The New York herald., 1921-08-14
LORD ESHER WRITES
TRAGEDY OFCAREER
OF LORD KITCHENER
New and Intimate View Of
Cause of His Failure to
Adopt New Ways.
TRADITIONS SHATTERED
Critics Find New Light on His
Life and No Harm Is Done
to His Reputation.
TRADITIONS SHATTERED

Special Cable to THE NEW YORK HrnArn.
| copyright, 1891, by THE NEW Yoax HuaAIpA
New York Herald Bureau
London. Aug. 13.
a bitter Kitchener controversy b,.
| peen revived with the publication this
week OF Lord Esher's book THE
tragedy Of Lord Kitchener" Lord
t-sher explains that the title does not
mean Lord Kitcheners tragic death.
the tragedy being that he failed when
| called to do the greatest work of his
| life as head of the British War Office
through Armageddon. But even the
Northcliffe reviewers Of the book-and
the Northcliffe press cannot vet have
forgotten what they said about Kitch-
ener when they demanded that hs
must go during the shell controversy
In l9l5-say that they can't read ths
oook without conceiving Kitchener to
De the greater man, even if he was a
failure In his last great particular
job.
Lord Esher was a Red Cross COM
missioner in France and served n many
semi-oficial capacities al home and
abroad during the war and had many
opportunities OF seeing the inside of
thlngs during those days. In the Anal
summing up his opinion Of Kitchener is
tnat II was well that his vast work fell
INTO other hands. though his seyerest
critic regrets Lord Kitchener's going
He blames Kitchencr's failure on his
advanced years and his inability to adapt
ms desert warfare training to the prob
lem OF the world war. Even 4 graver
defect was his Oriental slowness and
| obliquity, which united him for hurIv-
burly Parliamentary politics or Cabinet
councils.
TOO Old" to Change Methods,
The author quotes Kitchener as adj
mltting this himself by saying when
charged with 1t: Il suppose it is true.
but am too old to change" The book
tells one or two piquant secrets. such
as Arthur Balfour's remark when the
CABINET had spent a futile afternoon ar
guing about conscription, an argument
IN which Kitchener failed 10 give the
Cabinet their lead.
Remember, gentlemen" Herbert
Asquith. who was then Premier. apaIlv
declared. Il must 20 to the House of
Commons and tell them what we have
| decided within an 1our."
Tell them we ave decided that va
are wholly Incapable of agreeing among
ourselves or Of governing the country"
was Mr.. Balfours bitter rejoinder.
Relating how II was finally decided
that Sir William Robertson should be
made chief Of staff Lord Esher saws
tnat Kitchener sat grim and stiff alone
az a table IN his quarters N France
WIN nothing before him bu; sheet ~
blank paper. Sir William Robertson ta-.
n hnd IT, t To
with pipe between hir teeth ard r-,es-
! seagers passed back and forth between
the two until the matter was arranged.
Disapprovrs, But Obeys Orders.
Tell him that while do nat believe
IN his plan III do my utmost to carry
i out now that have agreed" was
Ktchener's final message.
The book goes long way 70 shat tier
the tradition that Kitchener was cold
and unfeehng. II tells 4 pretty story
OK how he wept when the veterans OF
the mutiny in India marched past dur
ing the course OF viceroy Curzon's dur
bar in India, OF how his eyes lighted
with the flame Of battle when he went
into the front line Anzac trenches at
Gellipoli. and how intimste and sweet
were several Of his personal friendships.
As regards the general strategy Of
the war Lord Esher says that Kitch-
ener was right IN dccryIng the origi-
nal French plan of campaign and that
despite the general disapproval Of his
desire to attack the flank Of the Central
Powers through Asia Minor and the
Balkans II was only when Allenhy and
Franchet d'Esperey had actually car
ried that plan into effect that the war
was won. He admits. however, that
Kitchener made a mistake in trying 70
run Gallipoli and other side shows while
maintai ming the offensive on the vest
ern front instead Of merely holding
steady there while pouring all possible
men into the flank attacks