New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-16
BRAVE AND SILENT
SIR IAN HAMILTON
Great Soldier Who Heads Eng
lands Mobile Defence Force
Against Raiders.
ITO bis friends and subordinatcs Sir
Ian Hamilton, who, according to

ian hamilton, Nbof N''5 w
an announcement in the House
Of Commons, has been placed In con-
mand OF mobile force that is ready TO
go anywhere in the country at any time
to give any rash raiders hot recep-
ton. il known as the "Silent Soldier"
Moro taciturn even than Lord kitch-
ener, he seems to have reduced inc
necessity for speaking 20 a minimum
When he was quartermastor general AT
the War Office one of his confrereS was
once heard TO declare, says IIt-bi's'
that zone of Hamilton's gruntS was
more expressive than a whole sentence
from any one else"
Sir Ian IS one Of the few men VINO
really made n great reputation during
The South african War. When he went
ont 10 the Cane I'm 1929 he was onIy
colonel. but for his distinguished ser
vice az Chief Of STAFF at Elandslaae,eI
In Ladysmith, during the siege h"9
afterward in command OF me noun
infantry division, he was. promo'e "a
first 20 major general and aiteETatu ~
his present rank Of general ana SIN
ing testimony to his gaIiant[y "nu pr
sonal bravery is PROVIDED Dy 'ho
rarkable fact that both Gene.aIs
E i5'l' and White recommended him
Tor tho Y. c., but il was decided lhaV
he was 100 senior" TO receive tho dec
Grafton. ~ Li,hos.
onjnion Of Sir lan's capabilities. Nhen
he returned from South Africa WIN
Lord Roberts he not unnatufally
tbouQbt he had finished with active
service for time, and settled down at
tbe War Office as Military Secretary
Rut when a few months later 1t was
coon that the task Of ending the war
was likely 10 prove more dlihcuIt thSh
was at first anticipated. 1t became Cd,
vious that Lord Kitchener was IN heeu
of p first class assistant. Lord hoDer.3
U-as very anxious that Sir Ian should
return 10 the front. The latter, now
ever. demurred somewhat, and was py
no means eager to go out II some one
else could be found.
At last there came another leLIeI
from Lord Kitchener, again asking mat
n Chief Of staff should be sent him'
and adding, In his Characteristic, sar-
donic way:
zone with brains preferred"
There. Hamilton" SAID Lord hoD-
erts. with q laugh, as he handed the
letter to Sir Ian, that settles IT, lou
will have to 20 out now
And go Hamilton did.
Referring again to Sir lan's personal
bravery, for which he should to-day DC
wearing the Victoria Cross, 1t might
be mentioned that he has more tnah
once been referred 10 as the "uh-
luckiest soldier" in the army, on &C
count of the number OF times he mas
been wounded or sustained INJURIES
While on the Indian frontier he prac-
ticallv lost the use of his left arm
through the bursting OF a smell ".
another occasion he very nearly iosI
his sight, through shell bursting ID
his face. One day, when lying badly
wounded on the veldt, two Beers tired
TO make him surrender his sword
which he refused 10 do, and just when
things were looking extremely ugly
Boer officer appeared and commanded
the men to take him prisoner lie was
released. however, as his captor5
thought him too badly hurt to live; but
he found his way back TO his COM
rades. although it was long time be-
fore he fully recovered from the eX-
perience.
Frank to a degree, Sir Ian does not
hesitate 10 express his views, even
when they directly concern hlmset,
and il was in one Of the service clubs,
when the conversation turned upon the
sensation experienced by a general
when taking troops into action, that
he remarked: 81 never went into action
yet but that was in a blue funk ana
wondering how on earth / should get
through, and don't believe that the
man has ever been born who felt much
different"
A further illustration Of his frank
ness was provided at a meeting OF the
Royal Army Temperance Association
at Caxton Hall, when he was chairman,
some time ago. when / reject he
said, that in my thirty-seyen years
service some 10000 quarts of dut!able
lQuOr have passed down the throat OF
him whom you have asked to be your
chairman, my conscience pricks me.
But it is one of the traditions of the
British army that the officers do not
say to their men, Go on!' but Come
ont | shall be happy to put myself in
the position TO do so by taking the
pledge | shall be uncomfortable, |
know | SHALL but still | have weighed
the cost; | am prepared to pay the
price"
Poet and author, Sir Ian has several
books to his credit, and those who
know him best are convinced that he
would have made a great name for
himself had he turned his attentions
to Minerva instead Of TO Mars. A good
story is told of him in this connection
Some years ago, when in India, a
friend, well aware of Ilamilton's pre-