(1917). He also edited Systems of Medicine and Gynaecology (1896,
1899, 1907).
ALLEN, SIR JAMES (1855–), New Zealand statesman, was born in South Australia Feb. 10 1855, and went to New Zealand about 1858. He was educated at Clifton College and St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he held a natural science exhibition. At Cambridge he played in the University Rugby football fifteen and took his M.A. degree; and he afterwards studied at the Royal School of Mines and won the Bessemer and de la Beche medal. In 1887 he made a remarkable entry into politics by winning the Dunedin East seat from Sir Robert Stout, then Premier and Liberal leader, by 19 votes. Losing this seat at the general election of 1890, he represented Bruce from 1891 till his resignation in 1920. He has always taken a special interest in educational, military and imperial questions; was a member of the Otago University council and served a term as chancellor; and from 1908–12 was a member of the New Zealand University senate. He was for many years an enthusiastic volunteer, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1902.
During the 21 years of Mr. Allen’s service in opposition he showed himself a keen critic of the Liberal administration, especially on financial matters. On defence questions he always spoke with authority and without party bias. The movement for compulsory military training, which came to a head in 1909, had his hearty support, and it is certain that the extension of the Territorial age-limit from the 22nd to the 25th year, which Lord Kitchener recommended, could not have been carried by the Ward government in 1910 without the help that Mr. Allen gave to it. When the Reform party came into power in 1912 Mr. Allen became Mr. Massey’s right-hand man. He held the three onerous portfolios of Defence, Finance, and Education in the first Massey administration (1912–15). His prudence and caution inspired confidence in his budgets, and both in military and in naval defence he gave the country a strong lead. His proposal in 1913 to organize an Expeditionary Force of 8,000 men for oversea service was severely criticized, but its value was duly appreciated in the following year. Regarding naval defence he insisted strongly on the inadequacy of a mere cash payment to the Admiralty to discharge the obligations of a self-respecting state, and with Mr. Massey he laid, in the Naval Defence Act, 1913, the foundations of a policy of self-reliance, with the proviso that the Dominion’s naval forces should automatically pass into the control of the Admiralty in time of war.
As a member of the National Government which was formed as a result of the Massey-Ward war coalition Sir James Allen retained the portfolio of Defence, and he held it throughout the life of that Government (1915–9) and until his retirement from the succeeding Massey government in March 1920. It is impossible to exaggerate the value of his services in that capacity. He faced all the problems of organizing a young and untried democracy for the World War, first under a voluntary and then under a compulsory system, with a resolution that never faltered, and he saw it through. During the first year or two of the war the Defence Minister was probably the most unpopular man in the Dominion, but there was afterwards a strong reaction in his favour, and towards its close the sterling value of his services was universally recognized. There was certainly no other man to whom the Dominion was more deeply indebted for the excellence of its war record.
During the long absences of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward on the business of the Imperial War Cabinet in 1916, 1917 and 1918 and of the Peace Conference in 1919 Sir James Allen had the responsibilities of Acting-Prime Minister as well as those of Defence. He retired from politics in 1920 in order to succeed Sir Thomas Mackenzie as the Dominion’s High Commissioner in London on July 31. Few statesmen who have so persistently violated the politician’s rule of putting all the best goods in the front window have been privileged to retain the confidence of a democracy so long and to render it such admirable service. He was made a K.C.B. in 1917. He married Mary Hill Richards of Somerset, England, in 1877 and has two sons and three daughters. His younger son, John Hugh Allen, was killed in action at Gallipoli.
ALLENBY, EDMUND HENRY HYNDMAN ALLENBY, 1st
Visct. (1861–), British field marshal, son of Hyndman
Allenby, was born April 23 1861, and joined the Inniskilling
Dragoons in 1882. His first few years in the army were spent
in South Africa, where he took part in the Bechuanaland expedition
of 1884–5 and in the Zululand operations of 1888.
After returning to England with his regiment he passed through
the Staff College and in 1896 he married Adelaide Mabel Chapman.
He went out to South Africa again as a squadron leader in
1899 and took part in the important cavalry operations by which
Kimberley was relieved, in the battle of Paardeberg, and in Lord
Roberts’s advance to Pretoria and into the eastern Transvaal.
During the later phases of the South African War he made a
great name for himself as a column commander, and he was for
his services promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel and colonel
and given the C.B. He then commanded the 5th Lancers from
1902–5 and for the next four years he was at the head of a
cavalry brigade, being promoted major-general in 1909. He
became inspector of cavalry in 1910 and, as holding that position,
went out to France with the Expeditionary Force in 1914 in
charge of the cavalry division.
The work of his mounted troops during the retreat from Mons, the subsequent advance to the Aisne, and the first battle of Ypres won great praise, and on a second cavalry division arriving Allenby was appointed commander of the newly constituted Cavalry Corps. He was about the same time given the K.C.B. In June 1915 he was transferred from this to the command of the 5th Army Corps; but he held that position for only a short time as, in the following Oct. on Gen. Monro’s proceeding to the Near East, he succeeded that general as chief of the 3rd Army, which he led for nearly two years. His army was not called upon to undertake operations on any large scale during 1916, but it shared to some extent in the later stages of the battle of the Somme. In 1917, on the other hand, it was very heavily engaged in the Arras region during the spring months and won much valuable ground. Allenby had been promoted lieutenant-general in 1916, and in June 1917 he was selected for the command of the troops in Egypt and Palestine, where elaborate preparations had been made for an offensive campaign; he was at the same time promoted general.
The season was unsuitable for active operations on the borders of the Holy Land for the first three months after his arrival in Egypt, but these were spent in perfecting preparations for an advance, which began at the end of Oct. with the capture of Beersheba and the taking of Gaza a few days after. These successes were followed up relentlessly. Jaffa fell Nov. 17, the Turks were driven with loss out of every position that they tried to take up, and, after vain efforts on their part to bar the way to Jerusalem, that city was surrendered Dec. 9. Allenby, who had been given the G.C.M.G. for these achievements, materially improved his position during the next four months, but he was then obliged by events in France to despatch some of his troops to the western theatre of war.
During the summer of 1918 fresh forces from India and Mesopotamia took the place of the troops sent away, and in Sept. the British commander struck with crushing effect. By a sudden advance in great force the Turkish front was broken, the plain of Esdraelon was flooded with mounted men, the infantry moved irresistibly forward and, as the result of a masterly combination of war, the enemy suffered an overwhelming defeat. All arrangements had been made in advance for instantly following up the anticipated victory; within a very few weeks Damascus and Beirut had been occupied, troops had been thrust right up to Aleppo, and not only Palestine but also all Syria were in the hands of the Allies. Allenby’s brilliant services were recognized by his being given the G.C.B., and, on the general distribution of honours for the war in 1919, he was promoted field marshal and was raised to the peerage as Viscount Allenby of Megiddo and Felixstowe; he was at the same time awarded a grant of £50,000.
