The sun., 1903-09-27
GEN. IAN HAMILTON VISITS Us.
HOLIDAY OF THE BRITISH QUAR-
TERlMASTER-GENERAL.
Tanned Man Of SO-GoinS First to Canada
10 Sec the Men Of the Royal Canadians
VINO Fought Under Him In BOer War
Next 10 West Point and Washington.

10 Sec the Men of the Royal Canadians
VINO Fought Under Him In BOer War
Next to West Point and Washington.
Lieut.. Gen. Sir Ian Hamilton. K. c. B.,
who was one Of the heroes of the Boer war
and is now Quartermaster-G General of the
British forces, arrived here yesterday on the
Lucania on a five weeks leave OF absence
Gen. Hamilton was met at the pier by Capt
Harper, aide to MajorGen. ChatYee. who
escorted him to the WaldorfAstor where
Gen. Chafiee called later. Last night Gen
Hamilton left for Canada, whence he will
return to this city on Oct. S.
MY visit here" said Gen. Hamilton, sis
purely in the nature Of a pleasure trip which
was melted to take, think, mainly by the
very cordial invitation l got from Gems,
Corbln and Young, whom I met at the
German manGuvres. I have not come
here 'ncognito,' az one report saw had it.
don't take myself SO seriously. There is
,, absolutely nothing official in my visit y
however.
Il am going to Canada mainly with a
view OF meeting lot OF the men who fought
madam Regiment. They were splendid
boys and want to see them again. When
return am going to accept Gen. ChaYee' 8
invitation to visit West Point. That Is Il
famous spot. 1t is known to soldiers all
over the world, but we In England hear 1t
mentioned all the time 1t is held up to us
and fairly jammed down our throats.
That is why want to see it. We have so
much to learn from it.
"Over in England, at our school at Sand
hurst, we have now a commandant who
knows his West Point like book. For that
reason he's extremely valuable. He Is
Col, Kitson, who was head Of the military
tary attachs at Washington. Since he has
assumed charge at Sandhurst he has made
some changes suggested by his study OF
West Point and may make more. You
pay your officers more over here. That
10 good thing. The pay Of our officers Is
very small i'll comparison
AS for the American army know very
little from personal observation. In South
Africa We had lot Of Americans, fellows
who brought the horses over and loved a
fight SO well that they enlisted. They were
great fighters, too, To the British Off
GERS there appeared to be hardly any diff
ference, if any, between the men bred in
your West and the Canadians who served
in Lord Strathcona's command, As SOL
diers they showed the same qualities. They
were capable OF acting individually and
were Injured to hardships,"
Gen. Hamilton said that he could not dis
ouss the proposed reorganization OF the
British Army, Of which he has been q strenl-
Gus advocate, nor the war Office scandal"
as 1t is called. British politics also he
barred
Gen. Hamilton said that he was going to
visit Lord Mimic at Ottawa and review the
Forty-eighth Highlanders, and would take
in most of the large Canadian cities After
his return here he Is going to Washington to
see Gems. CoIbn and Young. and at their
suggestion is to visit the battlelields of
Antietam, Gettysburg and Chickamauga.
He said he had also been invited by Gen.
Young. to witness the army mare,vres,
but feared that he would not get time.
Gen. Hamilton brought with him pair
OF field glasses which have an interesting
history. At the battle Of Majuba Hill in
the first Boer war when Hamilton, then
subaltern, besought his commander to let
him lead bayonet charge against the i'm
pregnable position of the Beers, which re-
quest was refused, he lost the glasses.
They were found on a dead Boer farmer
toward the end OF the war, and as Gen.
Hamilton's name was engraved on them,
the British officer who had routed the Beers
In the skirTnish returned the glasses TO
their owner.
Gen Hamilton is so years old, tall and
slender, and with face much tanned from
exposure. He said yesterday that he had
been In the open air all his life up to the time
be became Quartermnster General. Gen.
brevet Of Major In the Nile expedition Of
1884, and the brevet OF Lieutenant Colonel
In the Burmese campaign. He fought at
Lsdysulith, Elandslaagte and other battles
Of the Boer war, and finally became Lord
Ktohensr's chief Of stsn. He was very