New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-17
SLAT|N PACHA TO QUIT
Kitchener'S Aversion Causes Him
to Leave Egypt.

Copyright, 1911. by the Brentwood Company
Lord Kitchener's appointment as the
English lord paramount in Egypt and the
Soudan is destined to mark the disap-
pearance from the land of the Nile OF one
of its most picturesque and interesting hg-
ures. namely, the Austrian baron. slatin
Pacha. who holds the honorary rank OF
major general in the English army, be-
slowed upon him by the late King Ed
ward. with whom he was a great favorite.
Popular as Slatin is with every one in
80 many quarters. he has never been liked
by Kitchener. and although the latter has
at no time vouchsafed any explanation OF
his sentiments with regard TO Slatin. yet
he had never made any concealment OF his
dislike which Is manifestly tinged with
certain amount of contempt. Slatin was at
the outbreak of the Mahdi rebellion Gov
ernor OF the DarfIr Province Of the Soudan,
and was IN that position when Gordon was
appointed by the English government to
proceed TO Khartoum. Gordon relied much
on Slatin holding Darfur. But slatin sur
rendered the capital of the province and
his entire army 10 tho Mahdi in the early
part Of 1884 almost without a fight and
from that time forth until eleven years
later when he effected his escape to lower
Fgvpt was. first with the Mahdi, and after
his death with the Khalifa, at Khartoum.
General Gordon's Journals" even in
their edited condition, contain a number Of
very derogatory references to Slatln. show
tng that the hero of Khartoum was filed
with resentment and contempt toward him.
Perhaps IL is this that has Influenced
Kitchener. Possibly, too. he mas in mind
49, n
The Mahdist form of Islamism. renouncing
the Christian creed. fact whicn did not
commend itself 10 Kitchener as worthy Of
an officer holding a commission in the re-
serve forces of the Austrian army
Then. too. there has always been GER
TAIN amount Of question as 10 the precise
role played by Slatin during the eleven
Years that he spent at Khartoum. Accord
ing 10 some, and by his own account he
was a misused. maltreated captive. Ac-
cording 10 others, he was the honored Gn1
trusted military adviser of the Mahdi and
# the Khalifa. Possibly Kitchener. who
is the safe repository Of many secret
both official and personal, has some def
mite information on the subject Which Re
has never seen fit to reveal. True, he en-
ployed bin in the intelligence department
of his expedtionary force, after his es-
cape. and in the operations concluding with
-he battle Of OmduTman where. according
10 some Kitchener found definite proofs
Of the role that had been PLAYED by the
pscha during the eleven years that he
lived with the dervishes.
Since then Kitchener has had little or
no use for slatin and has shown his dis
taste for the man in such a fashion as TO
render the continuance of Slatin in the
Egyptian service as inspector general of
the Soudan a matter Of impossibility. In
fact. Kltchener's appointment TO Egypt has
been followed by Stains resignation and
BY the announcement that he is withdraw
,nr from Egypt to spend the remainder of
his DAYS in Austria. the land Of his birth.