KITCHENER'S GLORIOUS CAREER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 207, 8 September 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

KITCHENER'S GLORIOUS CAREER.

STORIES OF THE GREAT SOLDIER.»

A magnificent tribute to the great Field-Marshal, whose tragic death the Empire mourns, is contained in the following words : "A great man, who suffered from shameful detraction, and suffered it without a murmur! Who was assailed continually by witless ignorance, and kept calmly on his course! Who knew no party, no politics, but only his dutv to the State! Who used advertisement to ga : n recruits, but never to gain applause! A strong, simple soldier, a brave soul, a true Englishman! This is our loss."

According to the cynics, the only woman whom Lord Kitchener reallyloved was Biddy, the nurse who on a certain day sixty-six years ago, in the kitchen of Gunsborough House, County Kerry, said that the world was richer by "a foine boy." And whom he nevefa:led to visit in after years, whenever an opportunity presented itself. To Biddy, Lord Kitchener, in spite of his titles, fame, and fortune, was always "My boy Herbert." How Lord Kitchener happened to be an Irishman by birth was told by his father in 1852, two years 'after his distinguished son's birth, L\eutenant~ Colonel Henry Horatio Kitchener was driven from the Army through illness, and was travelling in Ireland, seeking health, when lie bought an estate ot 2000 acres for £3,000 on the banks of the Lower Shannon, ill Kerry. It was there Horatio Herbert was born, and was baptised in the local Protestant church.

There was |a very human side to Kitchener's character, though the popular idea was that he was a stern, unbending man, who regarded men as machines. Here is a story which shows how erroneous that idea was. A certain Yeomanry officer while on parade rated his men in unmeasured terms. They were a lot of "rabble," "guttersnipes," etc., etc. 'That," said Lord Kitchener, coming up, "is not the way to address men. They are not rabbk. but soldiers, and to be spoken to is such. No troops can be trained in that fashion. And the commander who does not respect Ins men is unable to levi them."

Kitchener loved to talk with old cam. paigncrs, whether privates or officers Some months ago he suddenly appeare.l at a London hospital, and in his blun;, kindly, and .encouraging way spoke to many of the wounded soiuiers. "Where were you wounded?" he asked oae. "Doctors cannot find the bullet, eh? No matter. Bullets don't do much harm nowadays. I carried one K or three years. Get well, as soon as yoj can."

It was during the campaign of 1888 that Lord Kitchener was hit in the sid-3 of the face by a bullet. The surgeons, despite all endeavours, were unable to locate it —the X-rays were then unknown —but the wound was a healthy one, and soon healed. Then one day a tasty beefsteak was served to him, and no sooner had he attacked it, >n trufe m ; litary fashion, than he put his hand to his throat, exclaiming, •■ ff there's no bone in tlvs steak, I've swallowed my bullet; I f.elt it go down." And this proved actually to be th' 3 ca>e.

CURT BIT KINDLY. Kitchener had many hairbreadth escapes in his time. He \ras wounded on fivo occasions in battle, was twice shot at by Bedouins, had three accidents n Ind : a, was shipwrecked in Australasia, and nearly assassinated in Egypt. Lord Kitchener, though a true prophet on so many occasions proved wrong in forecasting the manner of his own death. During the Soudan campaign, when warned that he was exposing himself too recklessly in a ho; engagement, lie answered confidently. "I shall never be killed. When m/ time comes I shall d'e peacefully ii my bed." Here is another story which shows Kitchener's little-known k : ndliness oc heart. A "Sergeant What's-his-name," as Kipling has immortalised the splendid British N.C.O.'s of the Egyptian

"l»o Year Duty Bravely. Fear God. Honour the King." Lord Kitchener's Life Maxim.

Army, was going home invalded when Kitchener sent for him. "Well, Sergeant So-and-So," he said, "I hope you will soon come back tit and well, ami —.or—here is something that may b.' useful to you at home.*' The sometlrng was a cheque for £25. Lord Kitchener's rule in India was marked by one of his most salient characteristics —the habit of committing ; h little as possible to paper. To give an order by word of mouth he would wire to a general to travel a two-days' jour, ney to sec him. When h.e arrived, ten minutes' conversation, a curt farewell, and the dreaded interview was over. Thus did he successfully circumvent tht constant spying around him. HIS FAVOURITE HOBBIEL 3 , The famous soldier did not encourago autograph, seekers. He is said to have mad? the"following reply to one request for his signature : " Young man, make your own autograph worth something, mine's worth nothing."

Lord Kitchener had but two hobbies —flowers and the collection of Chines.* porcelain. He loved to spend his leisure hours in the gardens of Broome Parlfc Irs grand old seventeenth-cen-tury mansion near Canterbury. H 3 had a fairly extensive knowledge of ros.es, and liked nothing better than to chat with experts about them. Perhaps Kitchener's most stirring speech was that he made before he sailed for home after the South African War. The great majority of the audience having fought throughout the campaign, he said: "You can never forget the tine friends and comrades by whose side you have stood 'n a hundred fights. Teach the youth that come after you what you have learnt. Keep your horses and rifles ready, and your bodies physically lit, so that you may bo prepared at any time to take your part in the great Empire which unites us all." "SELLING TEA IN IHE SAME SHOP." At Drury Lane "on one occasion, actively assisting the manager in trainhr; an army of supers in an imagmary figni with African natives, was a gentleman in a frock-coat and tall hat, of undo uiably military appearance, who impressed those about by his quiet, masterful manner and the imperturbable pat : enc.e with which he directed manoeuvres to be repeated over and over again until they were satisfactorily executed. After the rehearsal, Sir Augustus Harris beckoned to a friend to approach. "I want to introduce you,' said the famous theatrical manager, "to my friend Major Kitchener, who has been kind enough to come and help me with this soldiering work." Stories of Kitchener's terseness if expression are legion. "Well, Lord Kitchener," a prominent citizen ot Cape Town is reported to halve said to his guest during a cris's in the South African War, "and how do you propose to reorganise the transport?'' 'Reorganise it?" repl : ed Kitchener, diyly. "I shall organis? it.'' While in Pretoria Lord Witchene--possessed a tame starling which was the pet of the moment. He spent hours standing in front of the bird's cage, as though he expected it to throw light on the problems before him. Presently it occurred to him that the bird was lonely, whereupon the officers ot the staff occupied their spare time Imnt'ng up and down Pretoria to find a mate for th.e Chief's bird. Lord Kitchener had a strong sense of humour. One day, when a pompous individual was claiming old friendship with h'm on the plea that their families were friends two generations ago. Lord Kitchener sa : d, with a twinkle in his eye, "If your grandfather lived and worked with mine. tlv\y must have been selling tea in the same shop." Men. it used to be s.ajd in the Army, did the impossible at a word from Kitchener. "Twelve hours in winch to carry this despatch! You must do t in six." And the officer who had asked for the twelve hours did it in five.