The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-05
GENERAL MAUDE
GREAT HERO IN
BRITISH WORLD
Conqueror of Bagdad a
Master Of DETAILING
spired His Armies

London, Jan. -(Correspondence
Of The Associated Press. General
Maude, the conqueror Of Bagdad, who
died recently of cholera in an army
hospital in Mesopotamia, lies buried
in the center Of the British cemetery
north Of Bagdad. adjoining the old
Turkish cavalry barracks. A wood
en- cross marks his grave, and a heap
Of wreaths. chrysanthemums and
marigolds We're strewn over the
CRASHES mould Of the desert Among
these floral tributes were ribbons and
artificial flowers, the tribute of the
people of Bagdad. of the Naquib, and
OF the Jewish school, whose annual
dramatic entertainment he attended
a few days before his death. The
nearest graves to his own are those
Of privates Of the division which he
used to command.
The British eye witness with the
armies In Mesopotamia, in an ac-
count of memorial service held in
the citadel at Bagdad, writes Of
General Maude:
Ones first impression Of him was
of modesty, repose, confidence and
strength. Only gradually did one
realize his thoroughness, his far Wis
ion, and his infinite application to
detail. He was master Of detail.
Supply transport, intelligence, psy-
Geological factors-in every branch
of staff work he was the inspirer and
director.
Eek -officio he will have a nicne
among the military immortals as the
conqueror of Bagdad, but none real
ize better than the army he led how
individual his successes were. He
was more than the heart and brain
Of the machine. 1t is doubtful il in
the whole Of British military history
there is a parallel instance in which
a series of military victories can be
more exclusively attributed to the
personality Of one man.
1.-THE retrieving of the situation
after the British had failed to re-
lieve Kut. the reconstruction Of the
fighting machine, and the breaking
Up of the Turkish force in the Tigris,
called for qualities which whan
found in combination amount TO
genius. In those dark days Britain.
prayed for a great man-and he was
on the spot.
THE operations which led to the
capture Of Bagdad were a series of
mastery strokes. so brilliant in con-
ception that the Turks never serious
~ contemplated their success. But
Maude was always confident of
breaking through. In the long, cost
ly and laborious business OF evicting
the Turk yard by yard from his Ella
borate trench system about Kut, he
was satisfied all the time that things
were going well, and his confidence
was infectious.
General Maude's modesty was so
pronounced as to be remarkable. He
detested flattery and would have Xix
ed to have carried on the whole cam |
paign anonymously. No personal |
reference to himself was permitted |
in any public communique. He never |
gave himself the credit for any sue
cessful operation or stroke Of genius, |
or sound piece Of organization. He |
never listened to congratulations |
without minimizing his own part in
the affair.
Don't congratulate me-. he would |
say in. good natured Impotence. 1t |
was the men who did it. He had /
probably conceived every detail OF Il
the operation, even to the handling |
of single battaIions, yet, when the 1
coup was accomplished, he would re-
fleet the whole credit on the sub
command. He was as dis
ciplined in his routine as a clock. He
started work at o'clock in the
morning, breakfast began and was
at 7:15. The office and a !
fun days work followed, until his
ride in the evening. He travelled
light, valise and small kit-bag con-
tanning everything he possessed.
Thine In war is everything was
hts favorite axiom. Every officer he
said, ought to have It inscribed on
his shaving glass His work and
actions were governed by this
maxim. He was never late for an
HE possessed great personal mag
netism, especially for his troops. On
the eve of every operation he was
accustomed to send out encouraging
messages TO the soldiers, and he
made a point of presenting medals
after any action to
those who had distinguished them
selves. Delay in this, he maintained,
the object aimed at. Only
4 few days before his death he
travelled sixty miles by airplane for
this purpose.
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