Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-04
HAIC The Silent
BRITISH WORKER
England'S COmmander-in-Ch Chief in
France Regarded as Most Averse
of Leaders to Publicity.

British Headquarters, France
Correspondence of the Associated
Press mo military leader IS more
ayeTse to publicity or works more 81
lently than Sir Douglas Haig. the Brit
ish cOmmander-in-chie in France. To
those who are impOrtunate for the Of
fenSiye his answer is patience, and
yet again patience while the new mu-
milton factories begin to produce and
he continues his building. His gen
erals say that he never tells them his
plans: only what they are to do
Probably not one man out of ten of
the million or more under his COM
mand would recognize him If they
saw him. Not given to reviews or
any kind Of display, this quiet and
studiOus Scotsman was the choice of
the progressive, practical, driving ele-
ment of the army as the one fit by
equipment, training and experience to
succeed Sir John French. At 80 he is
nine years younger than Sir John and
10 years younger than JOffre or Won
Hindenburg.
There is a story that he entered the
army as the result of a boyish wager.
He went through oxford with distinc-
ton before he went TO the military
school at Sandhurst. His choice of
dI III was the CdNdlIN- WHICH mas udu
so little TO do so far in this war. But
no sooner had he received his COM
mission, later in life than most Off
GERS because Of the time that he had
spent at Oxford, than he set out with
the thOrOughnesS Of the student to
master every branch Of his profession.
1T was in Berlin in the '90's that I
met Captain Haig, who was studying
German and the German army" said
an Englishman. Il was struck by his
industry-not a brilliant man. per
haps, but a sound and weIl-balanced
one. A little hesitant of speech, what
he did say went TO the heart OF
things"
He studied the French army. tho.
and the history of all campaigns with
the systematic thOroughness that he
applied to everything. 1t was the same
with his pastime as his profession.
Whether he had talent for IL or not he
made himself a first class golf player.
though the form which he developed
did not excite the envy of profession
ais
At the British army staff college,
where officers learn organization, he
was a marked man before he acted as
chief of staff 10 General French in
South Africa in the operations that
llGuG TtHCu IEputdtlOH- he was
d soldiers soldier who had won solid
professional esteem though the pub
lie had hardly heard of this reserved,
undemOnstrative worker
OF the men of command rank in the
British army in August, 1914, he and
Sir William RObertson-anOther stud
ious man who had risen from the
ranks and is now chief of staff in
London-were the two who were ap-
praised by the generation Of officers
who had developed since South Africa
as having prepared themselves for the
direction of large bodies Of troops on
the scale of continental warfare. They
were not the magnetic, dashing leader
type, but organizers.
Going out in command Of the first
army of the British expeditionary
force, Sir Douglas had II months eX-
perience, Mons, Ypres and Loos, Of the
warfare Of the western front-which
all agree is the toughest school any
soldier has ever known.
There was no doubt who command
ed the first army II was Haig He
was no 1gurehead for the work OF an