The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1910. LORD KITCHENER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 911, 2 September 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1910. LORD KITCHENER.

When . the last English mail left many of the leading London newspapers were discussing, in a mood of mingled astonishment and .indignation, the strange position that has arisen with respect to Lord Kitchener. Probably the ablest and most distinguished military commander in the Empire, one l of the very few really great soldiers of the age, is out of employment, and, from all , appearances, unlikely to be' in. a position to give his services to his country.' Several questions have been asked in the House of Commons,' but the Prime Minister's replies have only heightened the mystery-and have intensified the growing conviction that' for soma : reason or other this famous soldier has been "shelved." In reply to Captain Cooper, who inquired what use the Government proposed to make of Loed Kitchener's military knowledge and experience, Mr. AsQtjrraLsaid: "Loed Kitchener'is at present 'performing no military dutyj nor have I any reason to think that he desires to undertake military duties at the present time. It is to usage, and, in my: opinion,'■ highly undesirable to express any opinion as to the qualifications and claims, of particular officers to particular posts." In re : sponse to |a ] more categorical question from . Me. . Bowles, 1 Mr. Asquith said; that when it was proposed to Lord Kitchener that he should accept the post of Com-. maiiaer-in-Chief of the Mediterranean, he was ■ offered in, corij unc\ tion with .thaV office. a scat on the" Committee '-. of Imperial Defence. "After full consideration 'Loed' Kitchener declined, the Mediterranean command, arid the other offer .consequently", fell to .the,! ground.":. The, Mediterranean •Command'.is an empty office, as the Duke of Connaught pretty; plainly declared when he; resigned it, but it, is understood, that Lord'Kitchenek. had decided to accept it as the' result of a' promise extracted > from him by the late.: Kino'.'.' It has been rumoured that his acceptance of. the position would not/have been promised but that he had also been pro-' niised the. Governor-Generalship of India. , ' . ' ■ ■ . . i The action of the'.Home Government badly wants explaining. Tho ■ suggestion has been;'made, that Ministers, are .taking a. petty revenge on a; great man because ho declined to bolster,up the fiction of the utility of' the . Mediterranean,, Command. An i unkindercriticism find's the explanation in the natural dislike entertained, by ...clover and painstaking; mediocrity, for great and original/talent, and in the unwillingness'of. Mr. Haldane, .to measure. himself against "the;man. of actuality and stern experience. , ' The situ-, ation is -not without, its irony, for eight years ago' Me; Ha'l'dane, then, in Opposition, declared that the War Office ■ was in- a bad way and that nothing would go right with it unless, they "turned 'Lord Kitchener .loose in it'.] ''. the-hidden 1 facts of the position may. be it is deplorable .that this great soldier should lie debarred .from giving his sorvices to his country- jiist at a , time, when-they would be most valuable. ' Australia and .New .Zealand, will; always consider themselves to be specially interested in the; framer oji the -defence schemes which, our politicians must,endeavour to carry out, and there will be a very general sympathy/ amongst people at this.end of the world with, the spirit of the London Morning Fost's bitter protest: "The organiser of victory, in the Suda,n and in South Africa, the reorganiser of our' Indian military system,-.the adviser in whom tho self-governing Dominions put their .trust,' has apparently /no honour, not in his own country but in Downing Street and , Whitehall. Once again mediocrity has reg'isitered its triumph in the perpetual game it plays -'against talent. Th'e event, -unfortunately, is- no new'one in the history of this country, and Loed Kitchener merely adds another name' to the long list who, like Loud Oukzon or Lord Milner, have been laid on the shelf in the very heyday of their powers. : B ( ut the end is not yet,'. and. the people will not permanently permit Governments and subordinates to deal with the great , servants of the Empiro in that spirit of jealous suspicion which defined the attitude of more than one Monarch to the overpowering gifts of Chatham."