LORD KITCHENER IN PALES'ITNE.t LORD KITCHENER has played so large
a part in the recent history of the British Army that most of us are apt to forget the admir- able piece of peaceful work to which his early years were devoted. His personality is so much discussed at present, and we owe eo much to his splendid genius for organization, that many readers will turn with keen interest to the little book in which Dr. Samuel
a European Police Systems. By Raymond B. Fosdick, London : Allen and Do.win. ins. ed. net.) Lord Kitchener end hie Work in Palestine. By Dr. Samuel Deem London : Lassie and 123, ed. net.) Daiches has given a lucid and readable account of Lord Kitchener
and his Work in Palestine. This book is based on a lecture delivered by Dr. Daiches before the Jews' College Union Society in February last, and repeated by invitation before the Society
of Biblical Archaeology in March. The Palestine Exploration Fund was founded in 1865 for the purpose of adding to our knowledge of the topography of the Holy Land. The services of the Royal Engineers were fortunately available for the purpose of carrying out, the detailed survey of Palestine to which the funds of the Association were chiefly devoted. Sir Charles Warren had already done some excellent work in Jeru- salem, and it was to Lieutenant Condor that the task of estab- lishing the Survey was entrusted. In 1874 Lieutenant Kitchener —who was at the time engaged in work on field telegraphy at
Chatham and Aldershot—was sent out as second in command of the Survey party, and he remained in Palestine for four years, doing extremely sound and useful work, of which Dr. Daiches gives a full account. As the author observes :-
" No recorded period in the life of Kitchener gives us such an insight into the mentality of Kitchener and into his ways of work, reveals to us the mind, heart and character of Kitchener, as well as the four years which he spent in Palestine and in Palestinian work. His indomitable energy, his unequalled thoroughness, his hunger for work, his mastery of detail, his preparedness, his economy in men and material, his making sure of success, his sense of duty, his ability to inspire others with zeal for work, and his clear and crisp style : all these characteristics of Kitchener of to-day we find in Kitchener nearly forty years ago, when he was doing his Palestine exploration work."
Such a record as this was well worth publishing.
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