In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1926, Page 24

In the Public Eye

Mrs. Annie Besant.

Cable messages received during the present week stated that delegates from thirty-three countries, including New Zealand and Australia, had assembled at Adyar, in India, at the command of and under the presidency of Mrs. Annie Besant to await the coming of a new Messiah, who, she declares, will arrive shortly. Mrs. Besant is an English Theosophist, who was born in London in 1847, the daughter of the late William Pago Wood. In .1867 she married the Key. Frank Besant, who died in 1917, but tho pair were separated in 1873. At that time Mrs. Besant was an ardent freethinker, and she was prosecuted and convicted, together with Charles Bradlaugh, a well-known freethinker and politician of the 'eighties, for publishing "blasphemous" literature. From 1874 to 1888 she worked in dose association with Bradlaugh both in politics and in free-thought propaganda, lecturing and writing pamphlets over the signature of "Ajax." Her increasing tendency towards Socialism of the more revolutionary type occasioned a divergence between them after 1885, which was completed in 1889 by her adhesion to the Theosophieal Society. She founded schools at Benares, and was elected president of the Theosophieal Society in 1907. In more recent years her activities have again taken on a. political cast. As a leader of Indian thought she founded the Indian Home Eule League, of which she became president in 1916, and the following year she became president of the Indian National Congress. She has written extensively on all the phases of thonght with which she has been allied, publishing her autobiography in 1893 and "The Beligious Problem in India" in 1902.

Mr. Eodolphe Lemieux

First elected Speaker of the Canada ian House of Commons in 1922, the Hon. Bodolphe Lemieux was last week re-elected to tho postion by the unanimous vote of the House. Mr. Lemieui, who is a French-Canadian born at Montreal in 1866, was first elected for Gaspe in 1896, retaining the seat until 1904. With a readjustment of seats he was returned for Nicolet, in 1911 for BouviUe, and for Gaapc and Maisonneuve in 1917 and since. He was educated at the seminary at Nicolet, later going to Liaval University at Montreal; In 1891 he became a barrister, and seven years later was honoured by being sreafced a Q.C., which in 1904 became a K.C. Mr. Lemieux represented Canada before the Privy Council in 190-4, the same year becoming Solicitor-General for Canada. Two years later he took over the portfolio of Postmaster-Gen-eral, which he retained for five years, when he became a Minister of Marine. His great knowledge of immigration subjects caused Cabinet to send him to Japan in 1907 as the Special Envoy of Canada to settle mauy questions that had raised a fair amount of feeling between the two countries, to which ho brought about an amicable settlement. When the South African Union was inaugurated in 1910 Mr. Lemieux was sent to that country to represent Canada at the ceremonies which then toolc place. After the Great War he went to France to view the battlefields where the Canadian regiments had 'ought, and while there he signed the accord between France and Canada, whereby Vimy Bidge became the property of Canada for all time. This happjued in 1922, and on his return to Canada he refused the portfolio of Justice, and in 1924 he also declined the Lieuten-ant-Governorship of Quebec. Two books of great interest have issued from his pen, both on legal subjects. Admiral Nikolaus Horthy.

The present complications in Hungary which have occurred as a result of the note forgeries have once again brought Admiral Nikolaus Horthy de Nagybanya before the public. He has been Regent of Hungary since 1920, and is a Hungarian of good family of Calvinist origin. Be entered the naval service in its lowest commissioned rank, and owed his rapid rise to high command during the Great War to the favour of the Hapsburgs. Early in the war he distinguished himself as captain of the battleship Novar, heading several raids on Italian ports in the Adriatic. He was adjutant to the Emperor Charles, and as Admiral and Commander of the Fleet he surrendered, at the Imperial command, the Austro-Huugar-ian fleet to the Jugo-Slavs when Austria collapsed. During the rule of the Soivet in Budapest he organised the Szeged revolutionary troops, at whose head he marched to Budapest after the fall of the Soviet Republic in 1919, and, entering the city, he took over the supreme military command. After the .departure of the Emperer Charles IV. from the country, and on account of foreign complications. Admiral Horthy, in 1920, was appointed Begent, a position which it was decided he should occupy indefinitely or until otherwise directed by the National Assembly. It has been suggested recently that Hungary should become a Palatinate, in which ease Admiral Horthy would lose his power, which has virtually been supreme during the past five and a half years.

Mr. H. L. Collins.

Australia's Test match captain, Mr. H. L. Collins, who is also one of the selectors, is a very versatile cricketer. His is a good, stubborn batsman, a nseful left-hand bowler, an astute an-1 imperturbable captain, and altogether a complacent, genial felow. Australia has but few groat cricket leaders at the present time, and Mr. Collins is only now "winning his spurs." He was vico-captain of the last Australian touring team, and eaptainc-i the Commonwealth eleven in the last series of Test matches in Australia. With this experience there is little wonder that, under present conditions, he has again been selected to lead the side. Thoroughly conversant with English conditions, there is no doubt that the best possible selection has been made. In 1919 he captained the Australian Imperial Forces team in most of their matches in England. Since his return to Australia he has played for New Sonth Wales, taking part in all the most important matches in which his State has been engaged in recent years. Mr. Collins also has a fine record as a |Eugby football player, being a clean, clever five-eighths and a heady centre-three-quarter. He is a wiry chap, rathfir slight in build, and has proved his stamina and pluck on many playing fields, and it ib stated that he has quite recovered from the foot trouble from which he suffered about a JLear