In the Public Eye SIR HUGH DENNISON. MR. T. V. SOONG.

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1933, Page 26

In the Public Eye

SIR HUGH DENNISON.

MR. T. V. SOONG.

Sir Hugh. Denison, who this week was in the news because of Ms success in a legal action, used to live in Adelaide, and there he was known for his immaculate dressing. He has continued to be one of the best-dressed men in Australia, though the Adelaide days are far behind him now, but his old habits of frankness remain. For a long time before he accepted an invitation to represent Australia in the United States he was associated with newspaper business, and when he returned he threw out hints that the post should be made one ror an Ambassador. It was on November 11, 1865, that Sir Hugh was born at Forbes. He went to school at Scotch College, Melbourne, and finished his education at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, and University College, London. His remarkable business career commenced in 1884 when he joinod the firm of Wright Brothers, Western Australia, contractors for the second section of the eastern railway in that State, remaining with them for a year. ' At the end of that time he joined his father, who was then a well-known Adelaide tobacco manufacturer,' controlling the firm of Bobert Dixson and Co. During this period in Adelaide he was elected to the City Council, becoming one of the youngest aldermen in Australia—his age was then 23. In 1890 he returned to Western Australia, to open a branch of Messrs. Dixson and Sons, tobacco manufacturers, of Sydney. After the death of. his father in 1893 he purchased the Adelaide business, and also the branch in Western Australia. Shortly afterwards he began a brief political career by winning the North Adelaide seat in the South Australian Parliament, and holding it from 1901 till 1905. With the merging of his business into the British Tobacco Co. (Australia), Ltd., in. 1004, ho became managing director of that firm, and ats,o a director of Messrs. W. D. and H. O. Wills (Australia), Ltd. This year also marked the beginning of Ms residence in Sydney. His patriotism and Imperial vision were shown first in his gift of £10,000 to the Dreadnought "Fund, which might be said to bo the inception of Australia's Navy. Later, he made another gift of £25,000 to the Jubilee Fund of the Royal Colonial Institute, an organisation which he built up, practically-single-handed, in Australia. As president of the New South Wales branch, he presented the institute with, a fine building in Bligh Street, and furnished it at his own cost. He has attended many important meetings as delegate—notably the Chamber 'of Commerce Congresses in 1912 and 1924. Also, he was a delegate to the Imperial Press Conference in Canada in 1920, and to the Press Conference in Australia. In recognition of his Imperial' services he was made a Knight of the British Empire in June, 1923. In 1924 he was appointed official representative of New South Walqs at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. In 1910 Sir Hugh Ttalised a longexpressed ambitjon by purchasing, in collaboration with some friends, the plant and property of the almost defunct newspaper, "The Star." This was the foundation of "The Sun," of which he is today managing director. Later "The Sun" purchased the "News" and the " Gu.ardian. >> In his.desixe to found a paper which would "think Imperially" ho also founded tHe! United Cable Service, with the object of supplying Australia with a news service that would be truly Imperial in every sense of the word. Sir Hugh is associated as a director with many other big business enterprises. But it is as an owner of racohorses that he is best known to sporting men, who will always remember the phenomenal record of his horse Poseidon, which won Doth Derbies, both St. Legers, and a year later both the Melbourne and Caulfield' Cups. ' Sir Hugh purchased Posejitrin as a yearling in 1905 for 500 guineas. The horse's total winnings amounted to £.20,000. The' Hon. Alexander Shaw. A visit to Australia by the Hon. Alexander Shaw may foe fraught with importance to shipping. The Hon. Mr. Shaw is chairman and managing director .of the Peninsular and Oriental and British India Steam Navigation Companies, a post which he has held since June, of last year, and his visit is in connection with shipping subsidies. He is'the heir of Lord Craigmyle and a son-in-law of the late Lord Inehcape, who previously filled the post. After leaving Oxford, where he was president of the Union in 1905, Mr. Shaw was called to the Bar in 1908, and practised in the King's Bench Division and at the Parliamentary Bar until the outbreak of the Great War-. He wasgazetted to the Royal Marines Artillery (Howitzer Brigade), served in France throughout the Battle of the Sdramo in 1916, and was subsequently invalided, home. He was then appointed chairman of the special Arbitration Tribunal on Women Munition Workers' Wages., From 1916 to 1923 he represented Kil-' marnoek in Parliament, arid was a' member of many Government commit-! teos and commissions. Since the war he has been engaged in business, in' which connection he was for some years chairman of the Shipowners' Parliamentary Committee, and in 1927 President of the Chambers of Shipping. He has served on the Board, of- Trade, Advisory Council, is one of two "shipping experts" on the Imperial Shipping Committee, and is, a member .of the committee to advise the Government' as to wireless' beacons. He is a director of the Bank of England, and was High Sheriff of the County of London in 1931. He has taken a prominent part in the public discussion of th'o question of war debts and reparations, and is a staunch opponent of Government subsidies for shipping. In all his activities he has shown sound judgment, a high order of financial ability, and notable administration papacity,

The recent acceptance by the Nanking Government of the resignation of Mi T. V. Soong as Minister of Finance and Vice-President of the Executive' Council openly acknowledges that the six-year political and family quarrel between Mr. Soong and his brother-in-law,. General Chiang Kai-shek, is now. irreconcilable. Four times within the past two years Mr. Soong has submitted resignations, but.each time compromises were made and-the resignation withdrawn. However,' when General Chiang started his greiit anti-Communist campaign in Nanehang recently and Mrs.- Chiang went by aeroplane from Nanehang to Shanghai to attempt to persuade her brother to give the troops more money, Mr. Soong reiterated his inability to continue to raise funds, and Ms sister-flew to Nanehang on October 24 carrying Mr.: Soong's resignation; Following futile negotiations General Chiang flew to Nanking, assembled the Central Political Council, accepted the resignation, and; appointed Mr. H. H. Kung, another brother-in-law, as successor. Meanwhile the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, the Bankers! Association, Labour Union, and Citizens' Federation, sent unanimous petitions to Nanking, appealing to the Government to retain Mr. Soong and citing his invaluable services in financing anti-Japan-ese hostilities, his previous anti-Com-munist drives,' raising the United States wheat and cotton loan, and obtaining the League of Nations co-opera-tion in the economic reconstruction of China. The Government replied that Mr. Soong.was still able to serve, inasmuch as his resignation from the National Economic Commission had not been accepted, and Mr. Soong_ is being urged to return to Nanking to continue work. ■ The position of the Premier, Mr. Wang Ching-wei, was ambiguous, he having acted as a Soong-Chiang mediator. In an interview the Premier admitted that the Nanking Government was facing a £2,000,000 deficit, but he hoped Mr. Soong would withdraw his resignation from the economic commission and help to direct affairs. Mr. Kung is a .descendant of Confucius, was educated at Yale, and is now governor 'of the Central Bank of China. He ia an experienced financier. Mr.. Winston Churchill. ' Mr. Winston Churchill, who was the guest of the First or Grenadier Sergeants' (Past and Present) Club at their annual dinner recently, revealed how he obtained his extensive vocabulary. The King, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, sent a reply in response to a loyal message wishing the company a pleasant evening, while the Duke of Connaught, who is Colonel Of the regiment sent similar wishes.. "It is not the first time I have run against the Grenadier Guards," said Mr. Churchill, in proposing the toast of "The Begiment." "I remember in the Omdunnan campaign—(laughter) — when I came down the Nile in a boat for three or four days with a whole company of the First Battalion on board. Now that is where I got my vocabulary. (Loud laughter.) I never lost that firm grip I then got upon the resources of the English language. ' 'Then I also saw the Third Battalion at a small action in South Africa, called Diamonds Hill and I think I saw the Second Battalion when they were under General Bundle in the Eighth Division, when there were very long marches and' very short rations. "Well that experience confirmed my education. So when I was for a very short time attached as officer under instruction in the late unpleasantness to the Second Battalion, then commanded byCplpnel 'Ma'Jeffreys,a gallant officer, ■ who is now holding one of the most important commands in India-— and I am sure doing .all that in him lies to see that we do not lose that important possession of tho Crown —I felt 'well I may not know much about this' particular kind of trench warfare, and! need all the instruction I can get, but .there is one thing I shall feel at home in—l do know the language.' " Mr. Churchill said he was sure that tho .reason why they hjad! invited him there fts their guest was because his ancestor, the great Duke of Marlborough, received his first commision in the TTirst Guards, and was colonel of the- . regiment and commanded the British Armies in which thei First Guards served during the ten campaigns, of. almost unbroken victories on the continent of Europe, They ought to .have Schellenberg emblazoned on the battle honours of the regiment, for half of the officers and men engaged were either killed or wounded, and it was certainly one of the bravest and most -memorable actions of its kind in Europe. "I am not one of those who think that the greatness of Britain is on the decline," he concluded. "I believe that' even brighter days are before us than our old country has ever known. But this generation has.done its duty; this generation can look the young men who arc growing up in the face."