El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-06
hltcheueI A.PIOIntment.

kI1cnGueLA appointments
By mere luck Kitchener happena5
to bein England on one of the COM
paratively rare visits that he had Maid
u London during his long caree-
abroad. when the European war broke
ont He had come home from service
cepted an esrldOm from king Georre
and was being talked of as vfceroy III
India. Within Few hours after Eng
lands declaration Of war, Kitchener
was appointed secretary Of state for
war and Immediately took fun charge
a the war office where he worked
dav and night to overcome the handi-
cap which the central powers had over
England in the matter OF fighting
strength
He grinly told the British people
they had a bigger war on their hands
than they realized. and one that mis- hi
last longer than they expected. but il
was 10 be faced with entire conf
dence, and he, unsmiling, almost like
a dehumanized machine, set about to
make things hum He had scarcely
moved into Whitehall street when he
made numerous changes in the per-
sonnet of the war office. which was
said TO be honeycOmbed with social
and political favOritism.
Recruits and Trains Millions.
After dispatching a few hundred
thousand regulars TO France and Bel
GUM to help check the oRrushing
Germans, the war secretary began re
cruiting and organizing his army Of
millions The British isles were COW
Ell ed with signs and posters urging
young men to join the cOlors. Kitch-
ener went through the country super
intending the drilling of the army.
From time to time came reports in
dicating his failure TO get the number
Of men he wanted. but within a year
after the war opened premier Asquith
officially announced in parliament that
about 100000 men had enlisted in the
United Kingdom alone, and almost an
cher million in the overseas dominions-
Was Bitterly Attacked
Kitchener, however, was the object
Of no little criticism There was much
gIumbling because of the strict cen
scrship he imposed on newspapers and
his utter disregard for war CORES
pondents- Notwithstanding this, the
British newspapers gave him active
support prior TO May, 1915. During
the winter months the war secretary
had announced the big drive" would
begin about the first Of May The
May, and England believed this was
the beginning Of the big drive Short
" afterward. reports reached England
that the drive had halted owing TO a
shortage Of munitions. especially high
explosive shells a section of the Lon
Ion press then declared that Kitch-
sner had made a serious mistake IN
providing large quantities of shrapuel
md insufficient high explosives.
Newspaper attacks went so far as TO
suggest his being displaced as war
iecrtary, but the ma iOrity Of the pa
,ers defended him The discussion
developed the formation of a coalition
'abinet and the creation Of the new
which David Lloyd George took
barge, while Kitchener remained as
var minister.
Is OF Freneh-EngIish Descent.
without his crowning achievements !
IS the great organizer of the British |
ampaign in the European war. Kitch- |
ner had already won wide and last /
ng fame by his many campaigns in /
Egypt. South Africa and in India
He was born June %. 1850, in county ,
Kerry Ireland, fact that gave rise 10
general belief that he was Of Irish /
Hood, but his parents were OF French /
nd English descent His father was a 1
older but Of no very high rank.
Young Kitchener received his fun !
military education at Wool \
-ich, where he displayed only ordinary i
rilliancy, with the exception Of his ,
king for mathematics. On graduating
e received a commission in the Royal /
nglneers, but when not vet p years of 4
&c he attached himself TO a French /
rmy in the FrancO-Prussian war He /
ad been in the service only short 1
me when he contracted pneumonia 4
uring balloon flight. and had such a 4
rolonged and serious illness that he 1
ad to give up further service for
rance I
Surveyed the Holy Land.
In 1874, when a British expedition 1
as sent out to survey western Pas
slime, Kitchener was one of the eager
olunteers accepted for this service.
or months he Travelled over the bills /
nd valleys OF this peaceable Bible /
md with hisN theodolite and surveying
lpe, and with this life in the open he
rev to be a tall. gaunt subaltern with
hard face well burned. His cOntribu- I
on to the typographical knowledge Of
lie Holy Land completed, young Kitch-
Ter was sent 10 Cyprus. which Great
ritain had just acquired, to organize
system Of courts, a work in which he