was soon able to join his
father. General Sir Abraham Roberts,
a veteran Indian officer, who did not
receive his appointment to command
division until his sixty-ninth year.
From him he learned much relating 10
and the campaigns of
1851. which he afterward turned to
good account. He was fortunate in
early receiving staff appointment,
and as a knowledge Of Hindoostanee
was necessary he shut himself up and
studied Indian literature with the best
or instructor, he could get IN