The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-21
LORD KITCHENER.
Not Allowed to Take n Leading Part
in south Africa.

Julian Ralph. in London Mail
1 notice. since my return TO London, that
/ am more often asked about Lord kitch-
ener than about any other general except
the great field marshal, who, here as with
the army. nearly blocks the whole horizon
las he should.
There is little need to discuss Lord Kitch-
ener as either an independent actor or a
lieutenant of Lord Roberts. In neither
capacity has he counted for much in the
war, or increased his prestige as a STRAIT
egist. He made a mere meteoric appearance
during our pursuit and subsequent sur
rounding of Cronje's army, but IL was not
the common opinion that he pleased the
field marshal by his military methods. They
appeared too much like an exaggeration OF
the worst Of Lord Methuen's mistakes.
The fact that Lord Kitchener was sum-
marily sent away as soon as Lord Roberts
came up with the besieging force, and that
the ex-sirdar's orders were TO put down a
petty rebellion of 400 farmers at Prieska,
carried with il q suggestion which had but
on Interpretation where l heard 1t dis
cussed.
This experience is quite apart from an
other fact about Lord Kitchener, which was
uay he landed in South Africa. This was
the fact of his unpopularity with the offi-
GERS throughout the army-to which, OF
course. Lord Roberts was never a party.
"A memDer OF Pdrllament WnOm Il nitt III
Kimberley went so far as to characterize
this feeling as evidence of a conspiracy
against the hero of Omdurman, but 1 after
ward came to see that there was no COM
bination or organized activity against Lord
Kitchener. He was simply regarded as a
man reputed to be needlessly stern, severe
and exacting when in
His first conspicuous act when in South
Africa was the withdrawal of the tram
sport service from separated commands in
order thai it should be managed by the
Army Service Corps. Thus ii came about
that every brigadier and colonel saw a
certain amount of his power shifted to
what he considered a subordinate branch
Of the service. A goodish degree OF lati-
tude in the enjoyment of comforts and ex-
tras which had been made possible when
these officers controlled the wagons was
also curtailed. The army walled ana
CRASHED its teeth. but i confess | always
thought that reason and right were on
Kitchener's plan was the only one py
which an insufficient number of wagons
and teams could be utilized for all that
they were worth.
And / suspect it is as true to-day as IL
was last year that even IL General Lord
Kitchener has not shone as a lighting man
in South Africa he remains the greatest
military organizer of his generation what
he did in leading up to and executing the
battle of Omdurman was the sort OF work
i'm which he stands alone And why might
he not nave paralleled this feat In South
AFRICA III ne nad Deen sent tneTe dt the pC-
~ginning-or a few months earlier?
But though General Kitchener is not sec
ond TO Lord Roberts in this war, there is a
general who must soon receive at home the
credit and the plauditS which ne mas
gained from the army.
His name is ~French-Major General j.. ID.
p. French-and, II / mistake not, 1t is for
ever to be coupled with Lord Roberts's In
connection with this war in the hearts and
minds of his countrymen. Chance is al
ways a great factor in the success of a
soldier. and chance has been so good to
General French as to send him to the east,
the middle. the west and the north. nearly
always in time to do Cor to help in) some
master stroke. 1t can almost be said that
he figured in every great success OF the
British arms, from Elandslaagte to Bloem-
fontein, and since.