NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18021, 21 February 1922, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

AN ESTIMATE OF KITCHENER.

Reviewing the career of Lord Kitchener, in the light of Lord Eshor's criticism, Lieutenant-General Sir Henry M. Lawson (litis describes the great soldier:—"Kitchener was not quick nt intellectual fence or in mental gymnastics, and tins fact, coupled with his obvious force of character, lias always caused somo observers to depreciate his powers of mind, while more nimble-wilted folk, who did not know him well, were inclined to think that he came to hasty conclusions and did unconsidered things. In reality nothing could be further from tho truth. He hud to a pre-eminent degree tho powor of recognising and summing up the essential factors of a situation, giving to each its due value. His view was always a large one, with a genius for recognising and holding fast to the important things, and of seeing the minor points in their true perspective; in settling details ho never forgot the whole of which they formed a part, His eye was ever on the future, which he visualised with astounding accuracy. Patience in thought was ono of his great qualities, and in a question of primary importance ho was generally slow to form a judgment. Above all things a thinker, he considered the problem from every point of view, heard what anyone and everyone had to say about it, and then at length, by what to some, seemed intuition or instinct rather than reasoned thought, he arrived at a conclusion that was rarely mistaken. ~ . His opinion once formed, ■he carried it through because ho had the courage to beliove in its correctness."

THE TRAGEDY OF THE HAMPSHIRE. Sir Henry Lawson is not among those who hold that for Lord Kitchener's fame, it was well that the end came when it did—at a time when his opportunity of useful scrvico was over. "The facts seem to point to a directly opposilo conclusion. Had he survived, he would assuredly have bad tho post of War Secretary to the end. No Premier would have displaced him; the combination of Lord Kitchener and Sir William Robertson, supported by public opinion in this country and among our allies, would assuredly have defeated assaults from every quarter. When in due time the real history of the doings of the War Council from 1916 onwards can be written, the narrative will demonstrate how much wo lost when the Hampshire wont down. But for this tragedy, our commanders in the field would have had more consistent arid better-instructed support, tho varying strategy and the lapses in the matter of man-power, which nearly brought us to disaster in March, 1918, would have been avoided, and, to quote Lord Haig, 'perhaps the victory would have come to us sooner had he been with us to tho end.' " Sir Henry Lawßon adds: "Let us hope that ere long, the date on which this noble life was lost will become a Kitchener Day on which English-epeaking folk throughout tho Commonwealth will cetobrate tho memory of a great man, and will thank God for the instrument provided in their day of need."

POWER SUPPLIES IN CANADA. Within her vast area Canada has both an abundance of coal and an almost complete lack of that commodity. At the two extremities erf her borders—New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the East, and British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan in the West—tho Dominion is blest with productive coalmines. The central regions, however, including Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, possess no coalmines, and have to depend for their fuel on imported supplies. These aro in part drawn from the producing provinces, and in part from source* across the United States frontier. Tho area in which these acute fuel conditions occur is, fortunately for the development of the Dominion, uncommonly well supplied with water resources, and no less than 83 per cent, of the total water power developed in the Dominion has boon brought into use in the acute fuel area. As yet Canada has only developed a fraction of her total water-power resources, but tho production • already amounts per head of population to practically four times the power so produced in tho United States. In tho three areas dependent wholly upon impoutedl coal, over 1,800,000 water horse-power are already in use, though the coal consumed in this district amounts to about 21,000,000 tons per annum. The coal equivalent of the water-power developed is about 18,500,000 tons. It is reckoned that if the use of coal had been developed instead of water-power, an additional expenditure of 146,500,000 dollars _per annum on imported fuel and freight would have been necessary.

THE TRADE OP IRELAND. Detailed statistics of the trade of Ireland are now available for 1920. The report shows that notwithstanding the guerilla warfare waged incessantly during that year, activity was well maintained, the inherent vitality of the country triumphing over the innumerable difficulties besetting the conduct of business. Imports at £203,750,000 advanced by 28 per cent, over 1919 and exports at £204,715,000 registered a 16 per cent, increase. The favourable trade balance which first characterised Irish trade in 1914—it was at any rate absent for a considerable period prior to that datehas bcon maintained, though on a largely reduced scale. At £965,000 it has shrunk enormously from the £17,336,000 recorded for 1919; but the position seems good in contrast with the fact that an excess of imports was returned for 1920 by most European countries. As usual, exports of farm produce, food, and drink proved the mainstay of Irish trade, 53 per cent, of the 1920 exports coming under this category. Although exports of manufactured goods increased in value from £75,566,000 to £90,044,000, there was a moro than proportionate increase in imports, from £79,058,000 to £111,260,000. Of a total import into Ireland ol £203,750,000 in 1920, shipments from Great Britain accounted for £159,582,000, or 78.3 per cent. Correspondingly, of a total export from Ireland to all countries of £204,715,000 in 1920, shipments to Great Britain worked out at £202,869,000, or 99.1 per cant.