GUESTS OF THE GOVERNMENT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10986, 8 June 1901, Page 7

GUESTS OF THE GOVERNMENT.

* . ■.— —• VISITING JOURNALISTS WITH THJ-.' ROYAL PARTY. The visitdng journalists with the Royal party are to be tihe guests of the Government. As they are the eyes through Avhkli the British public will "see the colonic*., short eketobes of them will be. of interest just now. Artists as well as correspondenti are included in the list.

THE "GRAPHICS" REPRESENTATIVE.

It is by meai_s of the .pencil of Mr Sydney P. Hall that a great multitude of Londoners will gain their impressions of the colonies. Mr Hall is attached to the Royal staff, but be is also doing the work of his paper. He is a man who must have many interesting reminiscences, for in 1870-71 he represented the "Graphic" during the Franco-German War. Nor is this by any means his first experience of accompanying a Royal suite on an Imperial progress; for in 1875-6 ho went to India -vith our present Kkig; in laid he Avas one of the suite of the Princess Louise and the Marquis of Lome {Governor-General of Canada); :. _n_ yet again, three yeans later, be accompanied the then Marquis of Lome (now Duke of Argyll) in his tour through the North-West—idways sending sketches to the "Graphic." He has also painted three Royal wedding pictures, two for the late Queen, and one for King Edward. j "THE SPHERE." 1 "Another celebrated artist is Mr Alfred Pearse, of the "Sphere." Mr Pearse is tbe talented -on of a very famous decorative artist. His first opportunity in the newspaper world came with the Battle of Isandiilaiia. He got $ the news of that historic engagement over his breakfast at 8 o'clock in the morning, and at noon a picture of Lieutenants Melville and (_bgi_tt saving the colours Avas- submitted to the editor of the "Pictorial World" and accepted. Mr Pearse was retained on the staff of tlie paper, and during eight years' service he obtained the name of "Punctual Pearse" from the punctuality with which his Avork was always done. He is a man of great energy and versatility. This was illustrated at the opening of a Royal Agricultural SboAv at Norwich. The Prince of Wales Avas to perform the ceremony, and artists and. correspondents assembled in numbers. Somehow the artists' special tickets Avere forgotten. (Mr Pearse had foreseen the difficulty, and early in the day had concealed himself _ amongst some sac__ of potatoes in the buffidang. When the Prince arrived he emerged from his hiding place and trotted round after him during the afternoon, securing two pages of ex< elusive pictures for h_a paper. He also sketched the christening of the first-born of H.R.H. the Princess Henry of Battenburg in the draAving-i-om of Windsor Castile, by permission of the Queen. He is an extraordinarily rapid worker, and in addition to his artistic qualifications he has been an athlete and. a singer. His record of lOsec for 100 yards is authenticated, and he Avas a member of Sir Joseph Barnby's uuoral Society. He'has also turned his talents to inventing from time to time. "THE TIMES." The "leading journal" is represented by Mr J. E. Vincent, M.A., who is not only an able journalist, but a good speaker, and socially a very attractive personality, Mr Vincent, who is about forty-tAVo yeara of age, is tho eon of the late Rev. J. C. Vincent, Vicar of Carnarvon, North Wales, and Avas educated'at Winchester College and Christ Church, Oxford. He was called to the Bar in 1881, acted for some years as a reporter for the "Law Times," and, in 1889, became a member of the permanent staff of "The Times," to which he had previously contribute-. He was, in 1894, the editor and proprietor of "The National Observer. He has a wide knoAvledge of land and tenancy questions, and has been secretary of the Land OAvners' Association of South Wales, and barrister to th- North Wales "Property Defence Association. In 1891 he was appointed Chancellor of the diocese of Bangor. His works are varied. He has written on a range of subjects, including "A History of Football," "Tenancy in Wales,", and other works dealing with We-sh land, "The Discontent of tlie Working Classes,"-and a memoir, by authority, of HRH the Duke of Clarence and Avondale."' It is understood that Mr Vincent was the correspondent who contributed to "The Times" the special articles written from Osborne, dealing with the htte Queen's illness and death. Those contributions were marked throughout by a dignity and depth of feeling worthy of tlw grit journal in which they appeared, and of the momentous occasion with which they dealt. * „ -

THE "MORNING POST." Among all the English journalists now about to visit us, hoAvever, the best known is Mr E. F. Knight, of the "Morning Po||t, who has achieved a wide reputation as one of the most popular writers of travel and adventure, as well as one of tto njrtert and most daring special" cori-espondents of the day. Mr. Knight, Avho is forty-eight^ years of age, Avas born in Cumberland, and educated at Westminster and Cams, College, Cambridge, where he was a contemporary of tlie Bishop of Perth ana ths Bishop of Wellington. Mr Knight ,husi had _ most remarkable career, crammed full of adyea*ture. He fought with the French as a volunteer in the war of 1870. he was called to the bar in 1879, and he has travelled, mainly in search of adventure, in South America, Turkey, South Africa, Central Asia, etc. As readers of those charming book* "The Cruise of the Falcon" and "The Cruise of the Alerte"' I_ioav, a large part of his journeyin<* Avas done in a 30-ton yacht. He is an i-rioo-aplished boatman, and has \mtba_ handbooks on "Sailing" for one or two popular "Sports" series. As war correspondent, 'Mr Knight ha_ seen a great deal of service, having represented "The Times' in the Hunza-Napar campaign in 1891, (Matabeleliuid 1893-5, Madagascar IB9b. Soudan 1896, Greece 1897, as well as in the Spanish-American war and the* , "Soutil African Avar. In the Spanish-American war he distinguished himself by a daring night landing on the island of Cuba, of which he wrote"a most thrilling account. In the South African war he unfortunately lost an arm at the battle of Belmont, when he was shot by a wounded Boer. Apparently an expanding bullet was used as the ami AA-as completely shattered close to the shoulder, and Mr Knight nearly lost his life His best known book is pea-hapd "Where Three Empires Meet," which has attained the rank of a modern classic. A good deal of it AA-as written in Mr Kmght s capacity as special correspondent of "'The Times.''' Personally he is a most delightful companion, largely because he is so gentle and unassuming in his style, and during tbe tour in Australia lie won the warmest regard of all who met him. "THE STANDARD." This journal is represented by -Mr W. Maxwell, a very quiet and unassuming man, but"one of the most capable journalists in tha party. He represented the "Standard"' in tlie march on Khartoum, and was one of the besieged journalists in Ladysmith." He is a leading member of the English Institute ,-of Journalists, of which he'was elected a I member in 1891 and a Fellow in 1898. THE "DAILY TELEGRAPH.". . Mr Le Sage, who represents the "Daily j Telegraph," is the youngest member of the ! journalistic party, and was facetiously knoAvn on board the man-of-war on the voyage out as "The Mere Boy." He is, perhaps not quite so young as he looks, and at any rate in the matter of journalistic ability can hold his oavh with some of the veterans. His 'father is the managing editor of the "Telegraph." A year or two ago Mr Lo Sage j'un., went to the United States in the interests of that journal, and will be ioun:i mentioned in Major Pond's recently' published book of reminiscences, in connection with -h* Edwin Arnold, who sent Mr Le Sage with a letter of introduction to Major Pond. 'Mr Le - father had a distinguished career as "war correspondent for the "Telegraph," and -was in Paris during the whole of the Commune.

REUTERS AGENCY. A large number of newspaper readers will depend for their new% of the Royal tour upon iMr Joseph Watson, of Reiiter'si Agency. Mr Watson waa originally a re-

..orter on the "Scatamm," and unftUy awnU, ted. to the "Hm-wtcT gallery of the 11 .u-e of 'Comtaotm. Dm_*_g the recess it was his custom to go abroad and -tody tiWijr- languages and politics, and Wua h * licen of asat-t-joce to ium in bis profes- * on. He has "don-" 1 some importM* ceremonies, incloding Bistmrck'a fun-ara, the (oioration of the Osar, and the funeral of tha late Queen. ' Mr Watson is ft vicepresident and a member of tbe Council of Mm English Institute of Journ_Jata, from whc.m ba bring* a greeting to their colonial brithren. CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY. l Mr Scott Cranston, of the Central News Agency, to a young and energetic Australian who went home to England, and getting employrai-ttt as a special correspondent, was sent'out to v.aina by the Central Imews Ajrency during the recent troubles, where be did tome,excellent work. . THE "OFFICIAL HISTORIAN." Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace, Foreign Fditor of "The Times,' is a member of the ttoval Staff, nominally as Assistant Private Secretary, but it is generally nnderstood.that bo i- to write the official account of the ttnir. He was bom in Dumbartonshire, in 1851. icd-WTts educated nt the Universities ff Edinburgh. I'erlin, avA Heidelberg, and also at the Ecole de Droit, Pari-. From 1863 to

1884 hu'was living and travelling in various foreign countries, but mainly in France. Germany, Russia, and Turkey, acquiring n fund of information which must have been j of immense value to him in his journalistic ;

work. He has also had a good training in ; official and diplomatic life, having been Pri- ■ vate Secretary to both the Marquis of Duf- j feriai and the 'Marquis of Lnnsdoime, whilst , Viceroys of India during the years 1884 tt> j 1889,, and he accompanied the CzareAvitch asj political Officer on the occasion of his visit j to India and Ceylon in 1890-91. He is the j author of "Russia" 'nublirind in 1877. and ; "Egypt and the Egyptian Question" (1883), j both regarded as standard Avorks. He avos I treated K.C.I.E. inflßß3. Sir Donald is a j mivi of charming personality and address, ! and quits won u_e hearts of * the Australian j journalists Avith whom he Avas brought in j contact. '