Lord Kitchener was entertained by the Pilgrims in New York
on Monday, and in reply to the toast of his health, proposed by Mr. Choate, made a brief and sensible speech. Having recently returned from Australia, he was able to bear witness to the excellent impression created by the visit of the American fleet, which not only demonstrated the power of the American Navy, but brought home to Australasians the kindly feelings entertained towards them by the United States. Lord Kitchener also paid a generous tribute to the efficiency and thoroughness of West Point, which he had visited during his stay. The training there given " makes men of raw lads, forms their characters, and instructs their minds." He had recommended the Australian and New Zealand Governments to take West Point as their model for the Military Colleges they required; but they would have to work by degrees, remembering that it had taken a hundred years to bring West Point to its present level of efficiency. Lord Kitchener's testimony carries weight, for he is frugal of praise, and during his stay in New York maintained his reputation for reticence by evading all interviewers.
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