NEW GOVERNORGENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 99, 23 October 1924, Page 3

NEW GOVERNORGENERAL

SOLDIER OF THE VERY BEST TYPE

A COMRADE'S APPRECIATION.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) j LONDQN, oth September.' A General officer, who wishes to be known'as "One Who Knows Him Well," writes an appreciation of the new Gov-ernor-General. This officer and Sir Charles Fergusson were subalterns together, and served together in the early part of the European War. "I think that New Zealand is to be congratulated on her new GovernorGeneral," he says. "Sir Charle3 joined the Grenadiers in 1883; he had just been with his father, the late Sir James Fergusson (who; was killed in the Jamaica earthquake), when the latter was Governor of Bombay (1880-85), and had, presumably, also been with him asa boy, when he was Governor of New Zealand (1873-75); so that his connection, with the Dominion is by no means a new one. , '; "Charles-Fergusson's first war service was with the Egyptian Army, 1896; he had heen adjutant of. the'lst" Battalion; Grenadier Guards, 'and was already a t hrst-rate -soldier. He was, therefore posted to the ,Xth (black) Sudanese .battalion, .and quickly 'smelt powder" at Suakm. He went through the 1896----98 campaign with distinction, and was the only, British officer of his battalion not killed,in the .daring attack under ;bir -A. Hunter Jon Abu.Hamed (1897) ■when both the other officers (Sidney and Fitzclarence) were killed,: with" many more of their men. After the fall of1 Omdurman, he was sent "up the ■' Blue Nile m pursuit/of Ahmed "Fedfl and'his | Dervishes, and was badly wounded in ! an. action: under Colonel: 'Taffy-Lewis jon an island in the river. Later, he was ! appointed" Adjutant-General ■of the | Egyptian Army, and left it in 1903. j \ In tlle so-called 'mutiny' at the Xurragh in 1914 he behaved -with" the I greatest.tact, and his -conduct was'highly appreciated by. the powers that be In 1914 he took his division to France and took part 'in:, all the early fighting, ! earning high encomiums for his division and himself. In the battle of Le Cateau he withdrew the sorely battered division with great skill, and proved" himself an excellent commander, much respected and beloved by all under him,' and never sparing himself in anything connected with, the well-being, safety and supply of his.men.-' ' "Tall, good-looking, and with a charmingly courteous manner, tinned with plenty'of sly humour, I think Charles Fergusson ought to make an excellent .Governor-General. He is full of tact, rigidly upright, and has a tremendous sense of. duty; and he is shrewd enough not be imposed on'; in fact he is a,soldier of the very best type and good at handling men. "He is a sportsman, too, a good fisherman, arid' a,- fair shot, with some knowledge of. boat-sailing. - Not 'horsy' at all, though quite a decent rider. His wife is charming and should be a great -help to him—practical, energetic, mv- ? lcal / esP?, cially 'in ,part-singing), an d t-actful. They have some nice children The youngest boy is a bit o£ a. quaint literary genius, though still *. quits young." LAD,Y ALICE FERFUSSON. The "Bulletin and Scots Pictorial" remarks: "Everyone who knows her is agreed in thinking New Zealand is lucky in having secured.Lady Alice Fergusson. The wife of the new.Governor-General is as thoroughly a Scot as he himself. . . . From all that we hear, ISew Zealanders are perfectly delighted with the appointment, .notwithstanding the circumstances that tlie new Govei? nor-General is,, a soldier instead of a sailor. The ' "Newcastle Chronicle" tells its interested "readers that "Lady Alice Fergusson, a quiet, kindly woman, who can •be a good hostess on occasion, although she never has appeared prominently In social life hi England, has four children, the eldest a:girl, who has been out for a few seasons, and who should be a valuable assistant to her mother in the many duties that will devolve upon her New Zealand bears the reputation of being the most English of all - the peat British Possessions overseas as far as manners, and customs are conicerned. Much gay hospitality goes on in a, climate that lends itself well to outdoor parties, and the daughters of Viscount and Viscountess Jellicoe are said to be quite sorry to look forward to their return home in November." ■ "JAMIEI" T, r '"rhe,, Ranl. bler>" writing in the "Daily Mirror, this week, commented: "Mr James Brown, -M.P., lias, received some of the congratulations offered on the-ap-pointment of General Sir Charles Fe^ gusson to _be Governor-General of New Zealand. Mr. Brown is Labour member for South 11™' and. Sir Charles Fergusson has devoted practically all his time since the beginning of the year to a canvass of that constituency, with a view to contesting it at the next General Election Mr. Brown is sometimes spoken of ! as 'Jamie. ' •