LORO KITCHENER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2706, 10 January 1910, Page 5

LORO KITCHENER.

CABLE NEWS.

THE LIVERPOOL OPERATIONS.

United Puess Association— Corvuiairr SYDNEY, Jan. 8.

Lord Kitchener’s sciieme at Liverpool was based on the idea of an attack on a convoy. The operations occupied 15 hours, and were conducted as far as practicable under actual war conditoins. The field marshal’s staff was kept busy taking notes. Beyond an occasional passing comment. Lord Kitchener keeps his impressions carefully to himself. To-day he inspected harbor defences and reviewed • the volunteers and cadets. Altogether there are between 7000 and 8000 men in the various camps.

A BUSY DAY

(Received January 9, 5 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 9

Lord Kitchener had a busy day yesterday. He inspected the veterans and cadets in the Government House grounds, and witnessed operations in connection with a combined sea and land attack on Sydney.

KITCHENER ON CITIZEN SOLDIERS—A SENSIBLE SPEECH.

In the evening he was the guest at a State banquet in the Parliament House. There was a large and brilliant gathering, and Lord Kitchener had an enthusiastic reception. Replying to the toast of his health, ho said that during the two days spent at Liverpool camp lie had been much pleased and interested in the work performed by the citizen soldiers. He had been much struck with the keenness of all ranks in carrying out their duties, and with the strong desire expressed for -an efficient force. This was evidently felt as much by the troops as by the community at large, and, considering their marked natural aptitude for military work and tlie training most young Australians obtain during bringing up, he could see no insurmountable obstacle against obtaining the result desired. He added: “You must, however, remember that a national force can be truly efficient only when the citizen soldiers, besides being inspired by the spirit of patriotism and loyalty, have a thorough knowledge of, and devotion to, the military profession. This is a vital condition, and demands the exercise of considerable self-denial !>v all. The country, on its part, should .support its defenders by showing pride in them, by insisting upon the abolition of all that savors of sham and uselessness, by supplying means for them to study, in order to thoroughly ground themselves in their military duties, and! by,the:provision of -carefully*considered necessaries to ensure efficient equipment and training in readiness for war.” He referred to the X>roof which New South "Wales bad given of loyalty to the Motherland and her desire to support the Empire. He had not- the slightest doubt that whenever occasion arose they would see Now South Wales lads shoulder to shoulder with Imperial troops, and he had not- the slightest doubt as to the warm welcome they would get- from the British army.

KITCHENER’S “CURZON” SPEECH

Lord Kitchener has made at least one notable oratorical -effort-. When he made his farewell speech in India, be, with wliat is thought to be sardonic irony, cliose to put it in almost identical language with Lord Curzon’s farewell speech in 1905. A correspondent, “Observer,” wrote to the London .“Times” :

“Here is Lord Kitchener, the despised and rejected of Lord Curzon, as a- military reformer, calmly taking the latter’s description of his civil administration and applying it Avoid for word and point by point to the great measures of Army reorganisation Avliicli all the Avorld admit s and applauds. That Lord l Kitchener can do so with common consent is beyond question. To have put bis answer (after a long and dignified silence) in this particular form is a delightful stroke of irony, quite in accordance, with a dialectical method familiar to the House of Commons.”

Next day Lord Curzon Avrotc- to the “Times”: “I have no desire to express any opinion upon the amusing reappearance of certain remarks of mine when I left India in 1805 in the farewell speech of Lord Kitchener in 1909, but I cannot allow to • pas? in entire silence the extraordinary statements of 'Observer’ in your paper of to-day. “This writer speaks of Lord Kitchener as ‘the despised and rejected of Lord Curzon as a military reformer.’ and as the author of ‘great'measures of Army reorganisation which all the Avorhl admits and applauds.’ “The facts are tliat Lord Kitchener came out to India as Commander-in-Chief mainly in consequence of my earnest and repeated requests for his services, that the post Avas kept open for him for nearly three years, and that in his measures of Army reorganisation he received- my hearty and consistent support. He and I differed on grave constitutional and administrative issues, which had nothing to do with the Army reorganisation of Avhich ‘Observer’ speaks. “I .make this correction only in the interests of historical truth.”