t
6
THE OREGON SUNDAY ' JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 211915.
KITCHENER DIRECTS AND FRENCH EXECUTES ENGLISH STRATEGY
WAR OFFICE AUTOCRAT
RULES WITH IRON HAND
Kitchener Cares Not a Bit What His Countrymen Think of
Him; His One Idea Is Efficiency in Military Opera
tions Under His Control. " '
ON CONTINENT FRENCH
IN CHARGE OF ARMIES
'
His Reputation as Europe's Foremost Cavalry Leader Won
by Hard Work; Achievements in South Africa Evidence
of His Military Efficiency,
HIS WORD IS LAW AND EVERYONE IS AWARE OF IT
LIKE HIS CHIEF HE HAS NO USE FOR PRECEDENT
s '
i ':
u
! :'
By Herbert Corey.
"(Copyright. 1915-, by Herbert Corey.)
GNJC of the members of the British
cabinet was in conversation with
jl friend not long ago. Tho
friend said the cabinet should
take a certain course of action
iaia matter then on the hooks.
.." agree with you," said the cabinet
Member.
"How do -the other members of the
cabinet feel?"
"They agree with you, too," said
the cabinet member. "AU exoept Loiu
, Kitchener."
"Then," said the other fellow, "wny
don't you do It?"
- The cabinet man heaved a sigh.
"1 assure you,", tald he, "that we
have very little influence with Kitch
ener." That may seem to be an exaggerat
ed statement of conditions in the Brit
ish cabinet. But It is an absolutely
-truthful one. Kitchener is the cabinet.
With certain limitations, he is the
house of lords, and tho house of com
mons, and- the royal family. lie Is
easily the most powerful man in Eng
land today- no. exception whatever be
ing noted to that statement. This Is
the explanation.
r The leaders of every party in Ens
land recognised that this war threat
ened the very life of the empire.
Britannia is fighting with her back
against the 'wall, they did the very
sensible and very, extraordinary thing
of selecting, the biggest man they had
In stock to handle the war for Eng
land. Then they did. the equally sen
sible and positively revolutionary thing
of letting him handle It. No veto
power can override his will. There Is
a monarch in England and that mon
arch Is toeing the lino with the rest.
Kitchener is supreme.
K Scorned a Prince.
Prince Albert wanted to go to war.
(Albert Is a slender, delicate, blond
little chap. If he were not a prince
one would say that he is positively
bashful: If It were not tragic, it
would be ridiculous to see this boy
'trudge along by his. towering grena
dier guards. If he were not a prince,
one would, describe him at "nice." By
no stretch of the imagination could
one credit him with value In the field.
King George and Queen Mary opposed
hia ambition, Finally they yielded.
; "You .may go," said they.
Then Albert needed Kitchener's ' on
sent. . He. called twice at Whitehall
to see that gentleman. The second
time he was admitted. Kitchener a
giant of a man. wide shouldered, thin
flanked, brick red bent his cold, heavy
eyes upon the princeling. Albert stated
bis case.
i "You can t go," said Kitchener.
That settled it for the time. T,ater
on he changed hfs mind. The Eng
lish troops were getting frightfully
banged about in France. They were
Standing up to their medicine gamely,
; but that medicine was bitter. They
' needed a bit of encouragement. So
that Kitchener, who Is supposed to
disregard psychology in favor of force,
sent the Prince of Wales to France.
Those who were on the battle lino say
t the moral effect of his arrival was
tremendous. There are no more loyal
- people than the English. These starved,
freezing, bloodv, vermin ridden Tom
mies in the trenches cheered their gal
lant heads off when tliev heard that a
little boy a slender, earnest, ambl-
tious boy had reached headquarters,
ile was their prince.
, - When the war began Kitchener was
out of military employment. He had
rowed with the war office all his life,
lie is an efficient, unpleasant, cold
; blooded administrator. The war office
; Is was completely tilled with de
: lightful gentlemen.
NOTABLE COLLECTION OF
Many Personal Belongings
of First President in Pos
session of Alexandria, Va.,
Lodge.
WHAT is declared to he the largest
collection of personnl relics of
George Washington In existence,
with the" possible exception of that at
Mount Vernon, is in the "possession of
Alexandria (Va.) Lodge, No. 22, An
cient FVee and Accepted Masons, of
which Washington was the first mas
ter. The members of this lodge assisted-Washington
in laying the corner
stone of the capltol, and later had tho
honor of conducting the ceremonies on
that bitter winter day when the body
of Washington was laid to rest in the
Mount Vernon tomb.
Tho lodge, however. once possessed
more Washington relics, among them
thvMer on which he was borne, to his
. tomb, the crepe that draped the door of
Mount Vernon while Washington's
f body lay In state, several pieces of fur
nlture nsed bv him, among them his
card table, numerous personal letters,
: his military saddle, the flag of his life
guard and the flag that floated above
his tent at Vorktown. These were de
stroyed by fire In I7.
Yet, for all these losses, the lodge
'possesses a large number of Washing
ton relics. Several cases occupying
niches In the walls hold mememtos of
great historic significance.
The Williams portrait In pastel, done
from life in Washington's later years,
and in Masonic regalia, is unlike any
: other portrait of him in existence. - It
Ja one of the lodge's most prized pos
sessions, for which SrOO.OOO has been
refused. In 179S the lodge, by resolu
tion, requested General Washington,
then president, and living in Philadel
phia, temporarily the national capital,
Vto eit for a portrait. The consent readily-gained,
the artist, Williams, re
ceived the commission for the work.
. Washington approved the portrait, and
that It was accepted by his brother
Masons, hia friends and associates in
his private, military and official life,
would seem to indicate that it was at
.the tme an excellent likeness of the
general, then in Ms 62d year.
From the portrait, which seems so
Intimate not alone of his life, but his
s well, one turns to the little
Because he knew he had no chance
to get the right sort of a Job at sol
diering he had accepted the one im
portant civilian appointment in Egypt,
lie had named his staff, and the staff
had been ordered to meet him at Dover.
Then Kitchener went to the country
the war trouble developed his staff
was recalled by Whitehall and Kitch
ener reached his steamer alone.
"Where is my staff?" he asked.
The telegrams sent him by the gov
ernment had for some reason miscar
ried. Kitchener had Just begun to
frown when another telegram reached
him. He was actually in his state
room. 'Return to London at once," was
the order, "to accept the post of sec
retary of state for war.'
Even those who do not like Kitch
ener, and there is a surprising num
ber of such persons, admit that he
knows Just what to do. lie went to
a telephone. He chased every one
out ot the building in which the tele
phone was located and ported guards
about H. to see that no one ap
proached. He had no right to com
mand the police to do that sort of
duty. Never mind. He commanded
them, and they obeyed. The cabinet
has told all that is known about the
talk.
"I will accept only On two condi
tions," said he. "My will must be
supreme. You may not even question
It. And I will serve only for "three
years."
Those terms were accepted. If the
government felt like refusing them
which isn t likely their hand was
forced. Tlrere was no other man i"
England to do what Kitchener would
be called on to do. He had to build
an army and clean out a war office
simultaneously. He has done both.
As fast as one man can cut the red
tape that tied the war office he has
cut it. He has been on the job all
the time. I
Sleeps With His Job.
"Where is my bedchamber? Kitch
ener asked when he walked into his
suite of offices at Whitehall. The
question was shocking. No one could
remember that there ever had been a
bedchamber there. The logical de
duction was that there never could
be.
"There is no bedchamber," they told
him.
"There will be." said he, 'by 6
o'clock tonight. See to It."
It was seen to. He has a distress
ing way of getting down to brass
tacks in doing business. There was
a parliamentary inquiry Into certain
failures to feed and clothe the new
recruits for while parliament is
obedient it is not muzzled. The fact
was shown that requisitions for nec
essary supplies were shuffled through
a dozen hands before thev were fllled
It is not likely that Kitchener had
Known of the delay or the cause. He
is not omniscient. He got reports by
telephone of the revelations. Before
the clamoring on the floor had ended
Kitchener had sent a telegram to
every officer in command at a re
cruiting station.
- Buy what supplies you need and
send me the bill," was the purport of
this telegram. "Never mind previous
rules. Get the stuff. I'll get you if
you don't. '
There was one promising little scan
dal that went by-by right away.
Kitchener isn t extravagant in his use
of government money in one of his
Soudan campaigns he offered to do
for GOO. 000 pounds what another sol
dier had estimated would cost 3,500,
000 pounds, and then he turned back a
good deal of the money but-Just now
he is not counting the cost. He is
too busy to flyspeck cost sheets with
audit marks. His subordinates are
told to buy cheap when they cai
spare time but that hours are worth
any premium. Once in South Africa
his engineers were trying to throw a
mahogany mantel clock which was in
Washington's bedchamber and which
EJisha C. Dick stopped when Washing
ton died. It is said to be the only ar
ticle of Washington s bedroom furnish
ings not returned to Mount Vernon.
With its weight and cat-gut cords, sev
ered by Dr. Dick, and which stand be
side it, it looks out from its glass case
and forever silently proclaims the mo
ment of its great owner s passing.
In another ease is Hen era! Wasning
ton s Masonic apron and sash of silk,
embroidered by the Marquise de Lafay
ette and presented for her, together with
a rare little box of inlay, to General
Washington by the Marquis de Lafay
ette when he visited Washington In
1784. Tho apron is of heavy cream sat
in, once white, but yellowed bv vears,
heavily fringed and embroidered in
gold, with the United States flag and
the French flag crossed above a com
plicated design of embroidery of a bee
hive and fairies. Incidentally, the
lodge also possesses the key of the
front gates of the Bastile, a huge thing
of five pounds' weight, ' presented by
Lafavette at the time of his last visit,
and also the Charles Wilson Peele por
trait of Lafayette in colonial uniform.
Washington's pocket Knife.
In the same case also are. such per
sonal things as the -general's wedding
gloves, a blatk glove he wore while
mourning for his mother, his pruning
knife which he used at Mount Vernon,
and his pocket knife, given to him by
his mother when he was 12 years old.
and never out of his possession until
the time of his death. Concerning the
gift of the knife, an Interesting bit of
Washington's life is revealed.
WTien George was 11 years old, his
father died, and shortly afterward tbe
boy went to live with his half-hrothrer,
Lawrence, at Mount VernoD. and visit
ed at Belvoir. the home of William
Fairfax, friend and neighbor. George
conceived the notion that he would like
to become a midshipman in the British
navy, and Lawrence and the Fairfaxes
secured him the commission But the
idea didn't please his mother. When
all preparations had been made for his
departure, unable to persuade him that
his choice was unwise, she forbade his
going. Sorrowfully. heurrendered his
commission and his cherished hope, and
returned to his mathematics in prep
aration for a career as civil engineer.
The very next order of goods that
Mistrese Mary Washington sent to
Kngland contained the item, "one good
penknife.- This "good penknife" he
presented to her eon George as a re-
( - a V ''y' S, . 1: 1
' V1 i, -v;JT ' Vci, i fill
Vl7 fill
" filTri 7i
"v JJJJ
Left to right Lord Kitchener,
brldge across a river, under hea.'y
fire.
' ou are slow, ' said Kitchener.
The engineer in command said that
was true. But he was protecting his
men. -He could save an hour's time
bv another method, but It might cost
50 lives.
'Save the hour.' said Kitchener,
turning awav. '"We can spare men
better than we can spare time."
It recalls a more recent story. A
manufacturer of khaki, called at the
war office to ask for a commission.
In time he was ushered into Kitcn
ener s office. He remained standing
by the door.
"Any military experience?' asked
Kitchener.
The manufacturer said he had oeen
an officer of Territorials, and this
and that.
'"What's your business?" asked
Kitchener.
The manufacturer said he made
khaki.
"Hive you any government con
tracts?" askei Kitchener.
The manufacturer swelled with
modest pride. He said he had sev
eral contracts good contracts which
would keep his mills busy for months.
Kitchener's head dropped down again
over the figures he was studying. He
did not speak. lie Just jerked his thumb
at the door. The officer in attendance
took the manufacturer out. That sort
of man is more valuable at home Just
now than in the field.
Kitchener h estimate when the war
began was that it would last three
vears. A recent incident seems to show
that he has not changed his mind. A
manufacturer of certain goods was
WASHINGTON
ward for his obedience and counseled
him to "Always obey your superiors."
He carried the pocket knife con
stantly, and years later told Its history
to General Knox; When Valley
Forge, surrounded by his ragged and
half-starving troopers, for whom a
timid congress had made no provision,
in a fit of despair and disgust, he wrote
his resignation as commander In chief,
and, summoning his staff, read the res
ignation to them. One of the officers
who heard him was General Knox, who
reminded him of the knife and his
mother's words, "Always obey your
superiors." "You," continued Gen
eral Knox, "were commanded to lead
this army, and no one has ordered you
riSSq 1 ' N
f s ' YN
J If' 1 (E&trr ;'i -14 '! -Ill I ll- -i'pll
1 MM i h-'-1-"! s'f- I rr-iv . iwr I I itlV.'! 1 i - x I '
W' r fefefafe s3Sv; as mjj
i IHTNtwSStRVlCt-
ho rales the British war office with an iron hand; Field Marshal Sir
mand of the British forces on the continent.
asked if he could not largely increase
his output.
'"Not without doubling the capacity
of my plant," said he. "I cannot af
ford to do that unless I am assured of
at least three, years' business."
"Go ahead and double," said Kitch
ener. "You'll get the business."
His past history is an open book. His
quarrels with slack and inefficient ad
ministrators at home and abroad are
known. That his achievement in rais
ing a new army at home and in feeding
the old army in the field is of the high
est order is admitted Where Kitch
ener has incurred the most bitter criti
cism is in his management of the press.
He is an absolute autocrat. He has
made a joke out of that freedom, of the
press of which Anglo-Saxons have
boasted wth this exception.
Control of the Frags.
Kitchener hasn't cared what edWors
have said about him. But thev must
not print tabooed news. The English
papers esipecially the Harmsworth
group in London have attacked the
military censorship with great bitter
ness. Nothing has been said on the
American side of half the edge and
weight of venom that is being said al
most daily in England. Kitchener
doesn't care. He Is oblivious to public
opinion. Here's a story that proves it:
It was charged against him in South
Africa that he had ordered his troopers
to ride into the tall grass "and bring
out the wounded natives on their
lances." Tht was almost inhuman, of
course. A preat rowdy-dow was raised
about it. The papers shrieked over it.
There was a parliamentary inquiry.
Kitchener didn t say a word. He didn't
RELICS OWNED BY MASONIC LODGE OF WHICH HE
Washington's mansion at Mount Vernon, as it appears today.
to cease leading it. Think it over."
Washington thought it over. Half an
hour later he had torn up his resigna
tion and announced his determination
to fight to the finish. .
On its walls Alexandria lodge dis
plays another of its valuable posses
sions, and which is intimately con
nected with Washington s early life at
Mount Vernon. This Is a life size por
trait of Thomas, sixth Lord Fairfax,
father of William, whose daughter
married Lawrence Washington. Lord
Fairfax, who emigrated to Virginia in
1741. came to take possession of 6,500,
000 acres of rich Virginia land Inherited-
from his mother, and It was on
these lands aa a boy of 16 that George
deny or explain. Finally some one got
to him and demanded that he epeaK.
'Damn them," said Kitchener, slow
ly. His red face turned redder. His
angry eyes turned slowly upon the
questioner, under his heavy brows.
"Damn them. They hamstrung my
horses."
That was all. When his men rode into
the grass natives who had been Wound
ed or pretended to be wounded laid in
wait. As a horse passed they ham
strung it. Then they chopped the rider.
That order of his was as much forced
by military necessity as was the burn
ing of Lou vain. He did not apologize
for it. He didn't care shucks what
anyone thought of it. The clamor died
out when the English people an es
sentially practical race learned the
truth.
So Kitchener has muzzled the press
in this war. He has ruthlessly sup
pressed information which might be a
weapon in the hands .of the enemy or
make trouble at home. He would not
let the story of the sinking of the
Audacious be told. He has not let the
English public know that Japan Inter
vened at Great Britain s request, br
that China has protested against the
violation of her neutrality by both Eng
lish and Japanese troops. A long list
of like actions by the censor might be
cited. It is Important to get at Kitch
ener's viewpoint
He will not permit the publication
of anything which he, as a soldier,
thinkB may add to the difficulty of his
task. He Is the sole Judge. W here a
doubt arises, he rules against the
newspapers and lets em rave.
But they can say anything they
choose about him.
Washington did his first considerable
work as a purveyor. The portrait in the
lodge room by Sir Joshua Reynolds is
tbe only portrait of this Fairfax in existence-Two
Priceless Kelica.
In the upper end of the chamber and
now protected In a great glass case,
though it was kept in constant use for
more than a century, Is the chair
Washington used when master of the
lodge, and which he had brought for
that jmrpose from his library in Mount
Vernon. About tbe walls are 17 ma
hogany chairs, still In constant use,
and which constituted a portion of tbe
old lodge's original furnishings.
Possibly surpassing all .other relics
rtARKIS ft E.WI N&.
John French, who is
in com-
SIR JOHN FRENCH
SDME years ago elaborate man
euvers were held at AlUershot 'n
England- The regular war corre
spondent of a London paper was in
validated at the time. A greenhorn
was sent down to cover the review.
"I was in despair, ' he said later. "I
knew nothing of military affairs, but
it was essential that I succeed with
that assignment."
By some chance he fell in with a
square, dumpy, red faced old gentle
man. The old gentleman didn't look
like a soldier. He wore no uniform.
He didn't even carry a stick. He was
leaning against a fence when the de
spairing correspondent encountered
him.
"What." asked that Individual,
piteously. "are they doing now?"
The old gentelman discovered the
youngster's plight. Then lim said he
thought he could help him. .
"I know more or less about this
sort of thing," said he, modest. y.
"Beastly technical, you know. Per
haps you'd best take rather careful
notes."
So the boy took careful notes, and
the old gentleman told him all about
the maneuvers, and what they meant,
and what each commanding officer
had been trying to do, and why he
failed or succeeded, as the case might
be. That report made a war cor
respondent out of a previously harm
less reporter. He's over in France
now, dodging arrest and bullets. When
he satd goodby he diffidently ex
pressed his thanks.
in historic value is the ivory handled
silver trowel which waa used At the
laying of the cornerstone of the cap
ltol at which Washington officiated.
The trowel has been engraved with a
simple statement of Its history, lest
doubters rise to question Its genuine
ness. Still More Treasures.
In a glass case Is the yellowing; old
lodge charter granted In 1788, which
contains not only the name of General
Washington as master of the lodge, but
tne autograph of Edmund Randolph,
who was at the time grand master -of
Virginia and governor of tbe common
wealth, who wag a member of the con
vention which framed the constitution.
"Will you tell me your name?" he
asked. ,
"Oh, French," said tne other care
lessly "Sir Jonn French."
Vow a rield Marshal.
French Is now the field marshal in
command of the English forces In
France. He conducted a retreat fol
lowing the disaster at Mons whtcn
has been called by critics one of the
finest fcata of arms in the history of
British wars. Nothing short of that
was expected of French by those who
were even slightly familiar with hla
history. He has been named as the
foremost cavalry leader in Europe.
He wa the one British general vhoo
reputation was enhanced by the war
in South Africa. And yet he had
Just ' escaped retirement because he
was too efficient.
The British war office was so dry
in those days that It rattled. Those
high in authority had made routine
their god. French was Just the othar
sort. He was continually studying.
Though by no means a bookworm, ne
is familiar with the history of every
Important campaign. There is no step
forward in strategy that he has not
mastered. Lord Roberts -once said .of
him :
I inspected his regiment once
French then being a major. As be
came across the parade ground I
abked his colonel:
" 'Of what value?'
"'Forever reading military books,'
was the reply."
After service in the Soudan and
elsewhere French waa given command
of his old regiment, the Nineteenth
Hussars, In 1898, and was stationed
at Aldershot. He had the chance to
try out some new moves on the mili
tary chessboard. When the maneu
vers of 1899 came he put them in op
eration, v The old timers said that he
was too reckless. It was perfectly
true that he was uniformly success
ful in peace practice, but they said
he would be cut tejiieces in war. He
would have been recommended for re
tirement, save for Kir Bedvers Kuller
"Give him another chance," said
Buller. "There's good stuff In him."
Then the South African war came,
and Buller insisted that lrench be
given his chance on the veMt. The
other officials of the war office pro
tested. They pointed out that every
move made by French was a depart
ure from sacred and time honored
precedent. Buller said that possibly
something of that sort might he need
ed in Africa. He said he didn t be
lieve the Boers knew enough about
precedent to care if French did err
once In a while.
And Ki Did Wla.
"What we want.'' said Buller, ' Is a
man who can win."
French did win. He was uniformly
successful. No one, perhaps, except
the men most intimately concerned,
know whether there was ever any
personal hostility between French and
Kitchener. But the injudicious friends
of both kicked up a mighty shindy.
They Insisted upon comparing tho rec
ord made by the two men In Africa.
French had many victorious battles to
his credit. It was pointed out that
Kitchener only laid claim to one
that being the defeat of Cronje and
that he would not have won this fight
if French's 3000 cavalry men and
horses exhausted by fantastic exer
tions had not coene up from Kimher
ley in time to arrest 'ronje retreat.
Whatever may be the truth. It la
certain that the two men have worked
well in double harness since the pres
ent war beean. French had been inadn
field marshal 24 hours before Kitch
ener took the portfolio of cecretarv of
state for war. Kitchener has repeated
ly given pralpe to his Miihordtna te for
his services in the field. French has
had no opportunity to he equally gen
and who later served in Washington a
cabinets as-attorney general and secre
tary of War. From time to time the
assertion has been made that Wash
ington whs not actually u Mawon. The
old charter under which Alexandria
lodge till has authority effectually
puts to rest such I'He contention. Aft
er the -necessary preamble, the instru
ments declare, Know ye. that we, Kd
mund Randolph, loq.. Governor of the
Commonwealth aforesaid, and Grand
Master Of the Most Am lent and Hon
orable Society of Free Masons, within
the same- by and with the consent of
the Grand Lodge of Virglniadoiereby
constitute and appoint our illustrious
and well-beloved brother, George
Washington, Esq.. late General and
Commander in t hlef of the forces of
the United States of America," and
continues with the statement of Wash
ington's being made charter Master.
The minutes of the lodge, faithfully
preserved, contain what is probably the
only absolutely 1 authentic and first
hand account of the funerHl of Gen
eral Washington, which was conducted
with Mason in ceremonies by the Alex
andria lodge.
Washington's lyiother
DVillxa Washington's youth the
Impression his mother, Mary
Ball Washington, made upon every
body was that of being "She-who-must-be-obeyed.
' It was not merely that her
Own children paid her the tribute of
profound deference and awe, for tnat
was not uncommon in the eighteenth
centurv. but that she created a similar
f feeling among ethers.
She was an awe-inspiring person, as
was her son later in life, though prob
ably neither of them had the least idea
of the fact that mot of those with
whom they carpe in contact stood some
what In fear of them. This fear .lid
not prevent people from liking Mrs
Washington any more than it after
ward prevented them from liking her
on. :
Yet a contemporary called her course
with her son George "fond and un
thinking." He was her favorite child,
and there was nothing of the parin
mother about her. The time was near
when she was to prove it by standing
in his way in life for fear he would get
hurt, and she was toiteep up thatattl
tude, to his considerable annoyance, all
through his life.
All through her life she struggled
desperatwly to keep him from the dan-
erous in public. But not long ago a
staff officer Is said to have complained
to Irlm that certain men and supplies
which were sorely needed- had not yet
arrived.
"They are not dim for two davs."
said French. " Then they will be here.
Kitchener is seeing to It."
French Isn t at all the sort of man
In appearance one expects a cavalry
leader -to be. He is short and squat
in figure. His seat upon a horso has
been called absolutely ludleroun, mi-1
though It is conceded that few horses,
can master him. lie could never play
polo well enough to get exercise out
of the pastime, and he has h.id more
than one accident in the hunting field.
But he la untiring at least one; ir
the South African war he ivtt up
the only bed to a fatigued iirltrrv
who was 20 years his Junior, and
slept well upon the floor Siid he
unites caution to apparent rock'esM
ness in his field operations.
"It is Instinctive with him," sull
one of hia Juniors. "He pauses Just
long enough to get the terms of the
problem fairly before him, and then
his decision is Instantaneous. Time
after time he led his men Into what
seemed murder. It proved to be the
only road to safety."
Jk Sense of Kumor.
He is a quiet, unassuming man, who
rarely speaks until he is spoken to,
unless among friends. Then he. Is a
most excellent companion. By times
he is fond of a practical joke, as
shown by the story told of his bet at
the mess table. The talk had turned
upon shooting at the butts.
' I will bet a box of cigars," said her
s'that I can correctly call the result
of 10 shots at 600 yards tomorrow,
without waiting for the marker."
borne one accepted the wager. The
next morning the whole mess was at
the rifle range. French carefully se
lected his rifle, took careful aim and
fired. After each of the 10 shots he
called out:
"A miss!"
Underneath hie heavy mustache Is a
very sensitive mouth. He is, in fact, a
shy and retiring man. His slater, Mrs.
Despard. one of the leaders of English,
suffragists, once commented on this,
' I had been telling John how hard
it ( was for me to make my appear
ances in public," said she. "I was
afraid that some day I would be un
able to play my part. He laughed at .
me.
"'That s . nothing,' said he, 'I've
never been able to do anything worth
while in my life lhat I didn't have
to screw myself up to it first.'"
hot all his kindness and his diffi
dence he Is hard as nails when duty
in in question. He does not excuse
incompetence or slackness. One of
his Tommies once put the case very
neatly.
'Ole French," said he. "don t bark
much but doesn't he Just bite!"'
French Is 63 years old now. He
comes of an old Oalway family. Hla
father had been a commander in the
royal navy and French himself served
four years t-n It. But the servico
never appealed, to him, and after a
time he retired and made a try -for
the army. The competitive examina
tion kept him out of a' commissi n,
and so he got In "through the oh i
door" by taking a commission In the
militia arid obtaining a transfer His
promotion was reasonably rapid.
HURT JOURNALISTS AIDED
Paris. Feb. 20. The Anele-Ameiionu
Tress association has Just given $101
to the fund for the benefit of wounded
French Journalists, the number of
whom ban already reached 20. Minis
ter Briand, ex-Premier Iiupy. and the
Hritieh and American u mbaKsadors
have promised to attend the mhhocim
t Ion's weeklv luncheon Monday.
WAS MEMBER
His Mother Had No Desire
for Washington to Become
Famous in Fact She
Qpenly Opposed It.
gerous path of glory. She cared
nothing for his achievements, and
probably did not understand their Im
portance; certainly, she did not under
stand his fame. Kach time he entered
upon a new venture she saw only, as
she heart-brokenly expressed It, "more
fighting, more bloodshed." Whether
or not her course with him an a hoy
was "fond and unthinking," it surely
merited that description in his man
hood. But the first manifestation of this
spirit reunited In her rendering an In
estimable service to mankind.
When George was a young lad, he
wanted to enter the British navy, llln
mother opposed it succesaf uily. But
she never succeeded again in slaying
his steps In that preat career, though
she always tried. When Captain Rob
ert Orme, one of Braddoek m aids tie
camp, wrote bv the generals' order
offering Washington a place on hi
staff, the brilliant opportunity offered
him aroused only consternation In tier.
She hurried to Mount Vernon and tried
to prevent Mm from accepting it.
Washington was a man now,-snd hls
own master. He refused to bo dianuad
ed, and went on that campaign from
which he was to reap so much renown
Tbe last straw was when she learned
that he eldest son was not only Komg
to be a rebel, but was te be tit'- chief
rebel of all, the commander of the
rt'tn'iii'. Her language wa vchem
ent, iwi her f rlends-Tould not comfort
her. Ultimately she relented; embraced
her son, and gave him her blewwlng ,
The general saw Mttle of her during
the war. . She went about her daily
work as usual, and dally, seated in an
old-fashioned open chnlse, she went out
to the farm and superintended the
work.
Xfayette's Visit.
Lafayette, who had met Mrt. Wash
ington before, visited her after the bat
tle of Yorktown. and came upon her
working in her garden In a homespun
dress and a straw bonnet. She did not
change her dress In honor of the yu-ung -
nooicman. sne listened to m cntnusi-
asm over her Idol, Washington, and
(Continued on P:.k- .Ten.