Evening star., 1923-11-25

l 4
! over thirty years, for 1t was
in the eighties that I joined
Reuters as their agent with the gov
| ernment of India at Simla and Cal
| cutta, and during that time I have
| had numerous what may be called
| journalirtic adventures and expert
ences. some of which I now intend to
relate.
! These "reminiscences will contain
inter ALA a!few stories, probably not
! yet told. regarding the serious diff
! ferences between Lord Curzon (the
vlceroy) and Lord Kitchener (the
/ commanderin-ch chief, which led to
! the formers resignation in 1905, the
bombing of Lord Harding at Delhi
by Indian anarchists, and the German
Crown Princes romantic adventure
during his Indian tour twelve years
ago.
! The serious difference which oc-
/ CURED between Lord Curzon and
! Lord Kitchener over the military ad-
! ministration question in 1905, and
which ended in the resignation OF
Lord Curzon. was an exciting time in
/ the history of India. and in way
! it was the most difficult summer
! which l ever spent in Simla.
! CurzOn Conveys Complaint.
1 l recollect Lord Curzon telling me
! one day while the controversy ragged
: that he had just received a telegram
from the prime minister saying that
certain of my messages were a
! source of considerable embarrass-
ment to the home government, and
! also remember suggesting TO him
/ that he should resign because I felt
; sure Lord Kitchener's great popular
| ity with the British public would
! certainly prevent the cabinet support
| ing the viceroy against the com
| nander-in- chief if things came TO :
| crisis.
| Later on, Lord Curzon told me ht
was sorry he had not taken my ad-
! vice. but he haracteristically addeG
! he was amazed at my audacity ir
, having dared to speak to him about
resignation as l had done. However
! in the end 1 received letters which
needless to say. L prize. from both tht
viceroy and the commander in chief
/. thanking me for what l had done fol-
! them.
kitchener's Bad Fall.
! In November, 1903, Lord Kitchener
[ a tunnel on the SimIa- -Mashobra road
leading out to Wildhower Hall. ther
his country house in the woods
about six miles distant from Simla
On that occasion the commander-in
chief broke his leg rather badly anc
the following year found him still
lame from the effects of the fall.
have for many years made it a point
each aMumn to enjoy a few days
pheasant and chikore ipartridge)
shooting in the hills. and / rememb ber
~ 1,,1
Kitchener enjoyed, near Simla, in the
/ little neighboring hill state of Dhami
Later on | went out for a couple
of days into camp with Lord Kitch-
ener, Maj. Frank Maxwell. v. C.. and
Mat R: Barnes, a. D. c.. Maxwell
became military secretary to Lord
| HardinCe. and fell as brigadier
! general in France. in September
| 1917. Barnes. | think. eventually com
nlanded the 10th Hussars.
! Guests of Raja of JunGa.
! Well, we were shooting in the
| Junga hill state some twenty miles
away from Sinla. and the Raja of
! Junga, a fine sportsman and bril-
! liant shot who has also passed away
! was our most excellent host. Lord
| Kitchener, very keen but by no
/ means a reliable shot. was carried d
! over most of the steep ground in a
! palanQuin by some dozen stalwart
! Mill men and, after hard and tiring
morning, we all sat down to lunch
on the hillside in an uncommonly
! hot and stuffy valley.
! l remember very well how Lord
! Kitchener enjoyed a remarkably gen
erous modicum of bottled beer on
! that occasion. and how. later on.
when the kitmatgar Undian waiter)
! produced a particularly large glass
! of port and handed it to the COM
mander-in-chief, Maxwell frowned
at me heavily. and calculated, Good
Lord"
/ What's the matter?" said Lord
+ Kitchener.
Surely, sir I said, you're not
going to drink port in this heat and
after all that beer?"