THE KITCHENER TOUCH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 251, 27 November 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE KITCHENER TOUCH.

•' Who the dooco & that big chop with the untweakablo nose? " someone is reported to Jiavo asked about Lord Kitchener, seeing ban in mulu at a ro-c-option. " That's the chap," the reply is said to hav c been. " who's the keenis; whelp of the hon with the untwistable tail."

When you think of it, that noso is "imtnrwakable." One would liku to »e» th 0 lips concealed by that inscrutable uioustaohe, too. Evasion and equivocation cannot live in th„ light of thce>< steady eyes. Ic is the face of a man which says that the next bert thing to doing right is admitting that, you hav* doue wrong. It is a face ttnat reads shirkers au ( i 6lackers and vaciUators to ;he very wul—of a man that wall do things while others talk—of a man who bab no tune for tinkering.

A WORD PICTURE

Her« is a picture of him when he was Sirdar of Egypt, done by tho late l». VV. Steevens:— "Ho stands several inches o\\*r six feet, straight as a lance, and looks out. imperiously over most men's heads; his motions are deliberate and strong; slender but firmly knit, lie seem* buiit for tireless, stool-wiro endurance rathci than for power and anility. . . Steady, passionless oyes shaded by decisive brows, brick-red rather full checks, a long moustache beneath which you divine an immovable mouth ; his face i* hardi, and uei-hcr appeals for affection nor stirs dislike. . . You could imagine the character just the same as it ell Uie externals were different. He has no a(4u but the prime of life, nobody but one to carry his mind, no face but one to keep his Krain behind. The brain and the "ill are the essence mid the whole of the man —a brain and a will f-o perlec; in their workings that in the tare of extyemest difficulty they never seeni to know what struggle is. You cannot imagine th> Sirdar crtherwisa than cis seeing the right tiling to do, mid doing it. His precision i-s so i.ihunwnly unerring lie is more like fc machine tlian a man. You f«>el tha; he ought to bo patented and shown with pride at tlu- Paris Intirnatior.ftl Exliihilion —British Empire Exhibit No. 1. hois eoncours, the Soudan machine." A man to whom effusiveness i.s impossible —of whom g.ish is unthinkable; but sill human—ve."v human. We hav* it from tho.«e who watched him as he iyilkfd through the hospitals aud talkid with the wounded Tommies.

A STRAIGHT MAN

i ]]« i» par excellence tlio irian who wilj i not stand any nonsense, or funs. And ho i* not only a soldier-lie is an ndi ministralor and organiser of supreme ! capacity. H,> not only uses his .ools ' with unique deftness and skill, hut hj« : eonoeives, plan*, and fashions tho vcrj tools themselves. His methods are radical; lie goes to tho roots; ho does not boat about the Hu-li. If he does not approve of anything ho lo « you know without circumlocution. | A representative of a paper opI peatred lie fore him far a piss to the | front in the course of the- Soutli African i War. The Commander-in-Chief's grectj inn; was "Good morning." and, handing ' the signed pas; to the journalist wi;h n Miiilo, "There's your pass, though 1 should have preferred to have signed an order to hive von shot.'

i When he was n't ("ape Town during lh,» war he herd of some officer "Johnnies" who wire having a good tint ', and staying tit the Mount Royal Hotel. He paid them a visit, and ad.'.<:vt cd each man ;hus—"Tho special train leaves for front ot 10 a.m.; tkr troop.->hip leaves at 4 p.m. for England. \z>n lave votit dboice, 6ir." WHO GF.TS THINGS DOXE. An olfieer diirino; tl.e Soudan camwired him that it was impossible to move IhN troops further along a defined line owing t" the hash. Kitcheti r's reply uas. " Cut >'he bush down." Before Lord Roherls left Cape Town le called into l"> office n certain colonel, and charged him with a certain mission. "Now," said the Chief, "how f-oon can you put this through? I know you'll do tho beat you can." "Well," replitd the colonel. "I'll try to do it in a fortnigh:." "Well." Ivord Roberts replnd, "1 know you'll do the be>t you can," a:ul with a pleasant smile he dismissed tho officer. Outeido the door he met Lord Kiteheutr. "Well;'" said ho with business, like abruptness. "Oh." said the colon;!. "I luve just seen the Chief; he H;mts uie to do so and so.'' "When are you goiug >o get it througn!' " "Well," said th 0 colonel, "1 promised in do it m a tortnight." "Now, colonel,'' was Kitchenerti retort, "il this is not done within a week wc shall havo to sec about .>ou home." And it was done. Atiolliw story of South Africa. A soldi,r hud arrived in Prokoria with despatches. Altej- delivering ttieni l:« v. ,111. to a hotel saloon, and lotind there u lot of young otucvrs in animated talk. lib ordered u bottl© of Jiass—a uhillmg, He did not grudge it though—il »js the Inst ho had iiad Uio chance ol tor weeks. Suddenly a tall figure ap-l-.\m<U in the doorway. The otliec.a \aniih<\l. and the soldier left alone with Kiicnencr. "\Nho auo you;'" ho asked, and was ansivervd. "What are voti doing here;'" " Wailing arunus to despatches, sir, 1 have brought in from .'" "Winre are your papers?" 'Jhese were handed oxer, examined, and returned w-ith the laconic, "Have another liass.'' "That's the fcOrt Kitchenor is." said the soldier afunwards. "(ALL ML HERBERT:" And another, which would seem lo suggest that K. of K. oau biifftr snobs gladly. A sprig of nobility ■who fancied him.-elf was appointed orderly to Kitchcnt r. He was sent for one day to carry do pauheo. and entered the room saving. "Did you w.iu. me, Kitchener?" '1 lie re,t of the officers g»i'-p----cd in cxpe.tj'ion of something t rriblo happening, but Kitchener oalv said with a quiet smile. "Oh, don't call me Kitchener; it's so beastly formal. Call ino Hcilicrt." Wo have had lal r stories (whether an hen lie or not b another matter) nliout K. of K. since he became War Miuister. Il is said that m.-t after his appointmcut he -cm a nios-euger to the Post mart* r-Ooaeral's for thirty j telegraphist-, by return. The nussenI ncr returned s'ning ho hid the ! Righest official in charge, who had stflt.d that his staff had !..,:n io depleted owing to the war thai lio was sorry ho cojild not comply. "(Jo back," said Kitclieiier. "and (ell him if 'hey are here in half an bmir that 1 will go and ; fetch them mvselt'." The telegraphies i iv. r ( . at the War Office within tlu v time SjoHfied. Silent, s'did. exact, thoronch seem to | <>.. the nio-s npprojii i.iie adj i lives to d i-frilm Kitchenei s work . and as | V.JO'.'M , w'-l| .nd--n-' h.-u no ajgn but t'bc j»riiue s ; life ' Up djjee uot vary.

Ho is alwuya the same—unerring, precise. No wonder such a leader inspire* public confidence.

Perhaps tho best books f«r an allround view at the groat War Msnistor'i Jifo and w-erk ar« Stccvous's " With kitchener to Khartoum," Hackwcod's J, , ■, of Loid Kitchener," mid Churchill's "Th 0 River War."