----.

New Army officers were so unconventional.

Lord Roberts often came to see me in those anxious early days at the
War Office, ever sympathetic, ever encouraging, ever confident. It had
not been my privilege while on the active list to be brought into
contact with him, except once, many years ago, when a young subaltern
at Kabul. But one day, it must have been in 1911, he sent me a message
asking me to call and see him at the Athenaeum. On my presenting
myself, and on our repairing to the little room by the door where
members of that exclusive establishment interviewed outsiders, he made
a somewhat unexpected proposal. A gentleman of progressive views
hailing from the Far East, called Sun Yat-sen,--one had seen his name
in the newspapers and had got the impression that he was a
revolutionary, out for trouble--was in England in search of arms, and
he required a commander-in-chief for the forces which he proposed to
raise for the purpose of bringing the Celestial Empire up to date.[2]
The Field-Marshal wanted me to take on the job. But the project
somehow did not appeal to me--people do say that the Chinese have
old-fashioned ways when they come to deal with persons whose conduct
they are unable to approve--and I no doubt cut but a poor figure when
manifesting no disposition to jump at the chance. "If I were only
forty years younger," exclaimed Lord Roberts, "I would go myself! Why,
you might be Emperor of China before you knew where you were!" But
even the prospect of a seat on the Peacock Throne failed to charm,
although I had an interview with Sun Yat-sen (who looked as if butter
would not melt in his mouth) at the Savoy Hotel; benefactors of the
human race coming from foreign parts always put up at that hostelry,
comfortable quarters are understood to be procurable. One could not,
however, but be impressed with the amazing vitality of the aged
Field-Marshal then, as also a year or two later when he used to come
to make enquiries concerning the progress of events in France.

[Footnote 2: He brought his revolution off all
right and was for a time President of the Southern
China Republic.]

He followed the movements of the contending armies closely, and he
always carried the details of the map and of the British order of
battle in his head, just as if he were a smart young staff-captain. At
critical junctures he used to call