THE DEATH OF LORD ROBERTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2309, 17 November 1914, Page 5

THE DEATH OF LORD ROBERTS

"WITHIN SOUND OF. THE..GUNS"

UNIVERSAL TRIBUTES

By Telegraph.—Presa Association—Oopyrleht -,]

London, November, 15. ] The late Lord Roberts was making a -j brief visit to the Indian trdopsj of . j which he was Golonel-in-Chief, when ha j contracted a chill en Thursday, and; j succumbed to pneumonia. He had a i ''. rough crossing on Wednesday. He was : i accompanied by his daughter.; He'show- j ed no sign of distress on' landing and ! visited tho Britieli bases and camps on i Thursday ond Friday, and inspected.the ■ i Indians. A chill developed in the even- j ing, and he complained of a slight pain. j on Saturday. The doctors gave him ro- ■■■ her and he fell into a quiet sleep in 1 which he tranquilly expired. l ; Field-Marshal Sir John French' tele- ; graphing condolences to the widow oh - ! behalf of'the Army says: "It seems a' ■ fit ending to tho life of bo great-a sol- i dier that ho should have passed away, j .in the midst of the troops he loved so; '• well, and within sound of the guns." i Lord Roberts had been remarkably, j active eince the beginning of tho war. and had dealt with a," vast amount of : correspondence to friends in the Army, ' to whom ho gave advice and eympathy. i He had been a constant l visitor to Go?- \ ernmont Departments, and was appar- * entlv in robust.health.. .The suddenness " ! of hw death, therefore, caused a :l areat i ehock. . ~ ~...., ....,- ; Many references wAe mado in tHr I churches to his death. ' ' !

"I MUST SEE THE INDIAN SOLDIERS." ,„ " LAST- DAYS" IN -PRANCE. (Rec. November 16, 11.65 p.in.);, •■-, - Novemberl6. 1 must go and see the Indian soldiers. It is the most useful thin* I can do at the moment," -Lord Roberts sam to an 'mtimaterfriend prior <.o departing for France. With "this last service done, he passed away.:.,,, ,' Lord Roberts the Maharajah Bikanir aiid Sir Pertab Smgh on Thursday at the India* headquarters. On Friday, he visited the Untisli,' and on returning to ' Headquarters in tho evening h& experienced a chill. His son-in-law and daughter, were with hinuthroughout In deference to the. 'family's the late Field-Marshal will bo buried privately at All Saints', Ascot, adjacent to Ins home. . '

The King has ; sent an autograph letter of condolence tohis widow; •■-■?. Lord Roberts visited'the wounded fcu dians at Boulogne and conversed, with thorn in Hindustani.;; .He;received a great ovation from the.;lndians at the front. He-frequently said :•«■"£ am so glad I camo."" ■ • '"' ■

: Tho Bisho'n.of-Salisblfry.:;- (Dr.l'Ridge- ' way), referring "tovthe'"death of Earl ■! Roberts, said that he was "like, the .-! voice' of one crying".'iniithe -wilderness, i warning his country of the peril she was ! too blind to the ; storm broke he uttered- no reproaching ; word.". • ■ ' ! THE NEWS INjrHEjTRENOHES. HARDENED VETERANS SOBBING ' .■'.... . BITTERLY. ;. ■ 1 (Reo. November 17, 0.30 a.m.)' I .' '! LOrtdon, "November'l6. ; Army surgeons and'specialists hasten. .: ed from.all parts of the-battle-front to attend Lord Roberta, but their skill was Tuiavailing. "When, tho news'feached.-S the tranches many of the old-timers ; broke down, sobbing bitterly. ; It is reported from Calcutta that the ; Field-Marshal's death caused a deep j gloom everywhere .in IridiaJ .particularly. I in military centre 5 . ,.,,....; '„"?.;, ■• ■ '• SOUTH AFRICAN TRIBUTES. . (Rec. November 16,'8:25 p.m.) \ Cape Town, November 15. i The newspapers pay appreciative trfc i butes to the late Lord Roberta's «ei> ' ' vices to the Empire and to South • Africa. ' • ... ■.. . •,'■-. .>■ •>>,■ ;' . j IN AUSTRAUAi' ; K j "..," Sydney, November 16. ! Leading articles pay a tribute to Lord < Roberts, as "the Empire's -greatest -j soldier." . •■'-. :K % j Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson;r'.Gover- j nor-General, has cabled to Countess -| Roberts: :■' 'The Australian forces mourn '-. j the loss of tbeir Colonel-in-Chiof."- j NEW ZEALAND MESSAGES. j The Mayor (Mr.' J. P.' Luke) has for- ' j "warded the following to the Prime Min- ', ister:—"Please convoy the deepest ; sympathy of the Mayor, councillors, and j citizens of Wellington with Lady Rob- , ; orts. in the loss of her .illustrious lius- ' band, whoso noble and unselfish life' ' has contributed so largely to tne'happi- j ness and consolidation of the British. Empire" ■ : Flags were flown at , half-mast yester- : day over Government buildings and! j State schools: in' New Zealand. The j Wellington Corporation and Harhpur ' Board flags jvere also /flown .at half- ] mast. ■'■'•■■ ' . i Just prior to the sermon at St. : Paul's Pro-Cathedral on Sunday the Rev.' 0. Harvey announced that. news \ j had been received of the death of Lord '■■ ■ Roberts. The "Dead March" was •= played by the organist, Mr. R. Parker, and as a special hymn the congregation ; sang "Now the 'i'ask is O'er." Reference was. also ; made by, the Yen." Archdeacon Harper "at St. Peter's, foi he passing,of'.one who was always a Christian soldier ■ with the loftiest ideals of devotion and duty. : In other churches of various denomina- .: tions references were made to tho late , i Earl Roberts. .1 LETTER FROM LORD ROBERTS "A' MESSAGE TO NEW ZEALAND.! ■ By a strange coincidence, a letter ■ from the late Earl Roberts was received by tho Right Hon. W. F. Massey, ■ (Prime Minister) yosterday, the day on which the death- of the veteran Field j Marshal was announced in the newspapers. .-;, The .letter. n was in.reply to a; ■ cablegram -dispatched'in Oatolier. last/ .; congrdtnlating Lord Roberts- upon attaining his eighty-second .Jiirthday. The ; mention by Lord Roberts- of/his being again cpnnectod with a New Zealand contingont was in allusion to tho faot ; that he had been appointed Colonel-m- : Chief of tho Expeditionary Forces from ; the overseas dominions.. The letter ran . ; as follows: —' ■-. . .-.::.. ; ''Enclemero, Ascot, Berks., ; "October 10, 1914. ; "Dear Primo Minister,— * ; "lam very much obliged to ydil .for so kindly cabling to.me. on belialfof the Government and' people - of New Zealand, to express your ; and their'congratulations, on- my • birthday. I-greatly 'yalue such' a I compliment. - ■ ■ "I am be- again-•.. con- : nested with another. .JiTew'Zealand contingent. It-willj 1.-kiiow, give 'as good an account of itself in ' Europe as did,the bthor contingents J in South Africa; i "Yours very truly, . ; "ROBERTS, F.M. , .* "!