“MR A”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 December 1924, Page 5

“MR A”

WHY NAME WAS KEPT SECRET. PRO-BRITISH ATTITUDE. ROMANTIC STORY. BY CARLE—PaRSS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT. ' „ LONDON, Dec. 3. ihe so-called Mr A is Sir Hari Singh. Sir Hari Singh is a son of the late General Raja Sir Amar Singh, and the aaopted son of Pratab Singh, who* is sixty-four years old and the ruler of Kashmir. Sir Hari Singh is respected and trusted as being strongly pro-Bri-tish. He was only 24 years old when he committed the folly which brought him into the limelight. The Daily Chronicle says he is a man of gentle manners, refined and reserved. He speaks English fluently is widely travelled, and well read. The efficiency of the Kashmir armv of which Singh, who is acting Maharajah, m Commander-in-chief is largely d U e to his personal care. He came to England in 1919, and was received by the King at Sandringham m May and by the Prince of Hales at St. James’Jßhlace m Decernber, just before he to Paris with Mrs. Robinson

t Express states that the India. Omoe removed the embargo on the identity of Sir Hari Singh owincr to a number of protests from ruling Maharajahs against the secrecy, which has given rise to rumours very damaslng and cruel to ruling Princes. The Maharajahs urged Lord Birkenhead (Secretary for India) that the ordinary procedure should be followed, and Mr A s name published. It is recalled that the Gaekwar of Baroda was named as thooo-respondent in a divorce suit in i fV and ;. t,,e name was given publicity at the time, though the Prince was not held answerable in the courts Pratab Singh, owing to his health delegates most of his official duties to tor Han Singh, who is acting Maharamh and maintains a big racing stable He has a private cricket ground, a first-rate cricketer. When in Eng” land m 1919 he travelled with a full retinue of court officials The Daily Herald says: ‘’According to a correspondent who has just come fiom India, the reason the Governnient tned to hide Sir Hari Singh’s identity is perfectly clear to anyone wUh the situation in Kashmir. Pratab Singh is aged. He has not- a high opinion of his nephew-, and has been anxious to adopt a son who would become heir to his estates and liis throne. Tins the Delhi Government lias anxious to prevent, but it has S" iH Mah f ra i ah by no means pliable, and fears he may nominate a successor of a temper like his own. instead of a wealthy young gentleman, who prefers the civilisation of Europe to Ins native hills, and who would thus to X l€r «f° ln -f nase - Pratab his capLl raiUray t 0 be extended

■nS 1 rJ ndla - n ! correspondent of the Daily Chronicle says Sir Hari Singh is ? nnce ‘ He encourages Kashmir to adopt modern ideas of transport, education and sanitation!, SENSATION OF THE DAY. NEWSPAPERS INUNDATED. REASONS FOR. SECRECY. , p , r , LONDON, Dec. 4. J-he disclosure of the identity of Mr. ii r ® malns the sensation of the day all the newspapers publishing striking and columns of descriptive _ Many journals at the conclusion of t-ie Robinson trial commented on the unwise attempt at concealing his identity, and several return to the subiect this morning. The Daily Chronicle, for instance, says that concealment was dangerous m principle and impolitic in practice because the secrecy was valueless unless permanent, and there' was no prospect whatever of maintaining it permanently in this instance. speculation as to why seereev was at nrst insisted upon is increased by the India Office s intimation that reasons of btate no longer exist. Apart from the ® r ,f fe . renee to protests from the Mahrajahs m India., it is suggested that the internal political situation of Kashmir rendered concealment most desirable.

A writer in the Daily Chronicle 'affirms that the aged Maharajah of Kashmir is a strictly orthodox Hindu,, spendmg much tune daily in praver and meditation ,and it was hoped to save lnm from pain and anxiety bv the exclusion of Sir Hari Singh’s name. It is. also stated that the Maharajah a few years ago was obliged for religious reasons to adopt a youth belonging to his family as a son, it being necessary for the last offices and to offer the appointed sacrifice at the time of his death. It is not inconceivable, therefore, that it was considered undesirable to risk oistrubing the relations, involving sue--essmn. existing hitherto between the Maharajah and his nephew in view of the latter’s friendliness to Britain. Another reason less complicated is the report that Sir Hari Singh’s at--11/,arice essential for the purpose of the pending prosecution. which might otherwise be ahoritive, since the qn~es tion of what influenced him to part with the monev can onlv be elucidated bv direct evidence, which he alone is able to give.

AIDE-DE-CAMP’S ARREST. ALLEGED VICTIM OF BLACKMAIL n t Barts, Dee. 3. Captain Charles Arthur’s extradition cannot occure for at least a week. His counsel is hopeful that he will be a lie .to prcve.'i t the aide-de-eamn’s ex-+-’-aditio.n. He <W-]ar es that Arthur is the victim of blackmail, and is an . Ro had already lost about hair a million francs.