EARL ROBERTS, K.G.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12426, 15 February 1901, Page 2

EARL ROBERTS, K.G.

HIS WTnXB>MB 'SOaiE. A MEMORABLE OEIEEIIKPG. JBt Our Special Correspondent.] LONDON, Jan. 4. “Bobs’” welcome home yesterday was just -What at should have been, business-like, 'well-organised, enthusiastic, with sufficient display and colour to light -up the yellow fog Which enveloped the spectators, and with am entire -absence of that rowdy rollicking dement that has marred previous festivities, and that would have been entire]}' out. of -place just mow', when! each! day brings its .Wag list of casualties, and there is still much bloody work to do. • It was nearly noon, bn Wednesday before the ‘Can ada, with “ the little man ” and his staff on board dropped anchor in the Solent, appropriately enough close to the Australia, on a sunny, frosty morning. Shortly after lunch a royal pinnace bore Lord Roberts swiftly to the royal yacht Alberta, where he was greeted by the Duke" of Connaught, iPiinoeas Henry of Battenberg, as Governor 'of the Isle of Wight, and the rest of the royal assemblage. His right hand being still hors de combat, the handshaking has to be dono with the left, hut ds none the less cordial.

A royal carriage drawn by four spanking greys, whisked him off to the Cowes ToW’n Hail, where the inevitable address of welcome was presented. The Commander-in-chief, in reply, expressed his implicit confidence in Lord Kitchener surmounting, the insufficiently appreciated difficulties which surround him. He expressed his pride in “ having had the command of such a magnificent army—an army cccmposed- of men ’drawn, from all parts ofyher. Majesty's do-, minions—men of whom the 'Jinipiire . andt their, friends may well be proud!. Among them an admirable spirit of camaraderie baS ever existed. The soldiers of Great Britain andMthe soldiers -of Greater Britain have, palled together as,brothers fighting under one' common flag,, and owing allegiance to .bbe,'common Sovereign, who is beloved,and revered equally by all:'’ ' - : , Then‘lndian veterans pressed forward for one clasp of,their leader's hand and'one word from-.his lips before be moved! on to’ enter the great gate of Osborne, through! whose ■portals■ heretofore only Royalty had entered, for an audience’ with his Sovereign. Her" Majesty received .the. man who is • - •yerdSh“ trusty: and-, well beloved ” 1 both • by. her and the nation-, in the large drawingroom, and at the end of a pathetic interview ©f'fifteen minutes, conferred upon him- an 'earldom, ’ with\ special’ remainder to, his female descendants, and the ;stall of the Order of', the ‘ Garter, rendered vacant by -the .(death of the late Cuke of' Argyll. Then the Alberta bore him back to the Canada, where he spent the night. , ' - , The heavy fog next .morning ~prevented the Canada from berthing ■until •two; hours ■iter she was expected. .'The' specM •tfain for London was due to leave - in'fifteen minutes, and Lord Roberts was inclined to go straight on. Bub the Mayor pointed but that the waiting thousands, at the ■jport would be disappointed*, ■ and that the Ceremony would only take a few minutes.'Accordingly, the freedom of the. town was presented to Lord Roberts by the Mayor in a silver-gilt- casket, and the Chamber of Commerce also presented on. address in a'silver -box. Lord Roberts, in his brief reply, made a special point of recording his appreciation of the courtesy and chivalry 'displayed by ail ranks to the women of the country in: which fighting had been carried on, and trusted that he might he able to •how- how fully he realized-what he owed to’ all: ranks of the Army by doing-every thing fai his power to further its'best interests in the future. " , ■ . / - The train up -to town, drawn by the i special, engine “.Roberts,” decorated* with. - the national colours, the new earl’s coat of arms -above an earl’s coronet, and below his iaotto, “ Virtute et V-alore,” made .such good time that “ Bobs ” stepped into Pad-, jdington station gay with flags and bunting ©nly half aai hour after the advertised time. Here there Were assembled the new Irish (Guards, of which he is Colonel-in-Chief, as k guard -of honour, the Mayor of Padding- ■ iton,- and his aldermen, Major-General Trotter and a large staff of general officers and a • number of privileged spectators in a grand;--btand. : To .them came, even as the tain 'drew up, the Royal party, the Prince of .‘Wales in a field-marshal’s uniform, the Princess, in black, wrapped up in'fine shb4es, -the Duke of York in his rear-admiral’s Uniform, the Duchess of York in Grey, the ■ (Duke of Connaught aM his son Prince Arthur. “ God Save the Queen ” was followed by “See the Conquering Hero' Gomes. ” The .Royal party greeted the .fearrior heartily, the Mayor presented iris* iaddress, and then the procession, forming , »p, proceeded to Buckingham Palace. “Bobs” was the one person in the procession who roused enthusiasm. The big crowd that extended all the way from Paddington through Hyde Park, down Picca■cfiliT, - St James's Street- and the Mall to -Buckingham Palace, gave, him a rousing cheer, but let the rest of the procession, With the exception of the Prince, pass in ‘silence. It was not a frantic, frenzied .crowd. It evidently felt that there was no lose shouting until-we wteve out of the wood. “Bobs” himself, looked bronzed, and fit. His right arm being in a -sling, he respendied with his left to the roar of .-cheering, that greeted him all along the line. We have grown go used to seeing our troops return in khaki that yesterdays procession looked more like a full-dress parade than a muster of men back from the wear and tear of the . .war. “Bobs” himself, was in the full dress uniform of a field marshal, and there were only four of his staff in the familiar tha-ki, and the shady helmets to remind us of their recent environment. At Buckingham Palace, the Grepadiers were drawn up as a guard of honour, and a number of invalided 1 Guards were stationed, whom Lord Roberts greeted with a wave of the hand,, as he passed through the great entrance hitherto reserved for Royalty. In the luncheon room, a handsome salon overlooking the terrace, lake and grounds, the ■'distinguished Royal company assembled for a meal which was as cordial as it-was free from stiffness.' The sixty guests were grouped in dozens round five circular tables, on each of which stood one of the famous Warwick gold vases full of azaleas, orchids and cardinal poinsettias ; while in smaller gold bowls there was a profusion of lilies of the valley, the favourite flower of the Prince and Princess; .' : .At the centre table, round which the others were grouped,- sat -the Pnnce of Wales, the Princess of Wales, Lord Roberts, Lady Roberts, the Duke of Connaught, the Princess Louise (Duchess of Argyll), the Duke of Cambridge, the Earl of Selborne, the Duchess of York, the Marquess of Salisbury, Princess Victoria of Wales, and Viscount Wolseley. The band of the Royal Artillery opened its musical programme with a triumphal march, “ Virtute te \ alore,” which Cavaliere Gavertal bps skilfully closed with a bar or two of the ” Conquering . Hero.” ■ '

There was but one toast, that of “ Bobs, briefly proposed by (he Prince, ami as briefly responded to by the Queen’s guest, who, iu his few words of reply, found room for the following reference to the colonies: “’I much: wish that some representatives of trie V great colonies could have accompanied me : : here, colonies which have given 'their bravest- and their best to light for the Mother Country, in signal proof of the unity of the Enipii'e under one Hag, and under one Sov • erign. After a short chat, ‘'Bobs” drove oil to rhe War Office to report himself, and then o» to his hotel in Dover Ssieet, where

r.r ia roused the enthusiasm of the large crowd collected at the doois by teudeily kissing tady gettringWs two little daughters. 'f2M Stood on the threshold to »r“yt him.

In the evening he dined privatdy with the Secretary of State for War and the Prince of Wales.

And now begins, perhaps, the greatest of all his Herculean labours, the cleansing of the Augean stables of the War Office, and the cutting of the Gordian knot of cedi tape that encircles at.