KITCHENER'S WAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 189, 19 January 1915, Page 7

KITCHENER'S WAY.

Some few months after "K," as Tommy calls Lord Kitchener, had taken over the command from "Bobs" in South Africa, he had occasion to visit some blockhouses which were in course of erection just outside one of the leading mereial towns. One, lie noticed, had been put up in a rather exposed position, and he therefore ordered trenches and sangars to be thrown up at once, in order to strengthen it. Going inside one of the blockhouses—they were all connected by telephone—he rang up the officer commanding a unit in the town, when thej following dialogue took place:— K.: "Are you there?" CO.: "Yes' Sir." K.. "Are you , in comnianl of the, shire Regiment?" CO : "Yes'sir." K.:'"l want a working party, fifty strong, with entrenching tools, to be here at six o'clock to-morrow morning." CO.: "I beg your pardon sir, but my men are employed on something or other, the majority escorting prisoners down the line." K.: "Oh, I see. Ah! is that a band I hear playing there?" CO. (hesitating): "Y—es, sir." K: "Oh, it is. What band?" CO.: "Regimental band, sir, playing outside the mess." K.: "Playing at mess? Well—ah—just have those instruments put away for some future occasion, will you, and make that working party a hundred strong to .arrive here to-morrow morning at six 'o'clock, or there will be a regimental command vacant," CO. (stammering): "Very good, sir." That working party was mostly bandsmen. Kitchener had heard the music vibrating on the telephone instrument.