Notes

Abstract

THE tragic news that Lord Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, had been drowned off the Orkneys, in the sinking, either by a mine or torpedo, of the cruiser Hampshire, in which he was travelling with a party on a special mission to the Emperor of Russia, was received by the nation on Tuesday with deep emotion. Lord Kitchener was born on June 24, 1850, entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1868, and obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers in 1871. In the early years of his professional career he did notable surveying work for the Palestine Exploration Fund. He was engaged from 1874 to 1878 in mapping 1600 square miles of Judah and Philistia, and in surveying part of western Palestine. Later, he did similar work for the construction of a map of Cyprus, and also took part in the survey of the Sinai Peninsula. In all the offices occupied by Lord Kitchener, and enterprises undertaken by him, he was strong with the strength of organised knowledge; and that was the secret of his success. While British Agent and Consul-General in Egypt, a post to which he was appointed in 1911, he had the Department of Agriculture transformed into a Ministry, and promoted many movements to improve the agricultural position of the country. He was also chiefly responsible for the establishment of the fine Gordon Memorial College at Khartum. His life was devoted to the service of the State, and in that service it has been lost at a time when the nation can ill afford to be deprived of genius for organised administration in every department. Two members of Lord Kitchener's party, who were lost with him, were Sir H. F. Donaldson and Mr. L. S. Robertson. Sir Frederick Donaldson was formerly Chief Superintendent of the Royal Ordnance Factories, and resigned that post in September last to become chief technical adviser to the Ministry of Munitions. He was president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1913- Mr. Leslie S. Robertson, assistant to the director of production in the Ministry of Munitions, was secretary of the Engineering Standards Committee.