The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-24
HOUSTON. SUNDAY. DEC. "a, 1890.
TM ENTY- -FOUR PAGES
LORD KITCHENER OF KHARroum,

In view OF world interest In the trial
of Briton versus Boer before the relent-
less but supreme court OF war, It can not
be out OF place for The Post to present
a brief editorial review Of the career OF
General Lord Kitchener. who is hurrying
from Carlo to South Africa as cheif OF
stan to Baron Roberts. now appointed TO
supreme command Of the British army In
South Africa.
General Kitchener is As years old aid
military engineer OF profound ability For
fourteen years he served in the Anglo
Egyptian army, OF which he be-
came sirdar. or commander In chief.
In 1896, at which time he set
in motion the superb campaign that
resulted, but a little while ago in the fall
OF the green nag Of Ismal ana the rise OF
the Union Jack over all the vast Soudan
region.
Egypt pominaily controlled the soudan
country in 1852. but Egypt's suzeralnty
VAS acknowledged solely because British
soldiery stood behind IL like a granite wall
II was in this year that the mahdi made
his advent The soudanese had been
looking for a Messiah to come and lead
them against the host OF Great Britain.
He was found in an oasis In the desert near
Khartoum in the person OF Kordofan
Arab, Aohammed Ahmad. He was the
prophet and his command came from
heaven, The wild children OF the desert
flooked TO his standard. To disobey him
was death. Soon no had the ferces. army
his back that a veteran sodicry ever
faced, but il vas rabhle horde. Within
two years the mahdi had put to the spear
every town sarrlsohed by British Egyptian
soldiers from Ell Obeid TO Khartoum
when General Gordon, left TO his fate by
the too tardy relief OF General wolseleys
hiundering expedition, dogeedly waited
with handful Of starving soldiers his in
eyitaole destruction All the world re-
calls with shudder how Chinese" Cor
don. the magnanimous soldier. offered the
mahdi the rulership OF all the Western
soudan, how 1t was rejected, how he died
fighting on a landing OF the palace steps.
and that his severed head was sent to the
Christian governor OF Dorfor. whom tho
diaholism of the Derysh devils chose to
spare
In 1895 the mahdi died, naming the
Sheik Abdullah Mohammed as his success
sor with the title of kalifa. A year later
Great Britain put in motion It's plan to
reconquer the Soudan. General Kitchener
was commissioned to accomplish the task.
AT Walda Halfa on the Nile, 45O miles
from omdurman he massed 5000 men, and
began the construction of railroad to
follow, step by step. the march OF his
army through the desert. It connected
with Cairo. to which place he returned his
sick and wounded. while his base OF sup
plies was transported with his army. Gen
eral Kitchener's advance began In 1897,
and 1t never ceased until the Union Jack
waved over the palace Of the kalifa In the
new capital OF Omdurman and the bones
OF the Deryish dead lay bleaching In the
hot sands Of tho desert. from Atbora TO
Khartoum,
General Kitchener's railroad stopped at
a point 1850 miles from omdurman. Thence
forward his supplies and machine guns
were transported on the backs OF camsls.
The kalifa's army mado Its last stand,
before seeking safety by retreat into the
desert, on the plain In front OF his capi-
tai General Kitchener threw out an ad-
vance line that. after making a brilliant
charge fell back before the Derysh hordes.
These were never stopped until the ma
chine guns from the old-time British
square had piled their slain bodies in
heaps before their murderous muxzles.
Naked courage can not stand against
HaxiIns. The result at Omdurman was
moro than 10000 dead for the kalifa's
rmy as against 200 OF General Kitchener's
ommand The tactics. formations and
casualties from Atbora prov
nee 10 Omdurman on both sides were
practically similar.
These tactics had as well never been
raetised 80 far as they can apply to the
turdy bnrshers Of the Transvaai. now
sininerine the British army TO defeat
llth heavy ordnance. Every line that
- bsep swung forward BY Methuer.
ataere or Butler 10 feel their position
draw them from cover. has bsen swept
y 4 hurricane Of shot ana shell and forced
, retire The Kitohsner tactics have
- tsied Il South Africa ana fsund. in