The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1938. Death of a Soldier

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1938, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST”

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1938. Death of a Soldier

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper

BY the death of Sir George Richardson, New Zealand loses one of its most distinguished wart'.no figures, and a mm whose career illustrated that even in the British fighting services, conservative m they are, it is possible for a man to rise from the ranks to a pc.ddon of high authority. In the service of lire 'Crown, Sir George Riehaidwn rose from the lowest_ ranks as a, gunner to one of the highest. lie was associated with the New Zealand defence forco? at vital periods of their development, and devoted himself unsparingly to the organisation of_ the coastal defence batteries, to which lie was attached on 'coming out from England in 1891. and la er of the Territorial Army, organised when compulsory military training was introduced before tire War. It was fortunate for New Zealand that, when New Zealand soldiers were being sent overseas, it could call upon the services of a , highly-qualified officer who had executive training and experience, and Act did not lack sympathy with the peculiar requirements of an essentially democratic army such as New Zealand placed in the field At the outbreak of the war, as it happened, he was ■aetnaliy attached to the War Office as New Zealand's representative lor the first 18 months of the ■conflict he served with the Imperial Arm* and had a mart in Ural exciting adventure, the Antwerp expedition. IThen, in 1910, the New Zealand Government got him back again, and from then on until the end of the war, and for five years afterwards, until his appointment as Administrator of Western Samoa, he remained closely identified with the New Zealand f orces. As to the wisdom of appointing a soldier to govern the mandated territory, there may perhaps be divided opinions \\ liar cannot, he disputed, however, is the deep sincerity and enthusiasm which Sir George Richardson, applied to, his task. His one guiding .principle was that the welfare of the natives n«t come first, it was ironic, then, that (hiring Ins term as Administrator the hist whisperings of, unrest were heard. How far he utilise , blame through not knowing the native mind; how far th - Zealand Government of the time was at fault, in its general policy particularly as regards civil service appointments; and how tai the Man movement was fomented by local interests which did not have the welfare of the Samoan natives at heart; these are controversial Questions upon which no final verdict can vet be given, significant, however, that even today there is discontent in Samoa. AU sorts of efforts have been made to conciliate native opinion and to improve the position of the natives, but the New Zealand Admn s--1 ration is still unpopular, and it appears now that the Samoans, although a likeable and happy people, are simply not amenable to •the personal discipline required by an ordered form of governme . Whatever was thought at the time of Sir George Richardson s j nnr ] whatever views were held then of the success or otheib i that such judgment has now been Sirtwp.ri bvnassin 0 ' years and modified by fuller knowledge of t e taco. HI, «n subsequent work, too, raised him higher in public esteem. soldierly, ch,™ctenst.cs which might well KdSS every young New Zealand,- as a worthy pattern to follow.