6 THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN. PORTLAND. SEPTEMBER 29, 1912. J erf To 6 i ' 1 m m AZZ England Loves Lord Roberts,Whom Kaiser Has Called Greatest Military Man of Modern Times Popularity Was, Shown at Coronation, Where He Was a Prominent Figure. 3 THE splendid coronation pageant of the fifth of England's Georges wound Its gorgeous length in and out through the historically eloquen streets of the capital of the greatest empire the world has known, three- men were greeted with markedly special enthusiasm by the cheering thousands. The Monarch's self was one, of course, embodying the hopes of nearly 400,000, 000 people, settled on the shores of all the Seven Seas. The second was Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, steely-eyed and grim, the personification of a mod ern Mars. The third was he at whose right rode this "K. of K"; another sol dler, small of stature, his white hair matched by white moustaches and crisp chin beard, easily erect upon the glossy roan charger, whose arched neck and mincing steps seemed to proclaim to all and sundry that be was perfectly aware of the proud duty of bearing Lord Roberts of Khandahar, Pretoria and Watertord, Field Marshal and Earl. But the whispers that ran right and left through the crowds as he appeared seldom named him so. It was usually, "Here's Bobs," with a crackling cheer close following. And few there were who gave a thought to any of all the honors heaped u-on the man, save for thos best typlf.cd by the Indian and Abyssinian and Afghan medals which glittered on the scarlet tunic, beneath the bronze star of Khandahar. These stood for deeds writ clear upon the pages of British daring, these marked the strikingly brilliant actions in Ion career of splendid service- career which tomorrow will reach the 80th of Its milestones. It is to be said, however, that this "Bobs" Is scarcely to be called 80 years old; the hackneyed "80 years young" is rather true of him, as all admit who see blm hunting or bicycling througn the Ascot countryside near his home, "Eaglesmere," or catch a fleeting glimpse of the veteran of nine wars as he motors unprotected through the rains of London between his city resi dence and the United Service Club. There will be no suggestion of "the sad sunset of declining life" in the cel ebrations which will mark his "own" anniversary on Monday, the 30th, cele brations In which half a world will Interest Itself. Tka Beat of Today's Soldi. Were ' one to set forth the man's titles In full. It would read as If an ex tract from some peerage rolLM 61r Frederick Bleigh Roberta, whose for- mm t ftrV' :::. - x smu m " 'g:t t i - -C - WL- '-irJc! II-' . - sjb- 1 i U If mal style" as already given recalls his achievements In Afghanistan and South Africa as well as memories of that lit tle Irish town with which the family has long been connected, is Knight of the Garter. Grand Commander of the Bath, Grand Commander of the Star of India, Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, recipient of the Order of Merit. Privy Councillor to the King, and (this... perhaps, he values most of all) one of that noble army of heroes on whose breasts . have been pinned by the Monarch's own hand the Victoria Cross, molded from the bronze of captured cannon. In addition to these things; Lord Rob erts has twice been denominated a doc tor of civil law and four times LL. D. He haa been accorded the honorable freedom of three boroughs and ten cities. Including London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Thrice has he received the formal thanks of the Imperial Par liament, and times almost without num ber similar votes at the hands of the Government of India. All this (to summarize the matter) has come to blm for being the best soldier of his day. At least, that is the way the German Kaiser has thought well to put it, and Wilhelm II is nothing if not an authority on mat ters of such sort. He emphasized the opinion by giving him the Order of the Red Eagle, and with the rift came this expression, as If to explain why the distinction had for the first time been conferred on a non-Germanic warrior: "Roberts of Khandahar has much of the subtlety and ability to perceive his opportunities- that have distinguished the greatest military geniuses of the past. I hold him the ablest of today's soldiers." "Bobs" has written that General Wolfe was ever his beau ideal, but di rect heredity came In to amplify and strengthen the force of high example set by that victor of Quebec. Born at Cawnpore, British India, on the 30th of September, 1832, when William IV was England's king, this one-day com-mander-ln-chier of all his country's armies was fathered by General Sir Ab raham Roberts, while his mother, Isa bella, was daughter of Major Bunbury, of the famous Sixty-second Foot. "The playing fields of Eton," which have turned out so many English men of war, received "Fred" when Just in his 'teens, with Sandhurst to follow with its practical military training and in spiring ideals, and so. when 10 weeks turned of 19, he came to his first com mission as second lieutenant of the Bengal Artillery. - Soon dawned darkly the bloody days of the terrible "mutiny," through all of which this stripling in his twenties served as deputy assistant quartermaster-general. He took his part la the siege and capture of Delhi In '57, once being wounded, and at another time having a horse shot under him; an ex perience, by the by, twice after re peated at Bulandshahr and at KananJ. He fought during the reliefs of both Lucknow and his natal town of Cawn pore. and was present at half a score of other heavy actions and lesser fights innumerable. Small wonder thaj; the close of that dreadful time saw him captain with a major's brevet. The Abyssinian expedition ('67- 68) made him brevet lieutenant-colonel. and the Lushasi expedition C71-'72) brought hia colonelcy. His. Christmas present from the war offices in 1878 was a promotion to major-general. Im the "Buffer State." Which brings one to the man's most renowned exploits, centering about Kabul in the December of '79, and at Khandahar In the January following, j jZ&jr&S SZtS SsrSrs- tyZtliZ jT2r z&i rf.75&z. &2tzs&ji' though it is to be borne in mind that he had already been mentioned for conspicuous gallantry In action, in of ficial dispatches, no less than 23 times. Afghanistan merely capped the climax to this record of ability and bravery and it was no small thing to plunge northward into regions practically un known, barbarously hostile, and well beyond the reach of news or ready help. But he marched up into the "buffer state" of the Amir at the head of not 10,000 men, broke up the Afghan army, relieved Kabul, and at Khanda har secured from these war-loving mountaineers a peace that has never since been broken. One hesitates which to admire most in the exploit, the cold-blooded courage which made It possible, or the ever-ready capacity which brought such fine success; but the fact remains that for more than 30 years India was thereby safeguard ed from a possible, perhaps otherwise probable, - Russian attack. This may be called mere speculation, but all Englishmen believe it true, quite as all Russians scoff at the very idea. And once upon a time it was coolly de bated by authorities no less than this same Lord Roberts and the Czar. The two are gqod friends, it should be said. so that It was possible, wmie on a visit in St. Petersburg during which he was several times granted Imperial au dience, for the British soldier to ask when the Russians were "coming to India." Never," replied the Czar, with em phasis. "I could not conceive a greater we disaster for my land than that should even make the attempt." "But we all expect to have to fight you there some day," went on the dar ing "Bobs," to which came the reiter ation: "Never, I hope. Such a thing is not only outside our ideas, but would amount to national madness. Why, look at the immense distances, the enormous difficulties of transport, the loftiest mountains. In the world to cross! No, it is impossible." Roberts, remaining skeptical, went on: "But, sire, you will, I think, come down, all the same. And you will then find that there isn't a village in all India where there is not a traditional prophecy that some day a white people from the north will conquer the land." "Then why on earth do you not claim that you are that people?" burst in the autocrat. "You are white. Tou are from the north. Why Insist that we are the ones referred to? . Tou do three peoples a great barm!" And there the matter rests unsettled still. The Advocate of Riflemem. If Major-General-Roberts, marching down victorious from out the Afghan passes, had but a brief road to travel to reach his field marshal's baton, he covered it quickly. He was Lieutenant General when he took the field in Bur ma ftt '86, and before '90 had passed was full General; his field marshal's commission bears date of May 25, 1895. Then he laid down the military com mand of India, which had been his for an even dozen years, and' served in turn as commander-in-chief In Ireland '95-'99). in South Africa ('99-1900) where he relieved "Kimberley, and cap tured Cronje, with his "army of the West", and lastly of all the British army ('01-'05). He then became chair man of the imperial defense committee. This last post, however, failed to sat isfy him. Younger men, to be sure, had to be given the active commands, but, none. the less, no sort of "silly clerk ship" (so the man dubbed it) could hold him. Against the pleadings of the tnen Premier, Campbell-Bannerman, and, its said. King Edward's self, he re signed to throw himself with all Mis energy into the work of organizing rifle schools and clubs throughout England, vhich should, he hoped, so far supplant cricket and footoaii as to breed up a generation of soldiers trained from youth. He was then and is still to considerable extent prone to borrow a Jeremiah's point of view as to the is land's state of unpreparedness against posaible.Jnvaslon. "It is a wilful gam ble wlth the safety of the heart of an empire," he says. To reinforce his plan he drew and presented to the peers a bill looking towards compulsory serv ice in the territorial (reserve) army .of all men between the ages of IS and 30. . In one speech on the subject which. It is to be added, he has vitalized to the extent of some 60 odd schools or clubs now in active existence, though the measure Just referred to haa not become law he said: "I am aware thai It is urged against my proposals that they are little short of conscription. Now I have frequently asserted that I am altogether opposed to conscription as being totally Inapplicable to an army the greater part of whih must always bs serving abroad. But Is there not all the difference in the world between a nation every man of which is obliged to serve In the ranks of the regular army and perform while in those ranks all the onerous duties of a regular sol dier during times of peace and for small wars (as is the case on the con tinent), and a nation which, while maintaining a regular army for for eign service, asks every man to under go such a training as will fit him to take a useful part in a great national emergency, when every true Briton would be, in point of fact, certain to volunteer?" i A Boy and Three Books. Somewhat apropos of all this Is story told of one braw Scotch laddie who was to be a single unit in a "Boys' Rifle Brigade" of 10,000 to be reviewed at Glasgow not so long ago by "Bobs." When, at the last moment, the noble Earl" was forced to cancel the en gagement, a local notability being hastily substituted for him, the man agers of the affair thought it only right to inform those who bad pur chased tickets that the famous soldier would not be present. But in one in stance they sadly overrated the effect of their anonuncement. When the small youth in question came for his two tickets, he was told the news, and replied with delicious unconcern: It's no Laird Roberts falther .and mlther are comln' to see; it's me." It is a tale that undoubtedly will find its place in an autobiographical volume which the grizzled field mar shal is now writing, for he has the keenest sense of humor. This book is to include the period of the South African "unpleasantness" and if the writer sets to cold types such com ments on certain generals who fig ure in that campaign as he has not in the least hesitated to express in private conversation, it is positive to cause a sensation, it will be a supplement, as it were, to the "Forty-one Years in India," published in 1897, which, in its turn, had followed by 20 months a not less masterly account of "The Rise of Wellington." A Soldier's Bride. In the dedication of the former, and more famous, of these works. Is summed up a deal of career and char acter. It reads: "To the country, to which I am so proud of belonging; to the army, to which I am so deeply in debted, and to the wife, without whose loving help my 'Forty-one Years in India' could not have been the happy retrospect it is." The romance thus hinted at began when the Just-created Captain of 27 was home on his first leave: There he met Miss Nora Sews. daughter of the commander of the Seventy-third Foot, and, after a few months' courtship, the two were (Concluded on Pag 7.) i wiles Wis 60MI0r-niE0UlP5:ANDJE5T3fROM-PEN50rWNETOPMfrniJM0RIS erse Tales From Humorous Pens B V Yl Q HIS WIFE'S CLOTHES. Ellsha Dyer, New, York's cotillon leader, returned from Europe recently and a reporter asked him if the duty be was paying on a large stock of London clothes would not make them cost mot than he would have paid for theu. in New York. "Well, ev so." Dyer replied, ""we need have ae regret about the cost of our wardrobes. Look at the unfortu nate feminine folk. "I have just left Paris, where all the smart women are wearing delicate lit tle straw hats mounted in front with bunches of whit aigrettes as thick as your wrist. To be without one of these hats is to be shabby, and yet, simple as they are. they cost as much as $150 each. "Last month an American girl en ticed her husband Into a shop on the Rue Royale and tried a bowler hat with a huge aigrette. " 'How do you think this looks. John? she asked. " Hm! It looks to me like a month's salary,' ha said." New York Sun. LEGAL GROUNDS FOR ACTIOX. A lawyer overworks the telephone to tell us this one: "A woman came up to my office the other day and wanted to know if she could get a divorce because her hus band didn't believe in the Bible. I told her that unless she had -something else for grounds for divorce It was no use bringing suit. " 'But he is an absolute infidel!' she Insisted. "'That makes no difference." said I. 'Doesn't it, Indeed?" she cried umphantly. "Well, you are a fine law yer, I must say. Here's the laws of Ohio, and they say that infidelity, if proved, is a ground for divorce!" " New York Press. HAND WORK BAD ENOUGH. A boy was asked by his mother to go to the country with her, but the boy refused. All the coaxing and pleading was of no avail. When his father came home that evening he was told by his wife that Johnny (the boy) refused to go to the country. "Did you ask him why' he didn't want to go?" said the father. "No." said the mother, "I didn't think of that. I will go up to Johnny and ask him. Then the mother went up to Johnny and said: "Johnny, why don't you want to go to the country?" "Well, answered Johnny, "they have thrashing machines out there, and it's bad enough here when you get It by hand." Philadelphia Record. swer. Let the work go undone till June: then what will you do? "Too late, too late!' will be the cry. ""Just sow it in buckwheat," called out an old farmer from a rear seat. The preacher sat down. National Monthly. - FOR A LATE CROP. Rev. John B. Craft was conducting a series of meetings in a rural neighbor hood of Southwest Virginia. One night he was trying to bring the necessity of early embracing a religious hope to bear upon his congregation. Said he: "Well just Illustrate: You begin In February or . March to prepare your ground for planting out your Spring crp. You plant in April to be f time. Suppose you neglect this work. II y will be late, but perhaps will &n- CARRYING IT TOO FAR. "Scientific management, like any good thing, may be carried to excess." The speaker was R. Marriott Thomp son, the San Francisco scientific man agement expert. - H continued: We sclentifio managers musn't go as far as Hustler went. "Hustler was the proprietor of a tremendous factory where scientific management had reduced the motions of every hand from 80 to 17. Hustler attended a very fashionable wedding one day, a wedding where the cere mony was performed by a bishop, as sisted by a dean and a canon, and in the most impressive part of the writ Hustler, overcome by his scientific management ideas, rushed up to the altar and pushed the bishop and canon rudely back. " 'Here, boys,' he said, 'one's quite enough for a little Job like this.'" N. Y. Tribune. - Quips and Flings "Can I get a steak here and catch the 1 o'clock train?" "It depends on your teeth, sir." Meggendorfer Blaet ter. , "Yon used to part your hair so nice ly, Reggie. Why do you wear It with out a parting now?" "Life Is getting sucH a deuce of a rush nowadays, my dear glrL One must save time some- .where!" London Opinion. MODERN MORALS. "This latter-day or new morality Is too lax for me." The speaker was Jerome S. McWade, the Duluth millionaire. He continued: "This new morality, which seems in its tolerance rather to encourage than to oppose wickedness, reminds me of a lad in my Sunday school class. " "Now, Tommy," I said to this lad one Sunday, "now. Tommy, what must we do before our sins can be forgiven," " "We must sin," Tommy replied." New, York Tribune, 1 Lady (at the bottom of. the steps) I want to see you just a minute, but this skirt is so tight I can't climb the stairs. You come out. - won t you Lady (inside) I would If I could, but this new hat Is too Wide to go through the doorway! Exchange. II can't think why the pater calls me a good-for-nothing. Last winter I won two toboggan races, and also a prize for pigeon shooting and motor racing. And then lately I have been made vice president of the golf club." Fllegende Blaetter, "Jones grumbles that his wife can't take a joke." "That's funny, seems to me." "How so?" "She took Jones." Judge. , Jones I want to deposit the sum of 110. Receiving Teller (who knows him) What! Have you sold- your car? Puck. "Oh. Willie! Willie!" cried a teacher to a hopelessly dull pupil, "whatever do you think your head la for?" Willie, who evidently thought this another of the troublesome questions that teachers were always asking; pon-j dered it deeply. "Please, miss," he re plied at length, "to keep my collar on." Youth's Companion. "Pink. I'm afraid you are wasting your time brushing my hat. I don't seem to have anything smaller than a 310 bill." "I kin change that all right, boss." Then you don't need the tip. So long, Pink." Chicago Tribune. Walker Do the De Roads get along well? Speede Fine. The car is in her name and he buys the gasoline. The Roosevelt Lyre-Bird. Hewitt Wly do you call this your rrlll-room? Jewltt This is where my wife corners me when I get in late at night. New York Globe. . Mrs. Jinks Blngor says their baby is the smartest in the United States. Jinks Why doesn't he claim the Eur opean rights, too? The Outlook. "Have yon ever loaned Brown any money T" "I don't know." "Don't know! How is that?" , " "I transferred some to him, but I'm. not sure yet whether he considers it a loan, or a present." Boston Transcript. Kenneth was discussing the cricket team of which he was a member and said to the girl: "You know young Barker? Well, he's going to be our best man before long." "Oh, Kenneth," she cried, "what a nice way to propose to me!" London Opinion. He It was most unfortunate that when I gave my first concert last Sum mer two persons were carried out in a fainting condition. She (sweetly) An, but your voice has improved so much since then, Mr. Howler. London Tatler, , Among the Poets of ike Daily Press THE COST OF LIVING. The cost of living's awful. There is no doubt of that; Your wife pays sixty dollars For a simple little hat. And lobsters cost a dollar, If you order them broiled alive. And if champagne goes with them That brings the check to five. And autos are expensive. Apart from gasoline; There are so many fittings That go with the machine. You think, perhaps, to own one Is cheaper than to hire. And pop goes fifty dollars Each time you bust a tire. It's no use saving money. For you are sure to lose. Why, now It costs a nickel Each time you shine your shoes! The cost of living's awful If you are prodigal. But there's one way to beat It, Be e-co-nom-I-cal! Somerville. Mass.. Journal. JAPAN'S ANTHEM. The Japanese national anthem is the most poetically worded In the world. with the possible exception of the Nor wegian, "Ja, vl elsker," written by Bjornstjerne Bjornson. That is, of course, a matter of opinion, but the Japanese anthem is commendably short and makes, in its English form, an eminently pleasing poem. Its ten lines are as follows: Until this grain of sand. Tossed by each wavelet's freak, Grew to a cloud-girt peak Towering above the land; Until the dewy flake Beading this blossom's gold Swell to a mighty lake Age upon age untold Joy to Joy manifold ' Add for our Sovereign's sake, London Chronicle. FARMERS. Sing a song of farmers. Up at early morn. With four-and-twenty chores to do Before the breakfast horn. When the breakfast's over. There's little to be done. Except to plow the 1'oo.ae. And let the harrows run, And mow the sheep and prune the beets And curry up the swine. And shear the hens and dig the hay And shoe the gentle kine, And saw the wheat and rake the rye And wash and dress the land. And things like that which city folks Can never understand. Life. NATURAL SEQUENCE. Proud and pompous, the doctor was strolling down the street, when ha was spoken to by a poor woman. "Good morning, sir." remarked the latter. "Good morning, madam," replied the medico. "I expect you're making a good thina- out of attending to that Hon Smith boy?" suggested the lady. 'Oh, yes, a fairly good fee." replied the doctor, somewhat angrily. "Well," whispered the lady, "I hope you won't forget that It was my Willie who threw the brick that hit him." London Answers.