“EMPIRE JACK”

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 63, 8 December 1930, Page 9

“EMPIRE JACK”

Contractor’s Suicide ADVENTUROUS CAREER Rumanian Exploit Over a wide—one might say a worldwide—circle the untimely death of Sir John Norton-Griffiths will be mourned. (He committed suicide over a supposed mistake in figures in tendering for the Assouan dam contract.) His personality was magnetic; his energy abounding: a love of adventure marked all he did, whether in private, business or political life (writes B.G.E. in the “Morning Post”). With it all he had a deep sympathy for his fellow-men, particularly the poor among them. He was not called “? mpire Jack” for nothing, and he was proud of the nick-name. He had a passionate confidence in the Empire, and did all he could to ensure that the Dominions overseas should be people by men and women of British birth. It was while he sat for Wednesburv that he earned the title. There was much distress in the Black Country town, and he started a fund to assist in the emigration of families to Canada. This was philanthropy on a business basis, for the men he helped were expected to repay the'money advanced, lu very few cases did they fail to redeem the debt of honour. A Canadian Incident. He told me some years after he had ceased to be member for Wednesbury that on one of his visits to Canada he received a telegram from the head of a family he had helped in this way, begging him to come to see them in a recently opened-out country in the West. He went at great inconvenience. Arriving at the collection of shacks which formed the village, he found it decorated by little Union Jacks, and two youngsters were on the roadway. They jumped on his car with words and hugs of welcome, and he discovered that they were members of a family of six—the parents and four children —who had been emigrated with the assistance of his fund. When their house was reached the gratitude of the house was overwhelming, for they had all made good, and looked on “Empire Jack” as their deliverer. Sir John’s emotion as he narrated all this disclosed a side of his character not so well known as it should have been. He was a conspicuous and popular figure in the House of Commons, as was shown when his elder daughter was married to Captain Thorpe, then the member for the Rusholme division of Manchester. The young people became acquainted through sitting next to each other in Westminster Abbey when Princess Mary was married. Smoke-room Stories. Sir John was a first-class raconteur, and the stories he used to tell of his adventures in Rumania, on the Western Front, and during his travels in all parts of the world, used to attract many a group of fellow members in the smoke-room on dull nights. Born in July, 1871, he was intended for an engineer, but he left home at .17 and served before the mast. His wanderings in Australia gave him much valuable experience when he, later on, was engaged in large contracting works. He was in South Africa when the Matabele War broke out, and, of course, hurried to the front. Then came the Boer War. He joined the South African Field Force, and was given the command of a squadron in Brabant’s Colonial Division. Later he was captain and adjutant of Lord Roberts's bodyguard, fought in many important engagements, was three times mentioned in dispatches, and gained the Queen’s and King’s medals with clasps. War Exploits. On the outbreak of the Great War he raised in London the body of overseas fighting men known as the 2nd King Edward’s Horse; and was subsequently attached to the staff of the Engineer-in-Chief at G.H.Q. It was in this capacity ' that he initiated the lay-out of the deepmining scheme for the Messines Ridge. It was not. only a spectacular but an overwhelmingly successful exploit—a sort of artificial earthquake; it enabled British troops to walk to the top of the ridge with only a few casualties, instead of the loss of probably thousands of lives. Then came his most famous exploit—the destruction of the Rumanian oil wells and corn stores. It was a matter of vital importance that the Germans should not seize these valuable aids. He risked his life hany times; the most dangerous work he would not entrust to any subordinate ; and he stayed behind so long on one job to see that it was successful that he was nearly caught by the Germans. The Rumanians called him “the Devil of Destruction”; and he earned the title, for when the Germans did enter Rumania they found little that was of use to them. For these and other services he was made a D. 5.0.. and ■' received the K.C.8., as well as Russian and Rumanian Orders. He had all the instincts of a soldier, and loved his army work.