Rise of General Robertson: From servant to Britain’s War Chief
General Sir William Robertson, long viewed as Kitchener’s likely successor, rose from a pantry boy and footman to chief of the British general staff. His career spanned key campaigns in India and Africa, earning the Distinguished Service Order and rapid staff duties before the South African War. He is expected to head the War Department after Kitchener’s death aboard HMS Hampshire.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
William Robert Robertson
Earl Kitchener
General Robertson
Welbourne
Lincolnshire
Sixteenth Lancers
Robertson
Dragoon Guards
Staff College
War College
Sir William Robertson
Imperial Staff
War Department
Sir William Robertson the Army Reforming Officer
The master general’s office highlights Robertson’s rise from a supply officer to chief of the imperial general staff. He earned the Knight of the Victorian Order and Knight of the Bath, led reforms at Aldershot, then commanded in France, becoming a trusted “Wullie” to the Tommies for his relentless work ethic and blunt efficiency.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sandhurst
Aldershot
Black Mountain
Intelligence Department
Simla
Robertson
Sher Afzal
Umra Kahn
Kashmir
Chitral
Sir Robert Lowe
Paardseburg
Poplar Grove
Dreifontain
Staff College
War Office
France
Sir John French
England
French
Sir Archibald Murray
Imperial General Staff
Nantry
Sir William
Wullie’ Robertson
Seotcchman
Maheed
Deserted Troops Reinstated After Isonzo Gallantry
Two battalions of the Twenty-eighth Austrian infantry regiment, Czech from Prague, deserted to Russia on April 3 1915. Emperor Francis Joseph erased the regiment and ordered expiation by blood. The Third battalion of over a thousand men fought on the Isonzo, suffered heavy losses with only eighteen survivors. On April 17 1916 the regiment was reinstated for gallantry on the Isonzo.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Rerne
Prague
Francis Joseph
Isonzo
Galicia
National defense council proposed to coordinate agencies
Washington June 17. Military leaders urge a council of national defense to coordinate army and navy efforts and give the country a unified approach to preparedness. They argue the lack of a single coordinating body causes legislative confusion and hampers a proper national defense strategy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Council OF National Defense
Washington, D. C
United States
Army
Navy
Congress
Sympathy for Jews at Petrograd Medical Congress
At a recent Petrograd Medical Congress a resolution expressed sympathy for Jews and condemned anti Jewish libels aimed at sowing hatred. It praised Jewish devotion to Russia despite restrictions and urged Russian organizations to rebut the libels. The text described Jewish refugee transport as an exodus from Egypt without manna.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Petrograd
Russia
Egypt
Cosmetics Restricted in Germany Cut Fats for Beauty
Berlin reports the German government bans all vegetable and animal fats for cosmetics and allows oils only for medical use. Wool fats and linseed oil cannot be used in cosmetic products. Fashions of face creams and massage preparations are likely disrupted. A curiosity notes lemur infants cling to their mothers for three months.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Germany
Berlin
Flags of United States Now Standardized
Executive orders standardize flag form and size across departments lifting many variants. The 1912 Taft-era rules refined proportions and star placement, with the 19 foot hoist chosen as the standard. Historic flags include the Star Spangled Banner and 12 star patterns from earlier wars.
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United States
Washington, D. C
Army
Navy
Union
United States National Museum
Spain
Germany
Italy
Congress
John Paul Jones
James Bayard Stafford
United States Navy
Marine Committee
Continental Congress
Smithsonian Institution
Harriet R. Perry Stafford
Fort McHenry
Baltimore
Key
National Museum
Washington
Vermont
Kentucky
Monroe
Infantry
Artillery
War Department
Cavalry
Notable flags in Arctic explorer era and national ensign heritage
Fragments recount flags carried in early 1900s expeditions. Rear Admiral Peary’s 1909 voyage and Theodore Roosevelt era missions are cited, along with enduring display of the national ensign in various engagements and achievements.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Peary
Smithsonian African Expedition
Theodore Roosevelt
Fans Shock Japs Tokyo Bet Manners After Fans Invade Diamond
Tokyo newspapers call for better sportsmanship after a Tokyo university game where fans stormed the diamond, stones flew and insults escalated into a public moral dispute. The clash sparked debate on etiquette echoing Bushido and samurai codes in modern Japan.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tokyo
Hidden Pellagra Cure Book Promises Home Treatment
A broad appeal promotes a book on pellagra claiming a simple home remedy with guaranteed satisfaction. It describes dramatic symptoms, urges readers to avoid drugs, and offers a free mailed copy with photos and endorsements from officials and professionals. It urges immediate action by writing to Dept. 351 for a plain sealed wrapper copy.
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Kitchener
Marshal Earl Kitchener
Hampshire
International Film Service
Inter State
Cicero
Main Ave
Studebaker Service
Studebaker
Service Department
Studebaker Coronation
San Antonio
Los Angeles
New York
The
Clem Motor Car Co
Crockett and Navarro
San Antonio, Texas
Phone Crockett
Studebakers
Texas
Schuyler Hamilton
Taft
Maryland
District of Columbia
Indiana Infantry
Fort Moultrie
S. C
Fort Sumter
Charless. Boggs
U. S. Navy
Varuna
Parragut
New Orleans
Benjamin F. Butler
U. SS. Volunteers
Fortress Munroe
Virginia
Butler
Salem Heights
Hazen
Fort McAllister
U. S
Kearsarge
Alabama
Herbert Winslow
E.O. C. Ord
U. S. Army
Richmond
Pennsylvania Volunteers
Ord
Charles Wilkes