“ K OF K.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2710, 14 January 1910, Page 2

“ K OF K.”

SOME IMPRESSIONS.

THE FIELD MARSHAL IN QUEENSLAND.

Herbert Horatio, Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum —“K. of K.,” of African memory —is hardly the man we knew in Africa (so runs u> personal sketch in the Sydney “Daily. Telegraph” of the famous soldier? on the occasion of his arrival in Queensland). Not the always hard-faced general, wrapped up in the' momentous happen, ings of the time. Not the Kitchener who, in khaki ‘and broad-rimmed helmet, rode up to Eland's River and relieved Colonel W. H. Tunbridge and the 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry from the tight corner where Colonel Hoare, almost bedridden with malaria, maintained the notably gallant defence which followed on Ivoster River. Not the Kitchener who appeared suddenly at Cape Town in the middle of 1901, and swooped down upon the crowd of officers who enjoyed the pleasures of the Mount Nelson Hotel, while they abused the generous hospitality of the con vales, cent” homo at Clermont, which establishment he closed forthwith. Not the hard-hearted Kitchener who shelled, and shelled, and shelled unhappy Cronje into submission at Paardeberg. And certainly not the Kitchener of the photo gallereis and magazines. That is the negative side. Take the positive. KITCHENER TO-DAY. We had before us a tall athletic man of admirable figure, fully displayed in the always becoming “blue,” the wellfitting uniform adorned with three rows of medal ribbons and a couple of distinguished orders. Indeed, a handsome and a soldierly figure. But where was the frown, where the beetling brow, and where the stern, unbending mouth? Lord Kitchener had left them behind him in India, or in the ’tween decks of the Encounter. He had not brought them with him to Brisbane, and if the first impressions in Queensland will help to carry him through Australia as a popular hero and a popular personality, then lie has secured for himself a place in the hearts of the people. From the time he came on board the Lucinda "until two hours later, when he saw the crowds on the wharf awaiting him at Brisbane, ihe never seemed to look really serious. He brought with him from the Encounter a smile which brightened up his face, and told more than his few words could do the pride he felt in the public appreciation of the work he had done in the past for the Empire. The face was somewhat fuller than we had known it in Africa; the rough moustache, perhaps, more evenly trimmed, and the man generally better groomed; but the worries of his strenuous Indian command had not made him look proportionately a day older than he was ten years ago when he rinded in Africa as the Chief of Staff to England's other great soldier-idol, .Lord Roberts. Grey hairs have not .made themselves conspicuous, the furrows of a care-worn face are absent, and all the time as ue saw him and knew him to-day he was a pleasant, gracious British officer and gentleman, seemingly quite unconscious of the halo of eulogy and admiration which every man in that small ship’s company was metaphorically placing round his head. Kitchener stands with his heels almost closed, and his favorite attitude is with his left hand on his sword lrilt, and his right resting on his hip; and, meanwhile, lie is looking into the far distance, right away from you, so to speak, until, with a sudden turn of the head, his keen eyes are looking you through and through, and he is either parrying an anticipated question or putting one in a deep resonant voice. NOT A GALLERY PERFORMER, We representative pressmen from the other States sought an interview. We had previously been introduced, and General Hoad fixed up a private meet, ing “You know them better than I do,” General Hoad said to one of us. “You can introduce the others. Lord Kitchener overheard tbe remark. “How do you do? I have met all you gentlemen. I don’t think I need two introductions to you,” lie said, and he really hid the fact that lie had not the slightest idea who any one of the small contingent was under a smile as pleasant as that of the most genial statesmen in the midst of a nard political campaign. Then the interview started. Lord Kit. choner did the talking, and he talked against the wind, so that half he said was not heard by those he addressed; but although lie spoke he did not say anything from a newspaper point of view. He was delighted, at this opportunity of visiting Australia; but he did not say it was a really magnificent country with great potentialities. Ho might have done so quite safely, but, instead, he said he had not seen anything yet, and he would be glad to tell us something"'when he had. Of course, it was a great pleasure to him to know that be was going to meet many men who had fought with him in South Africa, and so on, and there the interview ended.

Public interest in the visit of Lord Kitchener was shown by tbe numbers of people at vantage points in the vicinity of Brisbane and 1 on country platforms. The tram sped through, but Lord Kitchener does not like crowds, and kept himself out of sight. In fact, directly he (had had breakfast lie shut himself up in an inner compartment of tbe state carriage, and settled down to work with Colonel Kirkpatrick. He bad consented to submit himself to a hasty reception at Toowoomba and at - Warwick, and it was arranged that the train should stop at each of these places for about twenty-five 'minutes. At Toowoomba there was a crowd of men, women, and children on tbe platform, and they all packed round the carriage so closely that the Field-Marshal seemed to hesitate whether he would even get out on to the platform. When lie did alight he was at once surrounded, anda couple of constables who stood in the middle of the peo.ple did not make any effort to keep them back. It was lionising in its worst form, and resulted in Lord Kitchener thanking the Mayor for his cordial welcome in as

many words, inspecting a very small, but very, smart, squad of senior cadets. and then ordering his train to move on, though it was ten minutes in advance of schedule time.

Everybody wanted to hear Lord Kitchener make a sipeech at the Mayoral reception, but Lord Kitchener had views of liis iown on the subject. The excellently hospitable Mayor had a few remarks prepared for the occasion, and fidgetted nervously during a somewhat long wait while the wine was being passed round, and while the guest scanned the pictures on Hie wall, quickly noting the portrait of “another field-marshal,” Queensland’s disItinguished ex-Governor, Sir 'Henry Norman, and when all was ready, Lord Kitchener helped himself to whisky and soda, instead of champagne, and then leant back in his chair to listen to His Worship proposing the toast of his health. The Mayor, said all the nice things requisite for such a function, and, incidentally referring to the democratic tendencies of Australia, added that lie was sure Lord Kitchener would “rather fight a worn-out aristocracy than a vigorous, honest, and progressive democracy. no matter where the field of bat. tie might be.” When I/ord Kitchener rose to respond, an expectant hush a hearty round of applause. Everybody in the hot, crowded room was prepared to listen to Lord Kitchener for as long as lie liked to talk. But Lord Kitchener declined a general engagement, and. to uso a military term, “approached the situation” in the following words: —“I am very much obliged to his Worship the Mayor for the kind words he has addressed to. me on my arrival at Brisbane, and I thank you all most sincerely for the reception you have givon me here, and for the kind way you have drank mv health. I ask you also to drink the health of his Worship the Mayor, who so worthily presides over the municipal affairs of this important city.” That was ell. And a more disappointed audience has per. luips never gone away from an official reception.