THE LATE LORD ROBERTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15505, 16 November 1914, Page 6

THE LATE LORD ROBERTS

In action practically, though, ho was eighty-two years of age, has died Eield-Marshal Lord Roberts, a great soldier, a grqat patriot, and one of the many brilliant generals whom Ireland' has given to the Empire. Though he was born in India his parents came from Waterford And from that Tipperary which is now, by namo at_ least, . the best known' of all Irish counties. In India during" forty years and later in South Africa Lord Roberts performed great services for the Empire. As a%eneral his most signal quality was intuition, the faculty of reading what was in the mind of his opponent, which enabled him to anticipate his course of action by a lightning blow. It was due to his humanity, very largely, that his successes were not always, followed up. as well as were nlanned and executed. The virtues of the " happy warrior," the Christian soldier, were seen at their" highest ia his character.

Duty and service were his watchwords, he was not more brave than tender, selfishness had no part in his nature. The greatest proofs of his absorbing patriotism were given when he put aside thoughts of his only son, slain in action, to save the fortunes of hid country threatened in South Africa, and when, retired from other service, he gave the last years of his life to the thankless task of warning- his countrymen, from platform after platform, to arm themselves against the very dangers they are now experiencing. ' "If these were' my last words," he said two years ago, " I would say ' Young men, arm yourselves.' 15 His cpunsels were decried and ridiculed?" but now, when British troops are fighting odds of ten to one, and men who might be helping them will require months of training before they can be of any service to their country because Lord Roberts's counsels were not heeded, all but the most foolish scoffers must allow their wisdom. Pleasure was caused throughout the British Dominions when it was announced at the beginning of the war that the. loved Field Marshal had associated himself, as Honorary Colonel in Chief, with,'the Oversea Expeditionary Forces It was fitting that his last act should be an inspection of those Indian troops with whom he was identified for forty years'. An outcome of the inspection was a chill, to which the aged soldier has succumbed in France, almost on the field of battle. He died when his Indian soldiers had proved their valour in a task of loyalty which, no one could have expected them to fulfil when Lord Roberts saw his first service in the Mutiny. He died knowing that the great storm, which he had foreseen threatening his country would leave it stronger, and not shattered. It can be said that he was happy in the moment of his death. '