FORTUNES FOR WAR LEADERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3194, 19 September 1917, Page 6

FORTUNES FOR WAR LEADERS

FAMOUS REWARDS TO SUCCESSFUL GENERALS IRON DUKE'S REWARD Many a groat soldier has won a forluno from his successful campaigning! especially in tho armies of Europe. I'or his services in tho South African war alone tho late Lord Hoberts, of England, received from Parliament a grant 01 nearly .£IOO,OOO. Added to that an earl, doin was conferred upon him, and Jib was made a Knight of the Garter ana appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army. All this followed the reward of some .£12,500 for his services in Afghanistan, during which he made tho march in twenty-one days from Kabul to Kandahar, which is still a table among the men of the Army. Tho late Lord Kitchenor also won a fortune by his successful campaigning, Parliament awarding him .£50,000 for his service in South Africa and later adding to that .£30,000 for smashing the Khalna in the Sudan, for which feat he also roceived his seat in tho House of Lords. The late Lord Wolseloy received from Parliament .£40,000 at various times, and was also given a seat in tho House oi Lords for his triumphs on the battlefield, notably during tho Ashanti war.

Wellington's Gifts. Bat it was the Duke of "Wellington whoso victories brought in the greatest spoils, it having been estimated that his fighting resulted in a fortune of more than jei,Boo,ooo. His great viotory at Assave brought him a 6Wordi and a service "of plate from the inhabitants o£ Calcutta valued at nearly .£IOOO, while for winning tho Battle of Talavera ho was .made a peer and voted, a pension o .£2OOO a year, to continue through two generations. His victory at Salamanca greatly added to this already substantial fortune, 6ince he received after it the thanks of Parliament, moat royally backed by a niarquisate and .£IOO,OOO. After tho great campaign m the lyreliees and the battle which sent Napoleon to Elba, Wellington was made a duke by his grateful country, and was givetn a grant of .£3OO and his income made up to 5:17,000 a year. In consequence, when the Frenoh Emperor escaped from xlba and made that triumphant march that ended at Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington, returning a hero to London, perplexed all England with the problem of liow to reward Mm- Tho highest honours and a great fortune had already been given him, but Parliament added another .£1,4007000 to his wealth, and he drew in addition ,£GO,OOO in prize money, and the King of Portugal presented lum with plate worth more than .£lo,uoo. This is one of the greatest fortunes ever made in warfare-that is by public Nor do the rewards that England gives i;er soldiers consist merely in flat sums of money or titles. In many instances they taTco tho form of pensions, to bo continued for several generations. Lord Napier of Magdala received a pension ot ,62000 a year to extend during twoi lifttimes, and when Lord Raglan was killed in the great Russian war, luswifewas given .£IOOO a year and his son £.000 a vear, while Viscount Gough, the hero ot the Sikh War, received not only a pension of <£2000 a year from the Government, but an equal sum from the Honourable East India Company. For the victory of the Nile Nelson received a pension of .£2OOO a year to last through three generations. After the Battlo of Aboukir Bay he was. made a peer, and a second ;E2OOO pension was added. The Irish Parliament at the same time gTanted lum a pension Of i,I(JOU a year for lifo, while the Honourable East India Company added its little gilt of .£IO,OOO a year. Lord Alcester, another great English soldier, was awarded a pension of £2000 a year, but had it changed for the flat sum of .£30,000. _ The cumnniting of pensions was <!onc on several occasions by famous generals, Lord Wolseley preferring .£25,000 down to the prospect of .£2OOO a year during liis own and his son's lifetime.