LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1925, Page 4

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

THE UNCROWNED KING. LONDON, July 10. " With Lawrence in Arabia,” by Lowell Thomas, recounts the extraordinary and almost legendary career ol Colonel Lawrence in Arabia during the Great War, and is also an intimate study of his views ami personality. The spectacular achievements ol Thomas Edward Lawrence, the young Oxford graduate, were unknown to the public at the end of the World Was. Yet, quietly, without any theatrical headlines or fanfare of trumpets, he brought the disunited nomadic tribes of Holy and Forbidden Arabia into a unified campaign against their I urkisli oppressors, a difficult and splendid stroke of policy, which caliphs, statesmen. and sultans had been unable to accomplish in icnttires of etlort.

Before the war he had been wandering for 7 years, although still in his twenties, in the deserts ol the Neai East. When, in 1912, the Germans were given control of ti e strategic liarhour of Alexandretta, in Asia Minor. lit 1 immediately hurried to (aim and put before Lord Kitchener tin* danger of this from the British point ol new.

Kitchener replied: " I have warned London repeatedly. but the Foreign Office pays no attention. 'Within two years there will lie a world war. Infiirtunately, young man, you and I can't stop il, so run along and sell vour papers." UNTIRING AND EE A R I,EKE. . How Colonel Lawrence came to have such immense prestige in Arabia is a complex story which this hook graphically elucidates. Tie knew the Arab, lie knew the language, lie bad steeped himself in the spirit of the land, and he .was absolutely untiring and fearless. The 29-\ ears-old commander--in-ehiel of the greatest army that bad been raised In Arabia lor five centuries, in less than a year had made himsell the most important man in Arabia since the days ol tin* great Caliph llaronn of Rashid.

lie laid itiiiuiiierahle hairbreadth escapes, both when raiding the Turkish railway and when passing disguised through the Turkish lines. When strolling nonchalantly along the streets of Derail (near Damascus) two soldiers of the Sultan's army stopped him at a bazaar and arrested him on the charge of Going a deserter from the Turkish Aam.y. They took him to headquarters and Hogged him until he fainted. Then they threw him out more dead than alive and fearfully bruised. Some time la ter lie regained consciousness and, barely able to crawl, he made bis escape under cover of night. WEAR ONLY THE BEST. Ili-. experiences, indeed, lead like au " Arabian Night "of the 201 b century. He plays bis part marvellously. 11 is advice was that if you wear Arab dress, you shall always wear the best,, for tin* reason that clothes are 'igniliennt among the tribes. " Dress like a shore."!', if the people agree to il. and, if you use the Arab costume at all, go the whole length." This remarkaldo man said after the I uill not return for some years perhaps never. It would not I e for the good of the Arabs for me to no there. The war lias so completely upset my life that it may take me several years to find myself. In the meantime' f hope to discover a secluded corner in England far from war. polities, and diplomacy, whore 1 can read a hit of Creel; without being interrupted.