Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-06-26
KITCHENER FOOLED THEM.
London Journalist Tells of Raising
Of Army of 100000.


} Duckworth, the London journalist
gives in the American Magazine under
the title of "Lord Kitchener's Grea
I Bluff" report of how England ha:
secretly raised an army four time;
as large as she has admitteh. !
| On account of the strict censorship
imposed by Lord Kitchener, no Eng,
lish journal has published the real
facts, the editors state.
"How Kitchener's army was secret
ly increased from 1,000O,000 to 4.0OO,,
900 men right under the very noses
of the ubiquitous German spies is ons
of the most amazing stories of the
war;" writes Mr.. Duckworth.
"This grim joke on the Kaiser was
! concocted by Lord Kitchener himself
He commandeered the services of the
press to assist him to carry out the
great bluff.
"When the British Secretary of
! State for War first conceived the idea
of putting into the field 100000
Ismen, he realized that it would be Il
grave strategic blunder to allow the
enemy to know what was really afoot!
Rather, the game should be to cali
for 100000 men, and then pres.
ent the world with stories lament
ing the fact that, at last, the British
empire was about to crumple up be
cause the men of England had not the
pluck to defend it. The scheme work
ed out admirably.
"The campaign of silence was con-
Quoted on strictly scientific lines. The
newspaper editors were first warned
that any indiscretion would mean q
court-martial under the Defense Of
the Realm act, on charges of having
spread reports likely to Interfere
with the success of his Maiesty'>
forces They were instructed to
publish only the recruiting returns
sent out by the War Office. Independ-
ent census taking was strictly for
bidden. All articles on the new
army and even pictures of soldiers
had first to be submitted to the cen
sor. A permit was required even t.
sown camera.
"One Londor editor refused to stay
put He published picture of some
soldiers without the permission of
the censor. Lord Kitchener sent fol
the offender.
"'A second indiscreticll,' he explain
ed. will mean a court-martial and
jail.
"'On what charges?' suffered the
astonshed editor.
"'Never mind answered Lord
Kitchener; we will clap YOU into prIs-
on first and find the charges after the
war is over
"When it came to moving the new
troops to France extraordinary pre-
cautions were taken to mislead the
spies. The regiments were not all
transported from Southampton tt
Boulogne or Havre. Instead they ware
shipped from what were really out
of-the-way and inconvenient ports
Bristol, Avonmouth, Cardiff, Swansea
and Barrow, for example-to French
ports as far from the firing line as
St. Malo, Brest and even Bordeaux or
the west coast ard Marselles on the
Mediterranean.
Troop trains were invariably NOV
ed at night with drawn blinds. Often
times they were run half way around
the country before being sneaked
alongside transport. Not even the
officers were aware of the ultimate
Observation-Disclosures it was to be
France, Egypt, India or the Dardan-
elles.
"The engine drivers were changed
every 20 miles or so, and the captains
| of the troop ships received their final
instructions by wireless after they
had put to sea-