Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-13
SIR WILLIAM ROBERTSON
IS RARE FIGURE IN ARMY
Remarkable Career From Ranks TO
Chief Of Staff Duo Entirely
to His Own Merits.
WINS WAY BY HARD WORK
All Branches OF Activities Under His
observation-disclosures as Man Of Few
Words, Who Sticks TO Facts and
Never INDUCES in Theories.

Words, Who Sticks TO Facts and
Never INDUCES in Theories.
BRITISH IiEADo RTERs.
FRANCE. September l2-Lit,le is
known to tho outside world about Sir
William Robertson, *. c. V. o. X. G. B..
j.. :. o. whose remarkable career
from the ranks TO chief of staff Of
the army IS so we'll known to tho
army itself. Ills work in relation TO
that Of Sir John French. the comlnan-
der-in-chicf. has been described az
that OF the general manager of p great
corporation TO That Of its president.
powerful built country boy, he
came to London at the age Of nineteen
and enlisted in the Ninth Lancers
Promotion from tho ranks is not fire
quent The great majority of officers
come from the military school al Sand
hurst. But tho door is kept open for
n private Of good education and char
acter- BY passing q stiff examination
he may secure a commission.
Young Robertson had had only an
elementary education: but ne set out
to make up for tho deficiency by study
He invested his shilling day, which
is the pa% Of n British private. in
books, As British regular trooper
has none TOO much time 10 himself. he
used to get comrades to read TO hin,
from Bacon and tho English classics
while he was grooming his horse or
cleaning his equipment;
Not until ne had served ten years did
he pass his examination which gave
him a commission in the Third Ora COON
Guards. He was then twenty-nine and
tho average second l!cutcnan: had
about eight years the start OF him on
the army list. In tho course OF lincal
promotion he could never hope to be
more than major. Special promotion
could come only through distinguish
ing himself Mac Donald, VINO won
fame b. his charge at Omduran. and
other eminent British commanders who
had risen from the ranks had won
their Way as natural leaders OF men
in the field. Robcrtson's career Is the
more striking, officers say, because IT
is due to excellence IN organization
and In the application OF the methods
Of modern war which presupposes the
grounding Of thorough scientific
military education.
IN INDIA ROBERTSON
FINDS HIS OPPORTUNITY
Four years after he had received his
commission ne had won enough atten-
ticn 10 be assigned 10 the Intelligence
branch Of tho quartermas,er's depart
n"nt in India In India he found his
opportunity Rewards are given Off
GERS for learning native dialects.
To The average officer therc.is moth
ing very attractive in spending hours
win native ''munshi" or teacher In
acquiring a tongue which can be O;
use with only some frontier tribe
Robertson offered his munshi quarter
OF the reward when he was prohcicn,
enough TO earn il by passing an en-
animation.
Sir William, when ne is reminiscent
will recall what an excellen, bargain
this proved 10 be The munshi saw
10 II that his pupil did not fail "a
Improve any spare moments He would
I've waiting nj his pupils door q, day
break and put h!n through an hours
lesson before breakfast. Having mas
tered one dialect. Robertson undertook
another and then another. Soon he
became known as a language exper,
rms gained for him another oppor-
tun!ty which was 10 apply his know
ledge by explorations on the north
west frontier. When the Chitra trou-
BILE came his linguistic accom- plish
inents and his knowledge Of The coun.
try were invaluable. He came out Of
the Chitral campaign with the dist;n-
Euished service order for services which
included gallantry in action when he
was severely wounded. Now he was =
marked man" in the service. marked
by stubborn application which had
brought him from the ranks and hy his
demonstrated ability.
Every ono had 10 admire him rs
another general said. He had won
his way without influence. against
ODDS, by sheer hard work. making the
most OF his natural gifts"
on the staff throughout the South
African campaign he earned the praise
of Roberts and Kitchener by his en-
pac!ty for getting things done when
others sometimes failed. When in 1910
he was placed in command Of the ARMY
stan college, even those who agreed
that he had shown himself to be the
man FOR the place were amazed at the
thought OF man who had been for
ten years private without any
ground work of regular academic edu-
cation. should become the director OF
an institution which gathers the
ablest officers OF the army for instruc-
uon in the higher branches OF war and
gives The character 10 army oreaniza-
ton in time OF war.
Ills IMPROVEMENT OF STAFF
COLLEGE MARKS AN EPoCI.
Meantime, he had kept on with his
languages. He now knew French and
German. and he had studied the con-
tinental army systems. There seems
to be general agreement that his i'm :
provement of the STAFF College marked
an epoch.
AS director of military training at
the War Office, he later had much 70 do
with the preparation OF the British ey