University of Toronto Schools - Twig Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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THE T WIG sibilities. Lawrence then asked for leave to go away, Allenby did not wish to grant it, but Lawrence pointed out that the Arabs could more easily change from war to peace condwitions if his influence were removed, and Allenby, seeing this, gave him leave. Lawrence arrived in London on Novem- ber Ilth, I9I8g and soon after was appointed by the British Foreign Office, as a member of the British Delegation to the Peace Conference. Fiesal arrived in Lon- don a few weeks after Lawrence, and they went to Paris together. At the Conference, the French made matters very difhcultz they wanted Syria, but it was in the hands of the Arabs. Finally, Fiesal was made ruler of Syria, with his capital at Damascus, but his position was precarious, and his power not very great. Lawrence was bitterly dis- appointed, and highly indignant that the British had not fulfilled their promises of guaranteeing Arabian Independence. As a protest he refused a Peerage, a C.B., a D.S.O., and a V.C., all on the ground that since England had dishonoured him by fail- ing to honour his provinces, he could not take them in good faith. Then, in l92l, the French took Syria from Fiesalg but Winston Churchill, aided by Lawrence, established Fxiesal firmly on the throne of iraq, with the capital at Bagdad, which be- came the first focus point for national feel- ing among the Arabs. The British' also restored order in Arabia, and set lbor Saud on the throne: and then placed Abdulla, a relation of Fiesal, at the head of the govern- ment of Transjordanlia, thus establishing two more focus points for Arabian nationalism. When this was done, Lawrence felt that his task was complete. ln a letter to Robert Graves, he said, in part: I want you to make it quite clear in your book that .... in my opinion Winston Churchill's settlement has honourably ful- filled our war obligations and my hopes. What a life he had led! He was one of the youngest colonels in the British Army, and had been instrumental in establishing three kingdoms. Yet, incredible as it seems, 55 he was only thirty when Arabian independ- ence was at last wholly achieved. The key to his success was, of course, his character. He had the dynamic personality of a genius, besides being intellectual, sane, and shrewd, even if incalculable. He had a very keen sense of humourg once when he was on patrol in the desert, a British plane flew over and dropped a couple of bombs, fortunately missing. Lawrence sent in a report to Head- quarters, recommending himself for the D.S.O. of the Air Service, for presence of mind in not shooting down a British plane that bombed my patrol. Being independ- ent and strong-willed, he was mercilessly frank, and rather cynical. He was modest, retiring, and very self-critical. He was in- capable of deceit, and the instinctive enemy of sham or hypocrisy. Such men are far too few nowadays. ln l922, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force, under the assumed name of Ross, and quite fell in love with the life. But one of the officers discovered the secret of his identity, and sold it to a newspaper for one hundred and fifty dollars. As a result, he was deluged with publicity, and his pleasant relations with his fellow-privates were destroyed. Fearing that Lawrence would be called an Air Force Spy, the Secretary of State for Air dismissed him in February, I923. He then changed his name to Shaw, and was transferred to the Tank Corps, where, as in the Air Force, he was popular and respected. Here he developed his pas- sion for motor-cycle racing. Each year he used to obtain a next-year's Brough- Superior Motor-cycle from the makers, and ride it to death to report on it. He nick- named his maclmines Boanerges fSons of Thunderlg and it was his chief delight to ride all over the country, cruising fas he called itl at sixty miles per hour. This was to have a tragic sequel later on in his life. During his term in the Tank Corps, and in the early part of his second term in the Air Force, he completed his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, of which Revolt in the Desert, published in l927, is a very

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THE TWIG Thomas Edward Lawrence GEOFFREY M. C. DALE. N AUGUST l5th, l888, there was born at Tremadoc in North Wales, one of the most romantic and enigmatical charac- ters in history-the late T. E. Lawrence. From his early childhood he showed that he was no ordinary individual. He took a very great interest in Archaeology which is un- usual in most young children, by the time he was thirteen years old he was an actual expert in otptery of the Middle Ages, and before he entered the University he had visited and studied most of the mediaeval castles and fortresses in England and He attended the City of Oxford School, where he distinguished himself by France. breaking every rule and regulation which in- terfered with his freedom of action. When he left the High School, he entered Jesus College, Oxford, to read for History. At the end of his three-year course, he decided to submit a thesis in addition to his other papers. He chose as his subject, 1'-l-he ln-- fluence of Europe, and supplemented his knowledge of French and English fortifica- tions by a visit to Syria and Palestine, where he not only studied castles, but also acquired some familiarity with Arab dialects. ln l909, chiefly on the strength of his thesis, he was awarded a First Class Honours Degree in History. From I9IO to l9l4, he accom- panied various British Museum expeditions to Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, during which he increased his knowledge of Archaeology, and learned much about the language and the customs of the Arabs. The outbreak of the War in l9I4 found him studying at Oxford. He triecl to join the Officers Training Corps at Oxford, but was rejectedg the O. T. C. at London also refused him. Finally, however, he secured a position in the Geographic Department of the General Staff at Whitehall. His work was to make maps of Suria, Belgium, and France, and he enjoyed this immensely. But in I9 l 5, because of this experience with the Arabs, he was sent out to the Arab Bureau at Cairo, with the rank of Second-Lieutenant. Early in l9l6, under the leadership of the Sheriff of Mecca, the Arabs had rebelled against Turkeyg but a few early reverses had discouraged them, and revealed their need of a capable leader. ln October, Lawrence found such a man in Fiesal, the son of the Sheriff. Since the former had made himself extremely unpopular at Cairo by criticising the inefficiency of his superiors, he had little difficulty in obtaining a liason- officership at l:iesal's camp. Lawrence and Fiesal together formed an almost perfect leadership. Much could be written of his campaigns and adventures with his Arab friends, and of his Spartan endurance of heat, hunger, thirst, and weariness, but it is impossible to do so here. It can only be said that his specialty was harassing the Turks by am- bushing columns of troops, and blowing up trains and bridges. He blew up seventy- nine bridges in all, and was always sorry that he could not make his total a full eighty. His explosive exploits won him the nick- name Emir Dinarnitf' but to the Arabs in general he was known as Aurans. The Arabs had for Lawrence a blind, half-super- stitious devotion. He swept from success to success, and brought the revolt to a triumphant conclusion when his forces occupied Damascus on the 30th of Septem- ber, l9l8. Lawrence's great organizing ability, coupled with subtle tact and dip- lomacy, enabled him to set up an Arabian Provisional Government, and to restore law and order in the city in the short space of twelve hours-a truly remarkable achieve- ment. He stayed in the city until the British, led by Allenby, arrived. The latter approved of all that Lawrence had clone there, and relieved him of all his respon-

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THE T WIG much abridged version. The Seven Pil- lars, is a colourful, candid, and critical account of the Aram Revolt. It gets its name from the text in Proverbs, Wisdom hath built a house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars. Of the book itself, the best idea is given by the New York Times Book Review: Its style has the grace of sound scholar- ship, displaying a notable command of Eng- lish prose. lts vividness and realism make it almost cruel. It is the record of great deeds, and the presentation of the soul of a land, and a people, and the soul of a manfi ln September, l925, he was allowed to rejoin the Air Force, and in December, l926, was sent overseas to the Indian Frontier. But his service there lasted little over two years, for some American news- papers discovered him, and published their information. This produced lurid charges by Soviet Russia that Colonel Lawrence was spying in Afghanistan as the agent of British lmperialism in a vast conspiracy against the Soviet. Consequently he was sent back to England win l929. To prevent similar charges, his movements were very much restricted, so that when his term ex- pired early in l935, he was glad to retire from the Air Force. He settled down in a little cottage in Wessex, and prepared to enjoy his life of freedom. One evening, whwile he was speeding along at his usual rate on his motor-cycle, it skidded, and he was thrown violently on to the highway. Never regaining conscious- ness, he died shortly after 8.00 a.m. on Sunday, lVlay 19th, l935, at the age of forty-six. It is a great misfortune for the British Empire that such a sincere, fearless. and capable man should have been killed at a time when he Was so badly needed. ln 56 these days, a man who abhors all dishonest dealings is invaluable, a man who has the courage of his convictions, and who will attempt to perform them at any cost to him- self, is one that England can ill afford to lose. His admired friend and commander, Lord Allenby, has summed up Lawrence in the following words: He was valued comrade. His co- operation was marked by the utmost loyalty, and I never had anything but praise for his work, which, indeed, was invaluable throughout the campaign. He has left to us who knew and admired him, a beloved memory, and to all his countrymen, an example of a life Well spent in service. To no man could a more glorious tribute be paid. u IE. l Tfjia 5 Q' z .a , E. ,Fa E1 f n- .-:ff sf,---seg: . if P .:- r.mV': 3 il, r 55 ill i Mali yi,ggiii't...5Tii-1-iililgfji:' , 4 ,. 'emi 1 ,gif M., 531 , ir r F r lf . Fi We- '::5,,faiiiasg--r,. f 6 1 ,i ,2I....l-risk!!!-,i.1s,,IJ I, ef: i 4,1 ,r ,.gl,,1sL5Jw'5 gI:..1.:fl. X ,f ' - 'Zz 'gg- , if :-!'.L .q'u.f4Z'.,,f- .itfz ll X .XA - ,Z 1 .t 04.7 fl, f -- X .fgfefiy -iffifffss.iliasszrsw f-,.'-qw. W:,g,.:-g- - Ei-s if 4-' gi' ll itgzs'ii2ii::z2ta:wa1 amps-'W--1-5 -A W ttitlnw ' 1 naw-i5:iii2f1E5f'mi1'fN:Hi is rfiir '-:n'1YV! W l -:'iEE:::ll il ww- ,. ---sw. --,--, I Mi ii....-...1--i.,,,r-.---,hw ,',,,I.,,, Vt- I-V, - 4 . .unuuu i , -l:.m 5..fi.- E!m.a.h., ., 5533-,if , Wu, ill f mr -'mi ll ix, ' ff-1 Jiliiiillvif if - nm Eggs , i-.fir-Il Eigjgg li, l -is 1 ' so - Lb- fri!! iii---We