Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-05
SIRDAR LIONIzED
FREEDOM OF LONDON PRESENTED
TO HIM YESTERDAY.
BANQUETED BY LORD MAYOR
LONG LIST OF BRITISH NOTABILI-
TIES PRESENT.
Lord Salisbury, in TOastinE the Sir
dar. Took Occasion to Sny That
France Had Announced Her
Intention of Evacuat-
ing Fnshoda.


city were crowded all morning, an immense
number OF people seeking to witness Cen
eral kitcheners triumphal progress 10
Guild hall, to receive the freedom of the
city of London and the sword of honor
presented to him in recognition of his de-
feat of the dervishes at Omdurman. The
general received a great ovation as ac-
companied by three aides de camp and
| dressed in full generals uniform, with the
Egyptian sash, he drove through the
streets.
At the Guild hall there was the quaint
est kind of a ceremony, which was wit
messed by some $500 spectators. chiefly city
dienitarIeS and their families, though Lord
Rosebery and Lord Salisbury, the lord
chancellor and a few other notables were
present.
There was scene of great enthusiasm
when General Kitchener took his place on
the daiS by the side of the lord mayor,
Mr.. Horatio David Davies. The clerk then
read 4 document setting forth that citi-
zens, one described as butcher, one as
barber and one as stationer, had de-
clared the general to be a fit and proper
person.
In presenting the sword of honor, the
| lord mayor read an address in which he
| said this honor was reserved only for En-
glands greatest sons.
NitcHeitI, reply lilS, tSpIeSSSU
| his deep and heartfelt thanks and said
| the success of the campaign was due not
| only to the oneness of purpose and cheer
| ful spirit of determination, but to the
| master mind of Lord Cromer. the British
agent in Egypt. under whose able direc-
| ton, the Sirdar asserted, the Soudan had
been reconquered.
The banquet given to General Kitchener
| at the Mansion house tonight was an eX-
ceptonally brilliant affair. trophy of
| British and Egyptian flags entwined had
| been arranged above the lord mayors seat.
The guests included the Duke of Cam
bridge, the Marquis of Salisbury and other
| cabinet ministers; Lord Roberts, of Kan
| dahar: Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal,
Sir William Vernon Harcourt, Lord Rose
berry, Lord Wolseley, the commander-in-
| chief of the British forces; Lord Russell,
| of Kilowen. the lord chief justice of En-
| gland Lord CurZon. of Kedleston, the
newly appointed viceroy of India: Sir JOS
| eph Lister. president of the Royal Society;
| the Duke of Marlboro, Mr.. Henry White
| the United States charge d'affaires; Baron
Rothschild, Judge Lambert Tree, formerly
| United States minister to Russia, and
| others of the highest rank in the British
! empire. In all, there were about $50 guests
present
General Kitchener was attired in the un-
| form of major general of the British army,
with the ribbon of the Osmanieh order.
| He was greeted with tremendous cheering
| from the assembled guests. The banquet.
appropriately, was served in the Egyptian
| hall of the mansion house. --.----
| General Kitchener sat on the right hand
| of the lord mayor, and the Duke of Cam
| bridge was seated on the lord mayors left.
After the dinner proper, the lady mayor
ess and a number of other ladies We're ac-
| commodated with seats in the gallery, in
| order to enable them to hear the speeches.
After the loving cup had been circulated,
| the lord mayor toasted the queen, the
Prince and Princess of Wales and the royal
| family, to which the Duke of Cambridge
responded.
Lord Rosebery toasted the army and
| navy, paying a glowing tribute to Lord
| Kitchener and his gallant comrades and to
| Lord Cromer and the Egyptian and Sou
| danese forces, whose brilliant campaign,
| lust closed is the most consummate in the
| annals of British military history for
| eighty years, and far more beneticent and
| extended in its results than perhaps any
| recorded in history
| The campaign, said Lord Rosebery, had
wiped out the .bloodiest ana most bar
barous tyranny in the history of mankind"
| He concluded by expressing the opinion
| that Great Britain had "a right to expect
| from the nations whose territory borders
on the dervish territory, not ill-feeling and
| jealousy, but the fullest measure of grati-
| tude.''
| The assembly greeted the rising of the
| Marquis of Salisbury TO toast the sirdar
| with nervous silence, as 1t had been wnisp-
! cred that he had an important and grave
! statement to make. His statement was i'm
| nounced a settlement of the chief difficulty
with France. The premier said in part:
No one can wonder at the vast enthusi-
| aSm by which the career of this great
| soldier has been received, especially when
| we consider the strange dramatic inter-
! est of the circumstances and conditions
| amid which his laurelS We're Won by the
| sirdar Besides being splendid soldier, he
| is also splendid diplomatist. 1t must have
| carry out the delicate mission up the Nile
| which conducted him into the presence of
| Major Marchand.
The sirdar has recently expressed the
| hope that the difficulties arising from the
presence of Major Marchand may be with
/ in the power of diplomacy to ADJUST [ am
glad 10 say that. up to a certain point
he has proved 4 true prophet. This after
noon / received from the French ambas-
sador the information that the French gov
! ernment has come to the conclusion that
| the occupation of Fashoda is of no sort of
| value prolonged laughter and cheers, and
| that they thought. in the circumstance
| that to persist in an occupation which
would only cost them money and do harm,
| merely because some bad advisers thought
|
neighbor. would not show the wisdom with
which. as | think. the French republic has
been uniformly guided.
They have done what l believe every
| government would have done in the same
| postion-reSolved that the occupation must
cease. (CheersD | must not he understood
as saying that all causes of controversy
are removed. Doubtless there will be many
| discussions between us. but a somewhat
acute and somewhat dangerous cause of
| difference has been removed
General Kitchener. whose reply was mod
est and not important. gave unstnted
praise to the British. Egyptian and Sou
danese troops. The sirdar said he would.
indeed, have been an incapable leader if he
had failed of victory with such soldiers
He gave some details as to the experience
of the expedition, dwelling with pride upon
its cheapness. and. in summing up ''the
assets that remain, referred to 600 miles of
railway. gunbcats. a tiotilla of sailing craft
and tafter a pause) the Soudan. daughter
and applause.l
A striking feature of the occasion was
the presence of number of young officers
of the guards, life guards and Twenty-lirst
lanCers, who had served with the sirdar
| Several of them were wounded and walked
| with crutches or with their arms in slings
WHY ALL THIS ACTIVITY?
British War Preparations Continue,