The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-09-19
Rise Of British Private in Com.
paratively Short Time is
Phenomenal.
%, ....ee.A,ss .....,

b SRI TISH HEADQUARTERS.
Frame. Sept. 1S.-Little Is known to
the outside world about Sir william,
Robertson. X. c. v. o., K. C. B.. D..
s. o., whose remarkable career from
the ranks to chief of stan or the
army is so we'll known to the army
Itself. His work in relation to that
OF Sir John French. the commander
in-chief, has been described as that
OF the general manager OF a great
corporation to that of its president.
A powerfully built country boy.
he came to London at the age Of
nineteen and enlisted in the Ninth
lancers. Promotion from the ranks
Is not frequent. The great major
ity Of officers come from the milf
tary school at Sandhurst. But the
door is kept open for private of
good education and character. BY.
passing a stiff examination he may
secure commission.
Invested I'm Books.
Young Robertson had had only an
elementary education; but he set out
to make up for the deficiency byI
study. He invested his shilling day.
which is the pay Of a British private,
in books. AS a British regular troop
er has none too much time to him,
self he used to get comrades to read
to him from Bacon and the English,
classics while he was grooming his
horse or cleaning his equipment.
Not until he had served ten years
did he pass his examination which
gave him a commission In the third
dragon guards. He was then 90 and
the average second lieutenant has
about eight years the start Of him
on the army list. In the course OF
lineal promotion he could never hope
to be more than q major. Special
promotion could come only through
distinguishing himself. Macdonald
won fame by his charge at omduran
and other eminent British command
ers who had risen from the ranks
had won their way as natural leaders
OF men in the field. Robertson's ca
reer is the more striking, officers
say, because 1t is due to excellence
in organization and in, the applica-
ton Of the methods of modern war
which pre-supposes the grounding Of
thorough scientific military educa-
ton.
Finds Opportunity.
Four years after he had received
his commission he had won enough
attention to be assigned to the intel
ligence branch of the quartermaster'sl
department In India. In India hel
found his Opportunity. Rewards are
given officers for learning native dia-
lects.
To the average Officer there ISL
nothing very attractive in spending
hours with native "munshi," or
teacher in acquiring tongue which
can be OF use only with some frontier
tribe. Robertson offered his munshi
a quarter Of the reward when he
was proficient enough to earn 1t byI
passing an examination.
Sir William. when he Is reminiscent
will recall what an excellent bargalnl
this proved to be. The munshi saw
to 1t that his pupil did not fail to inn
prove any spare moments. He would
be waiting at his pupils door at day
break and put him through an hours
lesson before breakfast. Havingl
mastered one dialect Robertson un-l
dertook another and then another.
Soon he became known as languageI
expert. This gained for him another
opportunity which was to apply his
knowledge by explorations on thel
northwest frontier. When the Chit
raj trouble came his linguistic ac-
compliments and his knowledge OIL
the country were invaluable. He came
out of the Chitral campaign with the
distinguished service order for SER
vices which included gallantry in ac-
ton when he was severely wounded.
Now he was marked man" In the
service, marked by stubborn applica-
ton which had brought him from
the ranks and by his demonstrated
ability.
Everyone had to admire him." as
another general said. HE had won
his way without influence against
odds by sheer hard work making the
most of his natural gifts"
Earns Praise.
On the staff throughout the South
African campaign he earned the
praise Of Roberts and Kitchener by
his capacity 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 him
self to be the man for the place. were
amazed at the thought Of man who
had been for ten years a private with
out any groundwork of regular aca-
demic education should become the
director Of an institution which gath
ers the ablest officers Of the army for
instruction in the higher branches Of
war and gives the character to army
organization in time of war.
Meantime he had kept on with his
languages. He now knew French
and German and he had studied the
continental army systems. There
seems to be general agreement that
his improvement Of the stan college
marked an epoch.
AS director Of military training at
the war office he later had much to-
do with the preparation Of the Brit
ish expeditionary force. He went to
France with 1t as quartermaster gem
eral who YVES responsible for keep.
ing that army overseas supplied. His