LORD KITCHENER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1350, 30 January 1912, Page 9

LORD KITCHENER.

HIS POPULARITY IN EGYPT.

Lord Kitchener's popularity in E<*vnt nriH^ Cr A 6 - ince V s a PP°'intment as JJritish' Agent in such a manner as to bring;about a Temarkablo change in the ?«**■,. The Nationalist movement has to L th! V, hm e being almost died ont. fjT ß ffP tmns ?°, to Lord Kitchener for everything and he sees all who come, lhere have been no times like theso' since the early days of Lord Cromer, the early days of the war in Tripoli some Bedouin Sheikhs went to see him and explained that they wished ,S° to the assistance of their friends and relatives in Tripoli. Lord Kitchener listened gravely, and answered: les, you may go, and as many of vour you like to take, and I hope you will have good luck." Then he paused, and said slowly, Aow, you Bedouins are exempt from military service by the favour of Mohanied Ali (the Khedive), but of course if you go to Tripoli and beat the Italians' the exemption would bo cancelled at once, for it would never do to lose the services of such good soldiers." The Bedouin chiefs were content, and did not go. t

Somo Egyptian officers also asked permission to go to tho lvar and to take a regiment of tho Egyptian soldiers with them. "Yes, certainly," said Lord Kit«olVer-' "■Y OII "'ay B°> and at once." But it will take a long time to arrange transport," said the officers, "and there niav 1» objections." "Oh, no." replied Lord Kitchener, "if I say yon may go you may go. Pray start to-morrow morning. There is only one thing, though. The standing army of Egypt' is small, and at this time I must have trained troops. If you take a regiment with rou I must send" to England for an Englsh regiment to replace them." Needess to say, the matter dropped and the nen did not go. >

In discussing til© war with some Arab' and Egyptians, I was staggered by the onostion: "But why did not we (the Egyptians) annex Tripoli The thought of the Egyptians annexing anything h>force of arms took my breath away. I pointed out that to have done so would have been to have brought down the wrath of the Turks, and they would have made war upon Egypt. "Mnlesh" (Never mind), was the reply. "Kitchener is here."

They do not regard Lord Kitchener n* being so much associated I with England as was even Lord Cromer. They .scorn to have annexed him, he belongs (o tliem. E?vptian officers and men who have served ,under liim cimply idolis" hirn. "I was witli 'K.' in the' Sudan," stamps n man with honour at once.