OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16404, 26 December 1918, Page 7

OBITUARY.

MR W. H. PAGE

(By Cabl* —Press Association.—Copyright) (Australian ncd N.Z. Cable Association.) NEW YORK. December 23. Mr Walter Hines Page ox-Ambassa-dor to Groat Britain, is dead.

(Re?eived December 25th, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON. December 23.

The State Department, in a memorandum. records that Mr Pago devoted himself to tho task of bringing about a complete understanding between tlio two great English-speaking nations. His interpretations of the wishes of his Government' met with tho highest order of success in tho delicate negotiations entrustod to him, which, merits the highest approval.

Mr W. H. Pago was sent to England in 1013 as Ambassador and MinisterPlenipotentiary, in succession to Whitelaw Reid. Prior to his appointment he had been a noted journalist, editor of the "I'orum," 1690-1595; ojmtor of tho "Atlantic Monthly," 189<> 189 D; editor of "The World's Work, 189JI-1913; nnd he was a member of tli!> publishing firm of Doubleday, Page and Mr Pago resigned from his position towards the end of August of th s year, owing to breakdown of liis he-lth as the result of overwork, and returned with Mrs Page to America, but he did not recover. His retirement from am!mss?.dorial officc closed another of the long series of careers of hiph merit an! popularity characteristic ofthe American Embassy. The "New York Times' remarked of him: "Mr Page well and' worthily represented his Gcv rnment at the Court of St. James's. The two nations are bound together as nover before. He has repros?nted not alone the policies of his 'Government, but tho sentiments of the Anie~ican people." The Lord Mayor of London telegraphed to the Embassy at the time of Mr Page's retirement."expressing the re-jret of the citizens of London that Mr Fago should have be n n compelled to relinquish the position which .lie had held for so many years with such devotion to both nations, and giving him their best wishes for a sneedy and comp'ete return to health. The message concluded with the assertion that no jnore popular Ambassador had ever represented the United States in this country, and that none had ever served in a more anxious or critical. timo in tho history of the nations.

Mr Page was succeeded as Ambassador. bv Mr John W. Davies.

The Rev. J. W. Riv.sell, Congregational minister, formerly of Opunake; d'ed at Masterton on Monday from-the effects of influenza. Ho was a single man. aged 40 years.

Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, Bt., whosb father was tho well-known member of the British Houso of Commonfi and a Privv Councillor, died in England n, fow days ago. •Ho married a daughter of the late Mr Henry Faithful, of Sydney, in 1915. _ The heir to the baronetev is his cousin. Mr Fishor Wentworth Dilke, of London.

One of Gisborne's earliest settlers, Mr Bedford Sheriff, died last week at tho ago of 83 years. Mr -Sheriff had resided in the colony for nearly seventy vestrs. Ho was born at Tunbridge Wells. England, and came to New Zealand at the age of eixtoen years, and settled in\he Wanganui district. He joined the Colonial Forces at the outbreak of tho Maori war in Taranaki, and sorved with distinction under Von Tompsky's famous Forbst Rangers, bein" awarded a medal for gallantry m swimming a rivor during an engagement. Afterwards ho settled m Poveity Bay, and was in charge of the old blockhouse, which formed a feature of the town's defences in the Te Kooti troubles. He was for a time town clerk of the borough, and took an active part in tho oarlv volunteering movement in the district, .and yas one of the promoters of the City Band, whilst he was also well known in Masonic circles. He leaves a widow and grown-up family. ,