Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-15
Field Marshal of English Army,
While Visiting Indian Troops
in . France, SuccumbS TO
Grim Reaper,
NATION IS PLUNGED
INTO DEEP MOURNING
Noted IriShman Conceded 10.
Have Been Foremost Sol
der of His Generation, Was
50 Years of Age.


London, NUy. - CESS n. MI
Field Marshal Earl Roberts died last
night In Frauce, from pneumonia. \
telegram from Field Marshal Sin
John ifrcnrh commander of the
British cxpcditiunary forces on the
continent appraised Earl Kitchener
secretary Of state for war, of the
death of England's great soldier. The
telegram read:
II deeply regret to tell you that
Lord Roberts died at o'clock this
Saturday evening
Field Marshal Roberts, who was
colonel-in- chief Of the Indian troops.
had gone To France TO give them his
greetings Soon after his arrival he
became seriously ill., He suffered a
severe chill on Thursday and penu-
monia rapidly developed His great
age so years, initiated against his
recovery, the crisis in the disease
coming quickly.
\ National Hero.
The news of the death, of Lord
Roberts came as an entire surprise
to England. The veicf. IS devotion
to the Interests of the army, his hard
work in this connection and his SEEM
Ing good health had been the subject
of comment since the beginning of
the war. He was the most popular
military figure in Great Britain and
national hero without rival in the
affections Of the people.
Despite his years, he had never
ceased hard work since his nominal
retirement and. as he had often re-
marked, he lived a rigidly abstemious
life that he might preserve his
strength for the service of his coun-
try.
During the past five or six years
when the German war cloud had been
growing, he prosecuted an active
campaign to persuade the nation to
adopt a compulsory military service.
His belief was that Great Britain re-
CURED the training of the whole male
population in arms rather on the
plan of Switzerland than the longer
terms of CONSUMPTION enforced in
the case of continental military ma
tons.
Foresaw the Great War.
BY speeches in parliament and adj
dresses before meetings throughout
the kingdom, by magazine writings
and letters, he preached increasingly
and untiringly the necessity for the
nation to have It's men trained in the
rudiments at least of the soldiers
work so that they could he called
quickly to arms to defend their coun-
Try against invasion. He expressed
the conviction that Germany was
planning TO make war on Great Brit
ain when she found an advantageous
movement and the supposed menace
OF civil war in ireland was a factor
IN settling alright the present Euro
pean conflagration.
Not Fluent Speaker.
Lord Roberts commanded none of
the arts of the orator and usually
read his speeches. His popular nick
name "Bobs, implied no lack of per-
sonal dignity. Although only feet, |
ia shade shorter than Field Mar |
shall French--hs figure and bearing |
We're the embodiment of soldierly /
character.
His home at Ascot. WAS u modest. |
unpretentious villa. For society he |
had neither time nor inclination, but |
he was president of the Pilgrims
club and presided over many of its
Field Marshal Roberts worked day
and night for the welfare of the sol
diers from the outbreak Of the war
The government, it is said, will Of
fer a tomb in Westminster Abbey or
st. Paul's for the empires foremost
soldier.
Roberts of Kandahar. Pretoria
and Waterford, as Field Marshal +
Lord Frederick Sleight Roberts was
known, sums up briefly the career of
the noted soldier whose death has
plunged the empire into mourning.
Scion of noble Irish family, Lord
Roberts was born in 1892 in Gavin
pore. india where his father, Gen
era Sir Abraham Roberts, was serV-
ing. 1t was in the Indian service that
the gallant and efficient Irish soldier
achieved his first and lasting fame.
1t was in South Africa, in his later