KITCHENER’S VISION’

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1921, Page 9

KITCHENER’S VISION’

GREAT WAR INEVITABLE., Sir George Arhur, in an address on Earl Kitchener to the Anglo-French Society in London, revealed some highlyinteresting details concerning that great soldier and statesmen. All Lord Kitchener’s activities, he said, were concerned with the great idea which he conceived 40 years before his death—that the Great Wai’ was inevitable. He alone foresaw its length and dimensions, and the fact that Russia would not remain in the struggle to the end, In November, 1915, he told the politicians that he was making his calculations on the certainty that Russia would be out of the war in 12 months. This would be shown by the foreword by Marshal Joffre to the French translation of Earl Kitchener's life, which would shortly be published in Paris, and in the preface by M. Poincare Earl Kitchener’s prophetic vieifrs were given to General Joffre at Chantilly in November, 1915. As far back as 1886 Lord Kitchener began to realise the prospects of a great conflict with. Germany, and it' was his experiences there that led him to form the opinion not only that Germany would fight for- the hegemon;- of Europe, but that she would not fight fair. In India ,ho set himself to prepare the army there for the seemingly remote struggle with Germany, and in New Zealand and Australia he organised defence schemes which would be turned to the offensive i at once in the eventuality of the Ger--1 mans attacking us. Three qualities. Sir George Arthur pointed out, marked 1 the man—-his foresight, courage;, and i self-sacrifice. Lord Wellington was al- : ways trying £0 see what was on the I other side of the hill ; Lord Kitchener 1 was always trying to penetrate the veil : of the future, and he seemed to arrive at his conclusions by pure intuition.