Sept. 30, The frequency of centenary celebrations this year has led to discussion whether a great man's birth or his death or both properly require remembrance. 'Thus Scott's death, Goethe's death, Locke's birth' and tham's death—to mention only four calls on piety-—nave been honoured. It would se the birth celebration hi prior claim if selectic made, although there is r Ino reason why the two vital boundary should not be duly {di marked. To many it may come almost as a surprise that Frelderfek Sleigh Earl Roberts of [Kandahar to-day has to be recalled in this fashion. He is 20 much a present memory. to_ the! generation of to-day. The title riven him by a grateful sovereign not yet passed from his daughter-successor. He figures factually on the Roll of Honour' lof the Great War, for Field-Marshals are never off the Active List and Lord Roberts' death on November 14, 1914 at St. Omer leceurred on war-service—his visit of inspection to the Indian troops in France. Yet it was exactly a hundred years ago that was born at Cawnpore, the son lof a distinguished General, Sir} Abraham Roberts. He has been called the greatest of Great, Britain's Sepoy Generals, the taodern types of whom a1 Field-Marshals Birdwood and Cloud Jacob and General Cassels the daring cavalry leader lof the Mesopotamian Campaign. Assessment of Roberts' military [qualities will. probably deny to him the highest place. He won this triumphs enrively in what Imay be formed colonial warfare. He was never tested in any other. Yet his Afghan Campaign and his dramatic extrication of the British Army from the early reverses of the South African War showed in him the sense of strategy and. the gift for or-[ganisation which are important ingredients in the composition of ithe great military leader. was the last of the British Commanders-in-Chief. He was a Victorian figure of eminence.
His countrymen do well to-day. to recall his memory, less for hhis purely military fame than for his personal character and the example which he set to the age jin which he lived and to what-lever there be of vigour in carrying on to-day the traditions of his race. Curiously enough no adequate biography of this fine Trish soldier and gentleman has been published. His own "Forty-One Years in India" is a classic lof its kind. There stands too Kipling's forty-year old picture: work with him—the small htecalred, red-faced, who sat Outta the "garden. He's your plu arse And" dreams, of tilting Wolseley from the throne But while he dreams gives work we cannot. buy; He has his Reputation—wants the Lords
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.