The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-09-30


iiJ.--Little Ia known to the outside
weird about Sir William Robertson X.
g Y. o.. X. c. B., D. S. o., whose re-
variable career from the ranks to
,yhief OF staff OF the army Is so well
knOwn to the army itself His work
n relation to that of Sir John French,
Ne commander in chief, has been de-
puribsd as that Of the general manager
Ut . great corporation to that OF It's
prNMident.
A powerful built country boy he
uame to London at the age Of 10 and
enlisted in the Ninth Lancers. Promo
tom from the ranks Is not frequent.
The great majority Of officers come
1om the military school at Sandhurst
But the door is kept open for a private
q good education and character. BY
passing stiff examination he may Sc
bure q commission.
Young Robertson had had only an
Elementary education; but he set out
y make up for the deficiency by study
He Invested his shilling day, which Is
kho pay of a British private, in books
A. q British regular trooper has none
TOO much time to himself he used to
ret comrades to read to him from
nacon and the English classics while
he was grooming his horse or cleaning
his equipment
An Expert Organizer.
Not until he had served 10 years did
he pass his examination which gave
him commission in the Third ORA
goon guards. He was then 29 and the
: average second lieutenant had about
eight years the start of him on the
army, list. In the course Of lineal pro-
motion he could never hope to be more
than a major. Special promotion could
come only through distinguishing him
SELF Macdonald, who won fame by
his charge at Omduran and other emil
nent British commanders who had
yfeen from the ranks had won their
way as natural leaders OF men in the
nsld. Robertsons career Is the more
striking, officers say, because it is due
70 excellence in organization and in
the application of the methods of mod
ern war which presupposes the ground
Ing OF thorough scientific military
education.
Four years after he had received his
commission he had won enough atten-
ton to be assigned to the intelligent
branch Of the quartermaster's depart
mOnt I'm India. In India he found his
opportunity. Rewards are given Off
o1rD for learning native dialects.
TO the average officer there is moth
lng very attractive in spending hours
with q native "munshi." or teacher in
acquiring tongue which can be OF
use with only some frontier tribe.
Robertson offered his munshi q quarter
Of tho reward when he was proficient
enough to earn 1t by pansing an ex-
Summation.
How He Learned Dialects.
Sir William, when he is reminiscent,
Will recall what an excellent bargain
his proved to be. The munshi saw to
4 that his pupil did not fail to i'm
prove any spare moments. He would
~ waiting at his pupils door at day
break and put him through an hours
oODon before breakfast. Having mas
tsred one dialect, Robertson under
took another and then another. Soon
BE- became known as language ex-
pert. This gained for him another OPP
portunity which was to apply his
knowledge by explorations on the
northwest frontier. When the Chitral
trouble came his linguistic accomplish
ments and his knowledge Of the coun-
try were invaluable. He came out Of
the Chitral campaign with the dis
unFnished service order for services
which included gallantry in action
when he was severely wounded. Now
he was marked man" in the serv-
Ice, marked by stubborn application
which had brought him from the ranks
and by his demonstrated ability.
Every one had to admire him." as
another general said. 'He had won
~ sheer hard work, making the most
o. his natural gifts"
On the staff throughout the South
African campaign he earned the praise
% Roberts and Kitchener by his ca
pecity for getting things done when
others sometimes failed. When in 1910
he was placed in command Of the
army staff college, even those who
agreed that he had shown himself to
be the man for the place, were amazed
81 the thought of a man who had been
Tor 10 years a private without any
groundwork Of regular academic edu-
cation, should become the director of
IN institution which gathers the ablest
officers OF the army for instruction
In the highest branches Of war and
gives the character to army organiza-
ton in time Of war.
Meantime he had kept on with his
languages He now knew French and
German nra he had studied the con-
tinental sy8, auls- There seems
TO be gen H agreement that his i'm
provence 81 \" s'HH college marked
an epoch
SuHeiHs Always There.
As directtf 81 military training at the
war office he later had much to do with