New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-16

was 70 90 down 10 sumner with the
80, rrince OF Rumania; the American
minister to Rumania, Mr.. Carter. Not
Tar behind them came one Special Am
oassador for the onation.-or. as he
PREFERS to call himself, "the Special
representative OF the President of the
united States Of America. MIR John
nays Hammond, who was privileged to
give MS arm to the Duchess of Sake
Coourg Gotha. But this is another
aside
Next after the Garter comes the Order
OF the Thistle, henceforth 10 ace the
Earl OF Mar and Kellie: already graced
IN fair wife. Lord Reay is the other.
the same Lord Reay who was one of Mr..
Giadstone's six Peers" in 1881: OF curl
ously mixed descent and distinctions;
being chief OF the Scottish clan Mackav;
son of the tenth Baron Reay, who was
Mackay dOphemert. a Minister of State
IN holland, where his son was born q
Dutchman. became President Of. the
Dutch Parliament and remained a
Dutchman till naturalized a British SUBJ
Ject, in 1877 He is far otherwise dis
| tinguished by a range of accomplish
ments and capacities not often united in
one man. He has been Governor Of the
Province Of Bombay, Under Secretary of
| State for India, President of University
| College in London, Lord Rector of ST
Andrews University. member of the
French Institute and much else. besides
| being British Delegate to the Hague
Conference of 1907. To all which the
Order OF the Thistle is a new recog
milton. and that which a Scot is sup
posed most ardently to desire.
That is natural. but why should Lord
Kitchener be made knight Of St Pat
rick? He is not an Irishman, but son
OF the late Lieutenant Colonel Kitchener,
of Leicestershire. and his mother was
from Suffolk There may be ancestral
Irish blood. / do not know. But he is
a viscount Of the United Kingdom and
has nothing TO do with the Irish Peer
age, unless, perchance. collaterally. He
is already entitled TO write o. NJ. after
his name: which. perhaps, most men
would prefer to *. p. Though perhaps
also most men would like both.
Lord Kitchener is something else than
that. He is a brilliant Illustration Of the
genius of British Governments in squan-
dering their best men. Certainly among
the first three living British soldiers;
Lord Wolseley and Lord Roberts being
the other two. Certainly the greatest
living Chief Of staff; by German testi
mony; without a rival as an organizer.
and at the moment when an ablescivil
ian is reorganizing the British army
Lord Kitchener is left outside. They
are. I suppose afraid Of him in the War
Office. He would show scan, respect for
those barnacled traditions in which the
War Office delights. He would never
mix politics with war. And perhaps he
would insist on having his own way, and
his services may not be at the disposal
of the Government except on those
terms
But there he is victor in the khar-
toum expedition. for which the thanks
OF Parliament. a Peerage, G. c. B. and
grant Of f3O, 900 were not thought. and
were not, too great a reward. Then
victor in South Africa. Lieutenant Cen
eral and General, Viscounty. more
thanks from Parliament and an extra
$4,000 were given him. Then Com
mander-in Chief in India. reorganizing
the whole British military system in that
huge military dependency Of Great
Britain which our Mr.. Bryan believes TO
be a colony; then Field Marshal. But
the War Office in its reforming throes
will have none OF him, and the great
soldier finds an outlet for his energies in
railway dictatorship and in rubber
planting.
One use for him they have found. He
commands the sixty thousand troops on
duty in London for the Coronation OF the
King a service of peace, not Of war, yet
recurring to be we'll done, and more than
well. The Duke Of Wellington said
he had not a General who could take
%. 900 troops into Hyde Park and out
again. I suppose Lord Kitchener might,
if called upon, accomplish that feat,
which seems less difficult than TO turn
London into a garrison town and It's
three great parks-really four-into
camps. az they are to-day; and TO feed
this force. But as to Lord Kitchencr's
Knignthood Of st. Patrick I am told II
came direct from the King, and that the
King meant il as rebuke 20 the War
Office for it's stubborn neglect OF this
great soldier: or if not as rebuke' as
bin+ that in his Sovereign's opinion he
should be neglected no longer.
G.. W. g.