KITCHENER MYSTERY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1188, 10 December 1924, Page 11

KITCHENER MYSTERY

ANOTHER STORY. SAN FRANCISCO, October 20. Tlio death of Lord Kitchener was one of the great mysteries of the World War. H.M.S. Hampshire, on which lie was travelling to Russia, sank from an external explosion after leaving Sea pa Flow on June sth, 1916. The real cause of the disaster may never be> known, but an article contributed to the New York Times by tho Russian general, M. S. Kommisarov, corroborates rumours of a “leak” about Kitchener's mission at tho Court of tho Czar. The general, who was head of the Okrana, the Secret Police Department under the Crazist regime, was in a position to know what went on at tho Court, and has been frequently referred to in the memoirs of eminent contemporaries. General Kommisarov was requested by tho Czar Nicholas to investigate rumours about Lord Kitchener’s death which were in circulation at St. Petersburg. Ho learned that the- Czar had been informed by King Ceorgfe of Kitchener’s mission in a code known only to the two monarehs. One day, lunching with General Voieykov, steward of the Household, the Czar drank a considerable quantity of spirits, and spoke of Kitchener’s expected arrival. This came to tho ears of the Czarina, who asked Rasputin, her favourite priest, to remonstrate with the Czar for drinking. Then Kommissarov found that Voieykov had been visited by Prince M.M.A., who camo from an impoverished family of Georgia, and had been educated in Germany. This prince had no visible means of support until the opening of tho war, when ho was known to have plenty of money. Investigations showed, that ho associated with two barons who were hanged for espionage. Among the prince’s visitors was a well-known man named Shvedov, who, the day after Voieykov’s luncheon with the Czar, left suddenly for Sweden. Shvedov had previously been wounded in the war, and bad occupied a room in Princes Orlov’s aristocratic base hospital, but left there two innocent-looking nieces of ribbon, which turned out to bo the key to a very clever code. On his return Shvedov was arrested, and confessed that ho had gone to Stockholm to inform the German authorities of Kitchener’s expected visit to Russia'. Thus, through tho tipsy Czar and through treachery, the Germans knew of Kitchener’s secret plans before ho left London. The story of General Kommissarov is not inconsistent with any official documents which have been published. Admiral Lord Jellicoe, Commander of the Grand Fleet, wrote in his memoirs that there was at first doubt in the minds of some people as to whether the loss of the Hampshire was due to a mino or a submarine, but these doubts were set at rest by the sweeping operations which were undertaken as soon ns weather permitted. They resulted in the discovery of moored mines of the type laid in southern waters by enemy submarines, these mines being easily distinguishable from those laid by surface vessels.