TRAVEL OF THE EMPIRE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 80, 1 October 1924, Page 3

TRAVEL OF THE EMPIRE

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR JOUR-

NALISTS

SIR EOBERT' DONALD ENTER.

TAINED.

(FKOII OCR OTVK CORRESFOK'DENT.)

LONDON, 7th August. • At a luncheon given by the Empir« Press Union, Sir Robert Doflaid (chau> .man of the Council of the Union), recently knighted,' was the chief guest. In reply to his toast, Sir Eobert announced that, thanks to a generous offer by Lord Marshall, it was now possible to finance travelling . scholarships . ..fop journalists, in accordance with a resolution_ passed at the. second Imperial Press1 Conterence at Ottawa in ■ 1920. There were, he said, such scholarships tor every profession- except-journalism, winch needed it most. No journalist ra nt to be a journalist unless he knew some other country than-his own/ Sir fiobert told,, of the difficulty that had been experienced in ' starting "• the scheme, and. announced, amid cheers, that Lord Marshall had'offered to give a travelling scholarship for three years A. sum of £8000 was' required to establish the scholarships permanently Ha spoke of the advantage he had gained from travel, and instanced the Piime Minister, who was also a journalist forsome years, as another example. Mr Mac Donald had been round the Empire several times, and probably, had-a- more intimate knowledge of. the Empire than any man who had ever been Prime Mini jster. . •*- •

-'I attach great importance to this scheme/ said Sir Robert D6nald;.speaF; ing at a private interview, "on account of the first-hand knowledge of Empka problems it would give to our buddin'S journaliste. . The United States is in" eluded in the scheme, as" it'"is equally necessary that they should have a "ood knowledge of America. I think it is preferable for the holder of the scholarship to go to one Dominion or country, rather tlian pay flying visits.to several and on ,his return to England he could specialise in work connected with the Dominion ho' has visited. The more British journalists who have a knowledge of the Dominions the better." •

BOTH SEXES EXIGIBLE.

Candidates for the scholarship, Sir Robert explained, may. be of either sex under thirty years of. age, .and.must.be without sufficient means to provide them with an equivalent course. Preferably, they should have taken a course in journalism at the University of London, or some other British University. They must satisfy the trustees in respect of their health and educational qualifies- - tions, and of their freedom fromiectioria-L" politics and propaganda. There .would be no objection to students -contribntiiv articles to newspapers en route,-but the° should not seek employment either on a resident staff or as a' travelling correspondent during -the tenure of the scholarship. The £400 would be paid quarterly in advance, and on their return _to England the students would bts required to produce a -report, or thesis embodying their individual researches oiconclusions. To start three travellin<students a year, it would be necessai-v to have a fund sufficient to produce an annual income of-not less than £1500.

TRUE SERVANT OF EMPIRE,

Lord Burnham, VEo presided at the luncheon, said that Sir KoberfDbnald'3 career, which he reviewed, showed that, he was a true servant of Empire, even as he was a true servant of the British public.

Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., claimed to have created Robert Donald. If he did not give him his first job in London, ho gave him one of his first. He (Mr 0 Connor) had created many famous mcii in Fleet street. Mr. Bernard Shaw was the first. "How little I realised " remarked Mr. O'Connor, "when I was paving Mr. Shaw £2 10s a week, whit "a terrific Frankenstein I was making " (Laughter.) Sir Robert Donald's career had been one of unbroken consistency and integrity. His work had been mainly professional,-but he had done much public work, and his service towards Die improvement of Imperial communications, telegraphic and wireless, was tha< of an Empire-builder. In the ieco<T.i tion now given to Sir Robert Donald, they saw the recognition of the <rreat" position to which journalism, had attained in the half-century: that the speaker had lived through in\the profession