The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02
GENERAL KITCHENER.
Less Popular I'm South Africa Than In
the Sudan.

Saturday Evening Post.
There are epochs in q mans career be-
yond which II were better, perhaps, ne
should not 60. Such an one was that wnlcn
saw Lord Kitchener enthusiastically halieo
as the conqueror of the Sudan. Since then
he has been tried anew, and the opinion as
to his quality has somewhat changeu:
Here, as in Buffers case, judgment snouid
be reserved. The part that Kitchener mas
played Roberts's right hand will not be
fully appreciated until more is known. 1t
was in the nature Of his duties that ne
should be little heard Of. even though, TO
great extent, the hub and center on
which the campaign revolved
The first look at Kitchener tells you the
sort of man he is; his is hard, handsome,
much sunburnt face, with unwinking blue
eyes that pierce and riddle you through
and through; he has a tail, sololer-nke
figure, with alertness in every move he
is q fighting man, devoted to war from the
DAYS he outstayed his leave from Levan-
tine consulate in order to take part In an
Egyptian campaign. and so eager TOT tne
fray that he gave battle at Handouo with
inferior forces, was worsted, wounded and
all but disgraced.
He was said to be at the point OF DEATH
and SO escaped reprimand; then he swal-
lowed the bullet in his throat and suddenly
recovered. Yet Kitchener's fame will rest
rather on deeds that are non-miiitant. his
forte is organization. the slow, patlent
preparation of means to an end. HIS serV-
in South Africa as they were in Sudan.
and in either case could the great advance
have been made but for his marvellous
handling Of the gigantic supplies OF trans
port by land or river. In carrying out his
programme he spared no one and utilized
all.
We know now that his whole care was
to keep the effective men in good case, and
he undoubtedly neglected the wounded and
suffering who had become unserviceable.
This is the man; his whole thoughts and
every effort are concentrated on the WORK
ahead and on the successful maintenance
of the struggle. Those who had dropped
were of no account, so he took the ambu-
lances at Bloemfontein to carry food and
warlike stores, and left the sick INTENDED.
He is machine. not man, grinding out
results with mathematical precision and
having no care for the human flesh and
blood that may be caught up by the ia
exorable wheels.
He has shown strongly marked bias to-
ward friendly relations with the native
races he has been associated with. The In
fluence he thereby acquired was great and
lasting 1t was so marked that Charles
Gordon. long years ago. when kltcnener
was no more than subaltern, named him
as the officer most fitted to succeed him in
the important post of governor general OF
the Sudan. Kitchener In those early days
was always perfectly happy in the desert
with the wandering Arabs. On one occa-
sion when Lord Wolseley was moving up
the Nile, he rode over to see Kitchener,
who was detached to gain information, and
found him in an Arab encampment, quite
at home-1n a filthy tent, surrounded by still
filthiep.-riends, and the whole party COW
cred with flies and sand and nastiness.
81 suppose you will be glad to get away
from this" said the chief.
mot at all. sir. I'm quite happy here. l
like it,
To rough it is no hardship to Kitchener.
In the great sirdaria or palace which was
his headquarters in Cairo. he lived in the
utmost simplicity. There was plenty or
fine furniture In the reception rooms, but
his own place was bare and carpetless-
a camp bed, single body-servant not al
ways within call. The night that it was
decided all in hurry. to march on DON
COLA, the British general In Cairo and an
other officer hurried off to warn Kitchener.
1t was past midnight; the sirdaria was
They broke in through the window and
after wandering through the empty rooms
they came at last upon Kitchener. sleep
ing calmly, the only soul in the house.
There is not much that Is domestic about
Kitchener; he has laundering for the
chimney corner, the hearth and home, the
happy family gathering. He is a confirmed
bachelor While sirdaria he disapproved en-
tirely of marriages among his officers, and
the penalty of such weakness was an or
der to resign The natural inference that
Kitchener is misogynist would be wrong
for he is fond Of women's society and can
make himself very agreeable when he
pleases. We have the highest authority
for this, no other than that of the Queen.
After Kitchener paid his first visit to
Balmoral by her Majesty's command the
Queen gave her opinion naively:
''They told me Lord Kitchener hated
women; can only say he was very nice
to me-" Yet he still prefers single blessed
ness. and the gossip that has given him
to one great heiress after another has no
foundation