"K" OF "K."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 712, 11 January 1910, Page 8

"K" OF "K."

O : SOME IMPRESSIONS, THE FIELD MARSHAL IN..QUEENSLAND. Herbert Horatio, Viscount. Kitchener of Khartoum—"K. of K.," of African memory—is hardly the man Ave kneiv- in" Africa (so runs a personal sketch in the Sydney. "Daily Telegraph", of. the famous soldier on the occasion of his arrival in Queensland). Not the always hard-faced general, wrapped up in.the.momeivtods happenings of tho time. Not the Kitchoner who, .in khaki and broad-rimmed helmet, rods up to Eland.'s Kiver and relieved Colonel W: H. arid tho : 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, from tho-tight corner wliero Colonel Hoaro' almost bedridden ivith malaria,, maintained tlic . notably gallant defence which followed' on Koster Eiver. Not the.Kitchoner who'appeared suddenly at Capo Town in the middle of • ;1901, and'.swooped down upon the.crowd of officers who enjoyed the. pleasures' of the. Mount Nelson Hotel,' .while .' they, abused.- the • generons- hospitality .of , the' convaleaMnt home at Clermont, which establishment he .'closed fortlin-itii. Not the' hard-hearted Kitchener who.shelledi and shelled, and shelled nnhappy Croiije into submission at Paardeberg. And certainly. not tho Kitchoner of, tho photo-' galleries aad tho -magazines. ' That is the negative side. Taka the. positive,. ' -V . ' Kitchener To-day. Wo had before us a tall athletic man of Admirable figure, fully, displayed in-the. always..becoming. 'Tilue," the well-fitting uniform:. adorned, with three rows" of' medal ribbons,..and a couplo of -distinguished orders.' ■ Indeed, a, handsom'o and a soldierly'figure; :.But where was • the frown, ; where the. beetling' brow, and where tho' stern, unbending ;mouth ?. Lord Kitchener-'had -,left! tliein beliind him' in. '.India or in tho:'tween decks of'.the'-En-, counter.-: He had hot brought 'them- with him to Brisbane, and if tho'first'impres; sioni in'-Qiieensland: vtill./help, to carry' him through Australia as. a. popular (hero arid! a. popular personality, then lie lias.', secured for himself- -a/ place in the hearts of tho people'. \- ... ' . Prom the time he came-on:boiird-the Luainda'until two -hours .later, when he .saw the / crowds on - the 'wharf -awaiting, hint :at Brisbane ho nover:. seemed , to' look l-eally 'serious. - Ho' broughtwith him ,from the -Encounter a- smile .which, briglitened' up his; face, ■ and told - more than-,his few words could do the-pride*he felt in s tho ipublic appreciation of tho work'he .had .dono. in the', for, the, .Empire. + The : faco was' somewhat fuller. than ; we' Sad- known it: in Africa;:/the rough; moustaoho, perhaps, / more . ovonly, trimmed, and tho -man-generally, bettergroomed ; but - the worries of his strenuous. Indian: comihand had-, not made him look proportionately a ,'day older'»than- ; ho' was ten years' ago; when ho lauded ;in. Africa' as. tho Chief- of jStaff, to-.England's other old 1 -; soldier-id 01.,: Lord .' ltoberts. ,'«-.Qrey : hairs have -not made'lhemselvesv conspicuous;, tho: furrows, of ia oiireworn face aro" absent,:'and' all . the timo as .we saw -him ■ arid. knew him ".to-day -he- was- a pleasant, :gracious• Britisli officer';'and . seohiingly quiteV-unconscious of'.'the - halo .of'eulogy, and'.-admiration iwhich every, man iu j that smalli ship's,-company: w:as. metaphorically placing ..round his : h'ead.Kitcliener ' stands Vwith his heels almost closed, ahd';his favourite: attitude 'is: with his left hand on his sword, hilt, and his, right resting on'his' hipjvand, riieanwhilej he ;is looking into the far distane«, : :right away : from' you, so to .'speaki -.until,; with' a sudden turn' of- the ,head, 'his keen ejes are, looking -.you i through and ,j through', and he'is either . parrying an anticipated question or. putting one in a. d<ep reson- ■ . , ' ' :

Before;.'.;hisV arrival,/.Kitchener had been supplied, by tho Defence Department,' . through his ' staff' officer,who'., \ preceded, him .'to .Australia;'. with:'everything available iii,tho- way: of'/documentary information regarding; the 'Cbminonwealth'. Also, he_ had-' ,of /tho/'knowledge .gained, by/''.Colon®}. ■ Kirkpntrick in '. the • course .01 that jofficer'S'.personal, inquiries in., /Melbourne arid'.', in^Sydney. Then,again,' ho /ltad ;had" General /Head' -'with him for about ten/ : days during 'the. trip!. .from Port Darwin,to'Brisbane, and there, is 'no:!-person : more '~ knowledge,'aoout. Australian military mattivs than the ex-Jhs'pector-GeneraL ; , Add," to" this' that he . saw, a' few, more: than one_half 'of the personnel'of the defence. forco in camp ; /at Lyttdn, who had no idea of taking up / a defenco position, '-and. "ire have the sum total' of . the. inspection, in Queensland. .. !'It" ; was conspicuously noticeable that his lordship had very little /conversation;-with tho l .: conimandant, or the local' staff; and practically none'with any: of "the . senior " citizen. 1 officers who: ■were in camp. Nobody', has yet been told wliat is expeotcd-to',be :thd scope-of tbo, .Kitchener . report . /or ' rkoiriweiidatipns— ;whether ho will deal wti h. general prin-. cities "of ; organisation .from the stand- ■' ■point, of. Empire defence, and mnder -instructions'."from / the War -Office, as to .what the policy:in,that regard;shall be,' -■or whether he will only/tackle 'the'.qucs? ■tion', of the .efficiency of he .'military .force -fofc 1 the'. defence .'of Australia.' j '

Not a Gallery Performer. . ,r .We :representative .- pressmen'; from ■ .the ■other States sought ail interview. Wo had previously ;l)'ceu .'introduced,.- and General Hbad fixed up; a' privato meeting. '■ "You ■ kilow theni better ■ than' -I do,"-. ! General Hoad' said- to one' -of - us. "You can introduce .the.others.. Lord Kitchener overheard the remark. "How (lo you do ?'. |J have met: all you gentlemen. I; don't I think 'I need two introductions to. you." he said, and/he. really -hid Ihe fact that he .had inot , the slightest idea. who ;auy :one 'of the.small contingent;was under a smile': as -pleasant as : that, of'. the most genial of statesmen in the midst of a, .-hard, political campaign. Then the inter,view:started. - Lord Kitchener .did..the 'talking, and lie talked against the wind,, ;so.' that half- he -said was not, heard' 'by thosa'he addressed; but nlthough ho spoko ho.:, did 1 /.not say . anything;s from / a. newspaper point of view. He was delighted at.- this opportunity/ of visiting Australia; but ho: did not - say/.it was a i'eally magnificent country.witli great potentialities., Ho iiiight have done so'quite, safely, buti instead, he said-hi^ had-not! 'seen.anything yet, : and he;would'• bo glad to,, tell us something when ./ho -had. Uf course, it. was. a . great pleasure to him to;know" that he was.going to meet .manymen who 'had .fought with him- in South/. Africa, and Bo' oni und;thero the interview ended! ' ■' .' ■/ .' -i Public- interest". in the' 1 visit of [Lord Kitchener was shown by the numbers,of. people at vantage points iii,the vicinity of Brisbane and on/country platforms./ Tho. train sped through, but Lord Kitchener does not like/crowds,' and. kept .liimself out, of sight. . In fact, directly /ha had had breakfast 'he shut himself .up. fn an inner compartment of-the ; sta.te,carriage, and settled down to work with' Colonel Kirkpatrick. Ho had to submit himself to a'liasty reception ht Too-,: wooinba. and at Warwick, and .it,.was ar>angcd that the train should stop.at each, of these' places . for about /tweiity : iivo, 'minutes;-- /At Toowooinba. thero was . a crowd of ; men, 'women, 'and children on' the platform,; and' thoy. all. packed round >the carriago 1 so closely that' tho I'ield-ilfiu-shal seemed to hesitate whethor . lie' ''would even get out on to the :Whon 'he -did;'alight ho was at onco surrounded, and,,a' '-couple'ot constables, who. stood in the middle, of the people did not inake;any effort to -keep them back. 11 was' lionising in its. worst .'form,, and resulted iii Lord Kitchener thanking tho -Mayor! for. his. cordial welcome in - as-many words, inspecting o. 'very small, but, very smart, sqiwd of senior cadets, and then ordering his-train .to inovo on, though it was, ten minutes.' in advaiice of schoduio time.... . ' :

, Everybody, wanted to hear Lord 'Kitchener make a speech, at' the /Mayoral reception, but Lord Kitchener had' views■of .his own-on .tho subject. .The excel- , loully hospitable: Mayor had : a ; 'fow 'remarlrs prepared for theoccasion, 'and fidgetted nervously .dnring a; somowhat 'long wait; while tho wino was' being passed round, bud while : the'. guest : scanncd tho on tho wall,;, quickly, noting tho portrait; of . "another'/ field ' marsiiaV'< Queensland's distinguished ex-Governor Sir Henry Norman; -.and. vvheu:.' all was ready, Lord ICitohonor helped himself to whisky.and soda,. instead. of champagne, 'anil then leant back ,in his chair to listen' to liis Worship, proposing the toast, of his health.. The Mayor. saidVall,the nico things requisite for snch a.function, and, incidentally referring'-to the : democratic tendencies of Australia, added that ho was'sure Lord Kitchener .-would-;"rather ,fight.«;! worn-out arietooraoy. thaa ;. a

vigorous, honest, and progressive democracy, no matter whore tho field of battle ■ might be." • ', •:.> - When Lord Kitchener rose. to . respond; an expectant hush followed upon a hearty round of- applause.■ Everybody in the hot, crowded room was prepared to listen to Lord Kitchener for as loiig as-lie liked, to talk. But Lord Kitchener declined a general engagement, and, 1 - to uso' 't m .V lt . ar y term > "approached the situation in the' following words :--"I am vory much obliged to',his Worship the Mayor for the -kind'.-words lie has 'addressed to me on: arrival at: Brisbane, and I thank you all most sincerely for tho reception you havo given;.me-'here, ij.l r t , wa y you have drunk my health.. .1 ask- you also to drink the liciutli of - his orsliip the -Mayor, who so over'tho municipal •attaira of this important-city?'' That was all.: And a more disappointed audi•onoe has perhaps never gone away from an official reception. ,