In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 152, 24 December 1926, Page 23

In the Public Eye

Sic Esme Howard. One of tho most famous figures in the British Diplomatic Servico is that of Sir Esme Howard, Ambassador to the United States of America sinco 1924, when he succeeded Sir Auckland Geddes. His career has been a long and honourable one, mostly

served an the Diplomatic Corps, but with »■ brief period of soldiering in South Africa in 1900.. He lias held diplomatic posts all over the world, his 3ret independent office being that of ConsulGeneral for the island of Crete,

later being appointed Minister Plenipotentiary in Berne and then in Stockholm. He went on a special mission to Warsaw in 1919, ami was sworn in as a Privy Councillor the same year. Towards the end of that year he received well-earned promotion, becoming Ambassador to the Court of Spain at Madrid. It was from Madrid that Sir Esme journeyed to Washington to take over his duties as Britain's representative-in America, being succeeded in Spain by Sir Horace Bumbold, nnother figure of equal importance in diplomatic circles. Sir fesme was warmly welcomed in the United States, and lie and Lady Howard have been socially and politically a, great success. Prior to acceptance of a diplomatic post, Sir Esme Howard wan fortunate in gaining a great deal of political experience, occupying posts as assistant secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and an assistant secretaryship to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In 1898 ho married Lady Isabella Giustiiiiaui-Baiidini, a daughter of the Italian Prince Giustin-iani-Bandini, who is also the eighth Karl of Nowburgh in the British Peerage, becoming a Roman Catholic, in which church the ceremony was celebrated. They have .five sons. Sir Josiah Stsftnp. Further reorganisation of the railway services of Great Britain lias brought Sir Josiah Stamp before the public eye during the last few months, he having succeeded Mr. H. G. Burgess as head of the

London, Midland, and Scottish railway, with the official title of "prcsidon t," whereas Mr. Burgess was known as "general manager." Sir Josiah is not very well known in regard to railway matters, upon which subject ho has had very lit-

tlo previous experience, but on statistical and economic subjects ho is recognised as one of the greatest authorities in the British Empire, if not in tho world. .Ho was for twenty-three years in the Civil Service, and became assistant secretary to tho Board of Inland Revenue in 1916, resigning three years later to become director and secretary of Nobel Industries, Ltd. As joint secretary and editor of the Royal Statistical Society he has done much valuable work, and, in addition,, his connection with various universities as an examiner and member of boards of studios at the Cambridge, London, and Glasgow Universities has been very extensive. It is as a writer that he is probably best known in New Zealand, especially among thoso studying' economic subjects or accountancy. In 1916 he published "British Incomes and Property, tho Application of Official Statistics to Economic Problems," which ran into three editions, tho last being published in 1922. "Wealth and Income of tho Uuof Powers" was .published in 1919 followed by "Tho Fundamental Principles of Taxation in the Light of Modern Developments," and "Wealth and Taxable Capacity." Sir Josiah Stamp was a member of the Eoyal Commission on Income Tax in 1919, and was also a member of the Northern Ireland Finance Arbitration Committee in 1923 According to English papers to hand this week Sir Josiah'a new position is something in the nature of a "supergeneral manager" of railways. Lady Cynthia and Mr. Oswald Mosley. A biographical book of some standing in England, containing details of the careers of most of the notable people of Great Britain, refers to Mr. Oswald Mosley, ex-M.P. for Harrow, as one "who has an independent mind and lies spoken with effect more than once in Parliament.'' Mr. Mosley is one of

a number of poli-ticians-who have turned to' Labour ns tho remedial force for tho present troubles of Great Britaiu,und who, connected as he is with all tho Conservative interests that have for so long stood for "law and order," has required a great deal of

moral courage to conic out and openly take his place in tho Labour ranks. In this ho has been backed up by his wife, Lady (Whia. second daughter of tho .late Marquess Gurzon of Kcdlcston, and who herself is tho descendant of a long lino of conservative public men. These young people—they are only 30 and 28—were this week the central figures in tho byelection at Smetlnvick, whero Mr. Mo'sley was striving to.hold a Labour seat held for some years by the late Mr. J. E. Davidson^, against opposing Conservative and Liberal candidates. That •ho was successful in overcoming tho challenge was largely duo to the great fight he and his wife put up against a very determined challenge. Mr Mosley is the eldest son of Sir Oswald Mo'sicy> the fifth baronet of a lino established m 1718, and was educated at Winchester and tho military college at Si?" dl"lrsl;- deceiving a commission with tho 16th Lancers he served through the Great War, retiring when the war was ended and entering Parliament in IJI9 as Conservative member for the Harrow Division of Middlesex. Dissatisfied with tho policy of his party he contested tho seat in 1922 as an Independent, defeating a Conservative opponentby 7422-vot.es. Ho was returned again tho following year, but with a reduced majority, and at the last Genoral Election, in October, 1924 ho did not contest the scat, having then -joined the ranks of Labour. He, hoover, contested the Ladywood Division of Birmingham, and ran the sitting member, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, to within 77 votes in a largo poll of over twonty-six thousand votes, and would probably have won, even against tho vast Chamberlain, interests which -u-u so strong- in Birmingham, but for (he Liberal candidate, who, getting only loS) votes, was sufficient to upset the ■status quo at the time. Lady Cynthia JS herself a Labour candidate for Parliamentary honours, having boen selected to contest Stoke at the noxt election

Sir J. L. Maffey. Recently it was announced by the Foreign Offiso that the King of Egypt had signified his intention, on the recommendation of the British Government, to appoint Sir John Loader Maffoy, X.C.V.0., to bo Governor-General of tno Sudan, in succession to Sir G. F. Archer. Although to all intents and purposes free to do as ho desires

in regard to the appointment oi tho necessary officials in Egypt and tho Sudan, tho king of that, country is under the suzerainty of tho British Government, and a suggestion from England is really in the nature_ of ii command which

is usually obeyed, though there have been several cases in recent years where the two countries have not seen eye to eye. Sir John Loader is a man of great ability in diplomatic affairs, especially in its relationship to tho East. His early training was received in the Indian Civil Service, which ho entered in 1899, being promoted to tho Political Department in 1905, gaining tho medal, with clasp, for his services with the Mahmand Field Force three yearslatev. He acted as Political Agent in the Kliyber from 1909 to 1912, and then as Deputy Commissioner at-Peshawur for three years, when he was appointed Deputy Secretary in the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department. As Chief Political Officer in Afghanistan ho went in 1019 with tho North-West Frontier Field Force. The following year he acted as chief secretary to the Duke of Conuaught during his visit to inaugurate the now Indian Legislature and tho Chamber of Princes, for which he was knighted. For three years he was Chief Commissioner on tho North-West Frontier Province, retiring in 1924. His career has been one of great Imperial importance, and England's policy in relation to India has been largely guided by his observations. He was educated at Rugby, one of the most famous of schools, and one which fosters Imperial sentiment, and later at Christ Church, Oxford. Mr. J. C. C. Davidson. The Prime Minister of England, as leader of tho combined ConservativeUnionist Party recently appointed Mr. John Colin Campbell Davidson, C.8., as chairman of tho party organisation in succession to

the Bight Hon. F. S. Jackson, who has been appointed GovernorGeneral of Bengal. Mr. Davidson, who is Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, represents Hemel Hempstcad in tho House of Commons, for which

constituency he was first elected in 1922, when he defeated Mr. J. H. Clynes, a son of the Labour member, who was Lord Privy Seal in tho Labour Government of 1924. The following year Mr. Davidson was unseated by a Liberal, who won by a narrow margin of 17 votes in a poll of over seventeen thousand. In 1924 there was another swing of the pendulum, and Mr. Davidson returned to tho House with a clear majority of more than three thousand votes over Liberal and Labour candidates. For nine •months in 1923-24 he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and prior to the' death of Mr. Bonar Law occupied several important secretarial positions under that. statesman. Early in the present year the Government wero attacked by tho Opposition, who declared that the disarmament agreement arrived at during the Washington Conferences were not being adhered to, and it fell to Mr. Davidson's lot to reply to the critics. He stated that though" the ■Admiralty were spending some two millions moro than in 1924, it must not be forgotten that new construction was costing five millions moro. He further I declared that' the world had been given "a naval holiday" during the years immediately following the Great Var, { especially in i;egard to submarines. Britain had beeni tho slowest of any country in the world to start building ships of any sort since the war. The time had now come, however, when Great Britain must do what was necessary to produce security, facing the situation as it is, and not as the Admiralty or o,thers would like it to be. "The Navy," he concluded, "is the insurance policy of the trade and lives of the country, and the premium which the taxpayer is asked to.find"is only 2.69 per cent, of-tho whole value of overseas trade.'' General Yon Seeckt. There arc not many of tho.great commanders of tho German armies of the war years still occupying a prominent place in the lifo of tho Fatherland, the main exception being tho case of General Hindcnburg who occupies the Presidency. One by one, like ripe fruit,

they tave dropped from the tree of political or military preference, to become forgotten by all except their immediate friends. One of the last of the war generals to be deprived of office is General yon Seeckt, who, until a month ov two a.go, was

commander of the Reiehswehr. In February of the present year he ceased to have the chief command over the various army groups under tho Beichswehr scheme:, his duties merely becoming those of military adviser to the Minister who'■will in future control the military, destinies of the country.' Thjs change, together with tho dissolution of several illegal military associations', and the reorganisation of the Police Force, practically closed Inter-Allied Military Control, those functions passing to a special Commission set up by the League of Nations. During the Great War, General Yon Seeckt held the position of colonel, and .in 1915 he was appointed Chief-of-Staff to General Maukenscn, Commander-in-chief of the Eleventh Army on the south-east Prussian Front facing the Russians. Tho conduct of tho war, so far as its early stages were concerned, was largely a contest of wits between Himlenbnrg and Ludendorff on the one hand, and Mackensen and yon Sceelit on the other, and eventually . Marshal -Falkenhayn accepted the proposals of the latter, which included concerted movements on all fronts at tho one moment, plans which . eventually broke down, however. When the Nationalist Party was anxious to find a successor to Herr Ebert, as President of Germany, and finally decided to support General yon Hhideirburg, General yon Seeckt was very severely c--ti-ciscd for his failure to give the necessary support to the proposal, but possibly tho bad feeling engendered during the war still rankled.