COLONEL LAWRENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 11

COLONEL LAWRENCE.

THE MAN AND HIS WORK. STORIES IN NEW LIFE. A. and N.Z. LONDON, Nov. 17. A vivid insight into the personality of Colonel T. E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, is given in a book with that title by Mr. Robert Graves, which was published to-day. The author says Colonel Lawrenco quarrelled with politicians and soldiers after the war in connection with thoir dealings with the Arabs. He obtained an audience with King George, and intimated firmly his individual intention to fight straight or crooked until His Majesty's Ministers conceded the Arabs a fair settlement. The King respected Lawrence's scruples and permitted him to forego his decorations, both British and foreign. The authenticity of this is proved by an interview with the King's Private Secretary, Lord Stamfordham, which was given to the author. Lord Stamfordham said: The King recalls Colonel Lawrence's statement that certain promises made by Colonel Lawrence to King Feisal were not fulfilled an<i that in consequence he might find himself fighting against the British. In that case it would obviously be impossible and wrong for him to wear his British decorations. The book has a good story about the late Marquess Curzon. Lawrenco, in sending a cablegram to the Foreign office, used the words " fed up." The Marquess, on reading them asked, "Pray, what does the term " fed up" signify ? His secretary replied: " I believe it is equivalent to disgruntled." " Ah," replied Marquess Curzon, " I suppose it is a middle-class term." On being informed of this in a letter, Lawrence impishly framed a later cable: " Have v/angled things with Abdulla. Note the necessary verb "wangle" absent from diplomatic cipher. Suggest a letter group be allotted to the word, to save spelling it each time." The author says the word " wangle" -is now in the British Foreign Office cipher book. Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence was born in Carnarvon, Wales, and educated in France and at Oxford University. He has a remarkable aptitude in mastering languages and he can use fluently English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Norwegian, and he is undoubtedly one of the greatest living Arabic scholars. He can speak not only the pure Arabic of Central Arabia, but also the dialects of Syria, Palestine, Aleppo and Mesopotamia. In 1908, while still at Oxford he urged his parents to allow him to go to the Near East. Thinking that a trip would cure him of his love of the East they gave him £IOO, expecting him to take the tourists' trip and return. This was not Lawrence's way. He arrived in Syria, adopted native costume, tramped barefoot with the country people for thousands of miles, living with the many tribes and peoples who inhabit tho historic area between the Nile and the Euphrates. He returned to England only to complete his studies, and then to depart once more for his beloved Near East. There he was engaged for some years on archaeological work and the outbreak of the war lound him excavating Hittite ruins on the Euphrates. He had by this time spent seven years wandering through Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Turkey and Persia, and had au intimate knowledge of the various peoples and their tongues. He joined the Bx-itish Army and was given a commission in the Map Department. Tho routine, regular life and office discipline did not, however, suit his adventurous nature, so, when a British mission was despatched to Jeddah, Lawrence asked permission to go, which was given. This was tho first step in his amazing career in Arabia; he had long realised tho possibility of the Arabs playing a very important part in the war, iu which they could greatly assist tho Allies, and also free themselves from the dominion of the Turk and set up their own State onco more. Step by step ho combined all the Arab tribes, and by courage, tact and statesmanship welded them into a great force which pressed on tho Germanled Turkish armies opposing Viscount Allenby's advance in Palestine. As Lord Allenby freed Palestine and the holy places of Christendom, so did Lawrence free the holy places of Islam, Mecca and Medina, from the Turk. Throughout all this period Lawrence lived, dressed and was ono with the Arabs, the brain and organising force of their coalition and armed forces. The only European with him was Sergeant Yeils, an Australian machine-gunner,, who accompanied him on all his most daraig exploits.