N.Z. JOURNALIST.

Grey River Argus, 12 February 1929, Page 3

N.Z. JOURNALIST.

Remarkable Career. There died recently in London, Dr Harold Williams, son of the Rev W. J. Williams, who for many years was minister of St John’s Methodist Church, Nelson. At the time of hisdeath, D r Williams was Director of the Foreign Department of “The Times” newspaper, a post which he had filled since 1922. and the of his life as a journalist is both inspiring and full of riterest. He early displayed a wonderful gift for learning foreign languages, and before he had reached the age of 23 ho could speak French and German fluently, had a considerable knowledge of Spanish and Italian, and had writ ten an interesting thesis on the group of languages spoken by the Pacific, Islanders. About the year 1899 he left New Zealand for Europe, where he continued his studies at the univer sities of Berlin and Munich, the lat ter of which conferred on him the degree of Pr.D. During this time, in order to eke out his scanty means. he engaged in literary work, which brought him into the ranks of journalism, and it was in 1903 that he began to work for the“ Times. ” That journal’s correspondent at St Petersburg l ad been expelled, and the management decided not. to fill his place, but, instead, organised a remarkable news service with the help of Russian Liberal* living in exile at Stuttgartfi and Williams was placed i»n charge of this service and was appointed Special Correspondent of “The Times,” but simultaneously ho appears to have worked for “The Manchester Guardian ” and subsequently for “The Morning Post” and “The Daily Chron icle,” for which last he was Russian eorre'pondent in 1914. By this time of Russian, and could speak the lanae had acquired a complete knowledge -guages of all the Slavonic races. Indeed he was a philological student all his life, and mastered in all 26 lan guages; truly a wonderful accomplishment !

Being in Russia when the Great War began, Dr Williams stayed in that country on behalf of his news paper, which he supplied with authoritative and valuable accounts of military movements and political conditions. He was actually attached to one of the Russian armies, and accompanied a raiding party of CossaeK cavalry which penetrated Hungary by way of Wyszkow Pass. Marrieel to a Russian wife, he enjoyed extraordinary facilities for gleaning information. ami, with Mr Hugh Walpole, the well-known writ r, he organised an I managed a British bureau of information in co-operation with the Russian press. So far as Russian politics were concerned. Dr Williams sympathised with the Cadet Party, of which his wife —Ariadna Tyrkova the first woman to be elected to the Duma, was a prominent member. He early saw the possibility of the Bolshevist movement, and recognised the weakness of Kerensky, who for a short time after the Czar’s abdication, managed the political affairs of Russia. W hen the Bolshevi t revolution took place in the autumn of 1917, Dr Williams and his wife wer e forced to leave Russia, and made their way to London. But when the Russian loyalists endeavoured to restore the Czarist regime, Dr Williams returned to Russia, and, on behalf of “Th e Times” and “The Daily Chronicle ” followed the fortunes of General Denikin’s army till its final defeat. Tn 1921 h c was appointed a leader-writer on the staff of “The Times,” and in the following year became, as previously stated, the Director of that journal’s Foreign Department, a post which he filled till the time of his death. “The Times” described his loss as irreparable, and added: — Not only was his knowledge of international affairs most extensive and accurate, but he had a remarkable gift of sympathy which enabled him to write of them both definitely and without offence, while his origin as a New Zealander alwaj s preserved him from too narrow a regard for the politims of Europe. What most endeared him to those who had the privilege of his friendship was the kindliness of his nature and his self-sacrificing readiness to help others. More than one journalist in London has received carefully disguised assistance from Harold Williams, who gave generously without thinking of his own needs, and lost no chance of helping victims of the Communist tyranny.” Thus passed away at the age of 52, a New Zealander who was an honour to the land of his birth, a man of a most winning (personality, .of whom his wide circle of friends could truthfully say, “He had few enemies, and was enemy to none.”