In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 131, 6 June 1925, Page 24

In the Public Eye

NOTABLE PERSONALITIES IN THE NEWS Charles Ainsworth Mitchell declared last week that Mary, Queen of Scots, was not guilty of treason against Queen Eifcabefti, but that William Maitlanif, her secretary, betrayed her confidence. Mr. Ajitohcll is well qualified to express an opinion on many scientific subjects, but-whether his evidence in such a matter is sufficient to warrant his' verdict is difficult to determine with tho scanty information received in the. cable message. Her defender is a scientific author well known in England, and is an Oxford man of.. somo standing, having graduated U.A. in 1890. lie is also a fellow of the Institute of Chemistry, lie has written many books on scientific subjects, notably "Science and the Criminal" and "Flesh Ecods.". He is editor oP the "Analyst" and a contributor of scientific and literary articles lo "Knowledge," "Chambers's Journal," "Pall Mall Gazelle," "Windsor." and other-journals. In 1902 he translated Toxincs and Anli-Toxines,' a scientific work by a Continental writer, and four years later lie made into English "Dr. Armyou":; Wife," a. play by P. 0. llueckoi". As a recreation he induk-cs in bookbinding, and photography, especially the scientific side of it, "has much to thank him for.

Alanson Bigelow Hough ton. the recently appointed American Ambassador to the Court of Si. James, who was last week ollicially welcomed in London, succeeds Mr. John W. Davis, who returned to the United States to take a seal- in President Cooliflgc's Cabinet. Ho was bom at- Cambridge, Maps., and his family on both sides is of English descent, with generations of New England in tho nearer background. The date of his birth was 1863, so that he ■is" now 62 years old, but, he gives the impression of a man much younger. He is a member of a firm that manufactures glass-at Coming, iV.Y., being of "the third generation of his family so engaged. Since April, 1922, Mr Hnughton had been Ambasasdor to Berlin, where, in tho very centre sore spot of a warriven world, he has had his share in all the delicate dealings which have been involved between Germany and the Allies. In company with the other Allied representatives it has been his task to lay the foundation of a new era of goodwill, of which his prinicpal work has been in connection with the . Dawes plan.. '.'.Mr. Houghton has now left Republican Germany for monarchical England," said the "New York Times" when the appointment was made known, "and when he calls at Buckingham Palace the boots Guards, er tho Grenadier Guards, or the Irish Guards or tho Welsh Guards, or perhaps the Coldstrcam Guards, will make a great military show outside, and on the way down Whitehall to Downing Street to interview the Prune Minister he will find the Lireguards standing splendid-, in shinin" armour at the Horse Guards' Gate. It will all be very different from Berlin, with iv new-found civilian" simplicity and only two very plain-looking soldiers m grey on guard before tho President s house in the . Wilhelinslrassc." air. Houghton was twice elected a member of Congress, occupying a seat at the elections of 1919 and 3923. Ho was at one time president of the Board of Hehgious Education of Western New 1 oik and a trustee of Hobart and St. Stephen's Colleges.

Grettor Algarsson, who purposes starting almost immediately in an attempt to rescue Captain lioald Amundsen, lost in the Arctic a fortnight ago, is a young British Columbian who has already niado ono unsuccessful attempt to»reach the North Pole by way of the air, and was preparing for a second attempt when the news was received about Amundsen, causing him to hurry up his preparations. Ho is a wealthy ;man, and has already purchased the Iceland, a small schooner built in 1874 for the Northern Exploration Company, which he intends to us e in carrying his planes nnd supplies to the Polar regions. The Iceland has .undergone considerable alteration in preparation for her visit .among the icefields of the North. Algarsson is filled with an overwhelming desire for adventure, and is willing to risk his life in any undertaking that offers a ■ chance of wrestling with the elements. On his last venture towards tho North Pole he met with adverse weather conditions and was unable to penetrate much" further than a few miles from the edge of the ice. He waited for some . weeks, but there was not sufficient improvement • tq enable him to carry on, and he returned to his base at Spitsbergen, ultimately going to , England, where he has been laying his plans on a larger scale for another assault on the icefields.

Viscount Allcnby. who recently iclired from Uio High Conimissionersljip of-Egypt, to which l,c had been up. pointed in 1919, holds the l.atoJi of a British Field-Marshal. 13oni in. 386.1, lie joined Hie luniskilling Dragoons in 1882, serving in Smith .Africa during the Zululand opera lions of 1884 and '1888. lie passed through the si.-iff college after 'Ins, but returned to Africa on active service during the Boer War, taking an important part in the relief of Kimberley,-- in the Battle of Paardeburg, and in Lord. Roberta's advance or. Pretoria. Ho made a great name for himself as a cavalry leader, and was promoted, '.o colonel and given a C.B. lie commanded tho sth Lancers in 1902-05, and was. promoted major-general in 1909. Viscount Allwiby went out to France with the Expeditionary Fovco in 1914 in charge of the cavalry division. Hr> took part in the now historic retreat from.-. Mons, the later advance to the Aisne, and Uio first Battle of Ypres. and subsequently shared in the operations at the Somme. In June, 1917. he was selected to command the troops in Egypt and Palestine, for which he was promoted to general. His arrangements resulted in victory, and his troops occupied Damascus and Beirut, and Palestine and all Syria were in the hands of the Allies. His brilliant victories were recognised by his being given the G.C.I?'., and, a/tcr the war, he was promoted Field-Marshal, raised (o Mm peerage as Viscount Alieuby of Megiddp and Felixslowe. and awarded a gran*, of £50,000. His pmvei-.s of organisation, .coupled with his knowledges of Egyptian conditions, resulted in hi* permanent ap-pointment-in 1919 to the High (.Vimmissioncrship of I'iai, very troubled country, which office he lias held to the advancement, of British prestige- and in tho Ijcllennenb of Egypt itself.