El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-06
displayed administrative ability and


It was while there in 1852, that he
took his first step on the path that was
{ to lead him eventually to khartoum
Trouble was already brewing in the
Sudan. Hearing that the Egyptlan
army was being organized by SIR Eve
| lyn Wood. young Kitchener saw MS
opportunity with unerrins instinct ana
] lost no time in offering his services As
an intelligence officer, Kitchener ac-
cOmpanied Sir Herbert Stewards desert
column on that heroic but disastrous
enterprise known as the Gordon relieI
eXpeditiOn-the relief OF Cen GOr0On
from Khartoum, where he had been en-
tangled during the evacuation OF the
Sudan. Kitchener deeply took to heart
the lessons of the fiasco, with It's 1all-
ure Of transport and Intelligence Ge-
partments, and avoided these troubles
in the expedition which he himself LED
some years later. In the meantime,
Kitchener was employed IN tnnumera-
bic fights and raids against derv1sheS
OF Mahdists of southern Europe In 1885
he became governor Of the Red Sea
territories and set in motion series OF
raids on the notorious Osman Digna,
the dervish leader. In one or these
raids Kitchener's men were flanked
and put TO flight during Wnich ne re-
ceived a bullet which broke his Jaw.
Appointed Commander in Egypt
BY this time much was heard IN Ing
land Of kitchener's work in Egypt and
when he returned there for a short rest
he was received with honor and nOmi-
mated aid de camp Of queen Victoria
With his health restored, ne went back
to Egypt where, on the resignation OF
Sir Francis Grenfell, he was appointed
sirdar (cOmmander) Of the Egyptian
army His really great career dates
from that time
As an instance Of the confidence
with which Kitchener undertook his
tasks in Egypt is recalled how he
dealt with the war office as few gen.
erals before him ever dared On one oc-
casion he sent home for special kind
Of gun The war office suggested an
other kind The sirdar repeated his
orders Next he was informed that the
war office guns had been forwarded
whereupOn he dispatched a politely
insolent message home saying that he
was very grateful but the war Office
could keep its guns His message read
Il can throw stones at the dervishes
myself" As a consequence, the guns
he asked for were forwarded without
delay.
Campaign Was FaultIess.
The Kitchener campaign that ended
with the recapture of Khartoum was
considered by military experts as per
fectly organized and faultlessly con-
Quoted. The Egyptian army that Kitch-
ener had worked up to such remarkable
efficiency was, when he first took
charge Of It. a band OF unpaid unfed
and undermined fellaheen- It was said
10 be an army without stomach, neart
over these helpless reeds Of broken ma
tives and made OF them some OF the
finest Of black battalions-
The fight at Omdurman, Sept :, 1893 I
just across the Nile from khartounl- /
was the greatest battle OF kitcheners |
time in Egypt Osman Digna faced him ]
with so. 900 Hahdists. while he had but !
%. 900 men When the battle was over.
II. 900 Of the Mahdists had been killed I
outright. $4,000 wounded. and 1000 !
- md
Egyptian loss altogether was under 500 !
men.
Charged With RuthIessness.
With the capture Of Khartoum. cap I
ital Of the Sudan, which meant the re-
establishment Of British possession Of |
these upper reaches Of the Nile, Kitch- |
ener became the object Of hero worship |
in England His campaign had been. |
and is 10 this day. much criticized. however.
because OF its ruthlessness- II was charged |
Kitchener trampied on his foes in an al I
most barbarous manner. On his return 20 I
England. however. he was generous enough
TO ask his countrymen 70 found college al
khartoum wherein the sons OF the dervish Z
chiefs he had fought and overwhelmed |
west, request that met with such re
Spouse among the British people that the !
fund required was far over subscribed
Prominence in South Africa
For his triumphs in the Sudan he was
raised 10 the peerage as baron Kitchener OF I
khartoun. and received the thanks OF par j
afterward he was promoted ueutenaut-Een- I
eraI and then chief OF staff to lord Roberts I
in the South African war. and on lord Rob /
erts' return TO England IN November. 4svv. !
him as commandertnchief IN that |
field By constructing $500 mile chaln Z
Of block houses he stopped the Boer raids 4
and virtually ended the war in South Africa /
This added to his popularity and prestige az
home. and he was rewarded by the title OF 4
viscount. promotion to the rank OF general i
FOR distinguished services the thanks OF 4the 1
parliament and a grant OF s45o.cOo-
His Career in India
hmm ediateiy after the peace. Gen k1tcn- 1
ener went to India as commandments OF 1
The British forces there. and in this position /
rhich he held for seven years he carried /
9ut not only many far reaching administra- /
tive reforms but complete reorgaulz ton
and strategical redistribution OF the British i
and native forces. on leaving India in 1899 Il
he was promoted field marshal. and ap-
pointed commanderinchief and high COM
missioner in the Mediterranean. and later on ,
took tour Of inspection OF the FORCES OF
the entire empire. drawing UP a scheme OF I
defence Of the overseas dOminlons-
He then returned 10 Egypt the scene ~
his first triumph. in the capacity Of British
agent and consul general in Cairo-virtually Il
3 governor Stewardship OF Egypt-and led In Il
The economical ueVelopluent OF the culitIs
building new roads and irrigation protects
an steel and Ice.
During all the years the British people had
looked on Kitchener's silent. but effective /
work. they had never been able 10 fathom Il
bis personality A cockney non-conirnis-
under him summed up the general opinion i
when he said Of Kitchener
&c 'Es no talker. Not i'm 'E's all steel
and h'ice"
His face was that Of a man who neither
asked for sympathy nor wanted II.
He Never Married.
He had steady. blue-gray passionless eyes.
1ud a heavy moustache covered mouth
that shut close and firm like a wolf trap.
He believed with all his might In the gOs-
pei Of work. he had nllmitable self conf
Hence For bungling and faint heartedness
be was incapable Of feeling sympathy or
lhoWiHg mercy an officer who failed him
once got no second chance He had a grim. ]
acouic humor. What Is your taste in
1ahpins - for instance. IS said 20 have been
he query with which he annihilated a dan
lifted officer He was indifferent 70 popu- /
arity. particularly among women. and
hough feted all over the world in social (
,ircles. he never married. He said the only
-eason he had never married was because
he believed man could not be a good SOL
lier and a good husband at the same time
.ANSING QUERIES GERARD