THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1912 LORD KITCHENER AND EGYPT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10626, 3 May 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1912 LORD KITCHENER AND EGYPT.

Aii anonyimmis writer hi the "FortniglitJy Review" gives a most interesting aocamvi of 'Lord Kitchener's work (in Egypt, .-which, according to Mm, flias been eminently successful, in spite of the natural .ferment caused by tSht? Tkirco-ItaUan war. Italy's ultimatum ihappened to be .sent on the day (that Loa'd Kitdlienor assumed offioa as British ■Agent in Cairo, and the article <.'Oiita.. ; !ii»s ftaroe la r nm.smg stories, miliiem indicate Shis diplomatic manner of keeping einliiiifiiiastio Egyptians from /being involved in the conflict. Early fim ibhe war a. n.umiiber »f Egyptian officers are sitvid to have appjibachcd him for permission- to volunteer for active iscrvice in Tripoli. Lord Kitchener replied tJhat he would foully give them peTmissfor, to 'do go, '.hut .that their vacant posts woitkl fliave to he filled Jiy junior .officers. Consequently, on .their return they would in. all iprobaIhiHity find that tSiey iß.vd been placed on itjhe' retired list, not cf course by 3iis wishes, hut by treason of the np,murd p'm.suro due t-.o congestion in the junior .ranks. For .thcrr own go'-ad, i therefore, he adviwd iihi nt to curb 'tfheir Oieireic airtlbitrons, and stay at (home—wih'icih they did. On another occasion (ci'tinui K.gyptia.u notables proposed that Egypt s.liiould- send three •or four regiments to the aid of the Turks. Kord Kitchener said that he lilad mo .objection., •intit that, m order to preserve' 'interim!' quiet, lie would nave 't*i> replace the troops by a.n equal l number <rf .British regiments. The 4 ,

proposal was..at once withdrawn. A few weeks later a deputation of Bcd'ooidni chieftains waited - an him for lleave to gather tlfew- rfcribes, and travel into Tripoli to fight tho Italians. His Lordship congratulated llhcm on their | warlike ardour, 'which, lie confessed, J» .ha vMrangely ove-rftjoked, reminding them that up till now they, as tnomads, had been .exempt from miliitary service in ihho Egyptian, army. lAis'., however, tihiey 'were thirsting for | m"i!! l itai'.y work, it woulid ibe a pity for i Egypt to lose euoh men, and ho would see that they were conserLbod, just as tfae Fel'ialhiin wro. The diioftains, weed less to Fay, lilnc-ughi no more of going to tho -war. Lord Kitchener's fame and personality appear to have helped Biim jgrealtly in his dealings •with -tho .natives. 'Ho [Lte been- scrupulously careful in consulting Egyptian Ministers and officials, so that they sihculu feel that ,tbt?y (have a voice in. public affairs, but yet lias always had his own way. Rectognising in Man a very, great man—"a sort 'of grand vdaer, .cmnrmnnder-in-dhief, and King's chief fav'ourito rolled, into one"—iustives in gonerafl bare curtailed their argutmeiita.tiveness, and almost entirely abandoned the carping oritici fenn to which Sir Eidon Gitargt was subjected. "The- Eigypiiana," concludes hhc -writer, "are very qui ok to recog'•nise their master, auid there can be little doubt that he 'is most happy and contented when he is j'uled .by a man whom at in aw diehonou rto serve. Tlio Egyptian is, in his o-wm fashion, a proud person, aiad he finds difficulty in givflng allegiance to any buft, a mighty man of va.'.our. For such a wie, however, he is prepared to .silence 3n*s natural (habit 'of > talkativeness, land, conscious that'he fis under the great man's, eye to woi'k quietly for the comdinon good. Lord Kitchener wilir have very .fcttfle diifficiulty in governing 'Egypt ; and, eo long as he remains in. the country ,we may expect (tranqaiility to'reign. But"'when he leaves;, 'and a main of less mighty r'eipufetton takes hfe ppace, tflicn we may look out for trouble."