In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 28

In the Public Eye

Sir Esme Howard. . ■ One day last week it waE announced that, pir, Esrne .Howard was rotir-ing-Vfrbui :the.. office-.of British Ambassador Extraordinary and flenipotwi tiary to the-UuiWl (States, a position which carries. wit.l L.it "a'salary of ii 30,- ---'■• ; OpO a year, ,aud which he lias uo- , ; gold transfers, and other matters ot vital importance to/botb countries. Sir Esnie Howard's career has been a long and honourable one, practically all of it served iri-.thu Diplomatic Corps, but with a short breaii in, 1900, wheu ho^waa soldiering in South Africa during the Boer War. He has occupied diplomatio posts in many different parts of the world, tiis first' independent office being that of British. Consul-Gonera) on the' island of Crete, .from which post he was pro moted to he Minister Plenipotentiary ,at Berno and1 then, at Stockholm. In 1919 ,thfl-British, Government sent liim on, : *-a,special mission to Warsaw, for which purpose .ie was sworn in as a Privy Councillor. Towards the end. o$ the same year, \ and after his return from Warsaw, he received further promotion, and was-sent to Madrid as Ambassador to the Court of Spain,-and U was froni ]iere that Sir .Esme journeyed -when lie received his transfer to Washington, Sir Horace liumboM tak^ ing-up his. duties at Madrid. Sir Esine Howard; was warmly welcomed in the United States; and ho and Lady How,ard have been both socially and diplomatically a great success. Prior to starting out'on «a diplomatic career, Sir Esmo Howard gained a good deal of i political experience during tho period he was seerclnry, to the Lord Lieutcnont of Ireland and to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In -1898 ho married Lady Isabella Giustinani-Ba'n-dini, daughter of an Italian princo, who is also tho eighth Karl of Newburgh in the British peerage, and marrying, a fioman Catholic, ho espoused that faith to' the ceremony. They have five' soiis. ' , Sir Gilbert Garnsey. Many reputations have been made and lost "over what is now I.howji as the "Ilatry Smash," but the mfcn who has. been niost-in the Public Byo in connection... with the trial of Clarence Ilatry, FMmnnd Daniels, Albert Tabor, and John Good-.^^"^l^^-jjj- - fellow Uiso n, I^^BK^^^^Bl ulx a r s°(l witll |^^EkL^_ l:l' iul(': ' l:la been ]|^HHHM|^K "lil Gilbert Cam I^H^^PpHHttkl member of the, I^^KP^M^^^Bi "'^x'on n'r.n of I^BhME^ house, and Co., I^H^l^p '-liartercd rccounI^^K^r l;i nts, of Old. I^^^K Jcwiy. Sir GilI^^^^Hk. 'Sk^Bpf belt, called upon lgg|^™.j_Mß»B!! ijy several Lon-

don banks to investigate the afl'aij's of +ho Hatry group of companies, lias diagnosed and prescribed for So many commercial casualties that he is knowi in Loudo.i as "the business doctor." lie, began his brilliant career as an accountant bypassing, at the age of 22, his'final examination for the Institute of Chartered Accountants,'being'first in honours. In his early thirties he was busily engaged in laying the foundation of liis "pres'ont great reputation in a vital appointment at' tile Ministry of Munitions. \;|le is an expert on the intricate system Aof interlocking directorates and is. reputed 'to know more about i modern industrial development ( than any other business man. Ho is now 45 years old, but really looks teu'yeai younger. _ That is because ho spends most of his spare time in the open, and, iv fact, he only just, misses being a first-class tennis player. In giving evidence against Hatry and his confederates at the Old -Bailey, Sir Gilbert said that on the of JBth September he received a telephone message from Hatry asking to see him the first thing next morning. He met Hatry and his three companions the following morning, and ho told tliem that he had been instructed to carry out an investigation (ft, the books of the companies they wero interested in. Hatry intimated that ho wanted to say something very serious to Sir Gilbert, and proceeded to explain that he and his three confederates had been guilty of serious offences in connection with the group of compair 3 they controlled, and they wished to make a complete : iui emont before the- investigation started. At first Sir Gilbert said he could not believe these stories, but after a little while he realised that they were in oarnest, and that the ifregularitiesthoy had referred to had actually occurred. After Hatry and his companions left, Sir- Gilbert called on the managers of several bauks interested, as well as on tho, Governor of the Bank of England, the solicitor to theBoard of Trade,'the Senior Official Eeceiver, and the Director of Public Prosecutions, and it- was as a result of these consultations that tho public prosecution started, ending with the ultimate- sentencing1 of the culprits to substantial trains of imprisonment. Mr.'Maliatma Gandhi, Becent cablegrams from Delhi announced that Mr. Mahatma Gandhi, leader of extreme Nationalists in India, had declared defiance of the British power in an exclusive interview with a special, correspondent of the .' ' London "Daily rajgg^^^^^—. Express." Mr. 0. J. Ketchum. The • Indian leader Mr" l^H hinted that a trial of strength is at [Hs leS hand. Mahatma H^K. if:^l Gandhi, "the Maint of India," ■^^^^9P^BI l!! a mal' of. many - troubles. Some years igo |^H|r lu-' established a colony of conI^HHHBI^^HK' ' verts . which he calls the Udyoga Mandir.. One of, Iho tenets of this sect is-that-secrecy is a sin arid that uny lapses from rectitude must bo published in. the I official 'organ, which is issued periodically. In the most recent is*me' of. this gazette . Gandhi makes the interesting revelation that one of his cousins has been engaged in a series of 'petty -laTceuies extending over, a period of years, and, woise still, has shown no repentance for his sin.. He even went" so far as to attempt 'to conceal his guilt. For this lv« has been expelled, but it is hoped that ho will I J;urn later, purified. The uext revelation is even mare amazing. It is notb-' ing less fhan a repoit that the wife of the saint has herself been discovered to, have hoarded 201) rupees, a frightful crime in a community where all good? are supposed to be held in common. '"I believed her to have led an immaculate -life," writes her saintly msbaud by way of preface, "but the white surface of these virtues is not without the glaringly dark spots. Impelled by h>r icnse oi' wifply devotion slio hiis, su

far us the world knows, now renounced all earthly possessions, but longing for tlieur. still," persists. 1 believe iremorse to bo gcuuiney She., has^agreed t? withdraw, herself., from the' colony' should any other previous aberration! be discovoi'ud against her, or in case she should lapse into' such conduct again." Gandhi himself to some extent for these lapses in his community, thinking they must be the reflection of some wrong in himself. "What ami to do?" he asked. "Should 1 flee or commit suicide.',or embark on an endless" fast, or refuse to handle public finance or public duty? ... Perhaps it is best that 1 live on in the hope that some day the Udyoga Mandir will justify ila- existence." Sir Ernest Eutucrford. "The greatest experimental physicist! the world has evei\seeu" is the manner in which Sir JJinest Rutheiford was recently described by a fellow-scien-tist. Last week Sir I'Jruest was awarded .li i 1'1. \';A Medul tror services leu dor ed towards been born :at fefjinng O'lov.e,, now Known aa Brightwater, Nelson, iv August, 1871. His parents are still in New Zealand, living at New Plymouth. When Sir Ernest was only five years old the family moved from Spring Grove to Ifoxhil], Nelsdn; and ' a few "'years later made a further move, this time to Havelock, Marlborough. At the Havelock School he won a scholarship which enabled him to atten ■ Nelson College as a boai-dci. In 1889 he won a junior University scholarship, which permitted him to transfer his studies to Canterbury College, starting him upon a scientific career. In four years spent at Canterbury College he attained the highest academic honours possible there, obtaining his Master of Arts Degree with double first-class honours in mathematics and physics. As a reward for his achievements, the University Council awarded him the 1851 Exhibition Scholarship, and so, early in 1595, lie^ proceeded^ to England to study science at Cambridge and to build up a reputation as a scientist which is second to none in the world to-day. Sir. Ernest is known to fame as'the man who discovered atoms which, small as they are, he has managed to isolate and count. lie has devoted himself tJ the study of X-raya and radio activity,, discovering and unravelling many secrets which had puzzled the world! of scientists in past years. For his work and discoveries Sir Ernest has had showered upon him, the principal honours oi' many countries, including a knighthood in 191'- and the Order of Merit in 1920, and to-day ho is looked upon as the world's principal scientist. As a New Zealander ho' has-> brought fame and lustre to the Dominion, providing aii oxainplo and inspiration to every boy in our schools. Sir Ernest Rutherfoid became associa-tcd at the Cavendish Laboratory with' a band of brilliant investigators, and Sir J. J. Thomson was then the director, a posi-. tion to which the New .Zealander has sinco succeeded. After spending some years at the Cavendish, Sir Ernest was appointed to the -Chair of Physics' at; Montreal. .There, in llaboration with Professor Soddy, he put forward an explanation of tho changes which ra-' .. dium and other radio-active elements i undergo., • During, the same period he established (he nature' of the alpharays, which radio-active " substances emit, 'rays which he has since shown arc a most powerful means for investigating the structure of the atom. Returning to England, he ,*egan work which ended in his appointment to the directorship of tao Cavendish. The < laboratory has Jong been a centre of physical discovery, and under Sir Einest it has attracted research workers from all over the world. A couplo of years ago Sir Ernest. Rutherford returned to: New Zoiland to visit his parents, and during his tour, short as it was, ho was the recipient of many congratulations from the people of the Dominion. Viscount Byng of Vimy. Last week it was. announced that Viscount'Byng of Vimy, Chief Commissioner of the London Police, hadi been very jll, but was now on tho road to recovery, and will be leaving shortly for South Africa to recuperate. During liis visit he it to fIHBQMHHM bo the, guest of Sir , Abe Bailey. |HR9HHH, Lord Byng was appointed Chief Commissioner of H^HKHTTS Police iv 1928, :u'd ue imniedi'^^H ulely B et out to 1 restore public conr (idonce in the poW^BL^f^KKl lice by first gainraljSpSipWßE ing for himself iMKr^PBSn^-J the confidence of iV r-itF' s**m^:* jt", the men under his

•'•'■.■". ' r command. :■ On many; a dreary night he Has walked into an out-of-the-way police'station somewhere between Wembley and Limehouse as the night duty men were parading. He has spoken to them in1. i»' brotherly manner,., reminding them of their duty and obligations to the public. There hare ■ been many more similar intimate j touches,, and they hay© secured, for the. new Commissioner, the real, admiration. of the ordinary policeman. Take his day at Scotland Yard. Punctually at 10 a.m. a low-bodiea motor-cju- purrs under the arches into Scotland -Yard.; Out steps,a. brisk military figure, always with a genial smile and a "Good morning" in response to the, salute .of the -policeman at the door. The.Jift carries'the Commissioner to the first floor, where his large, sparsely furnished room overlooks the Thames. The windows are of double thickness, and the door is as stout as that of any safe. Kound the walls are pictures of police gatherings^ such as the champion police boxing teams. When Lord Byng went', to Scotland Yard it was realised quielcly that he was an ideal detective officer; with a natural flair for the work, a unendowed with gifts peculiarly useful iv it. He is a man of the quickest' apprehension^ with the power of close rapid reasoning from--facts, suggestions, or even impressions. He seizes on the essential point almost by intuition.. He is_ marvellously ready in finding the reaJ clue or indicating the right trail. With all this he is the most di6cree't, the most; silent, and reserved of public officials. Someone has said he is as mystery .even to himself. This, to him, inestimable quality of reticence is not unaided by a slight but perhaps convenient deafness which Lord Byng cultivates andyparados on occasions. Little goes out around him that' is not noticed and understood, Without secmiiig to pay much attention, he is always listening -.-and drawing his own conclusions. Subordinates naturally look up .to,such a Joadqr.. Tliey rely confidently on ais advice, Jf"any man can bring the London police system back to perfection a;nd produce a system the methods of which will regain the'fullest confidence of the public, that man is Viscount Byng of A rimy.