MR. HERBERT GLADSTONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14224, 22 November 1909, Page 5

MR. HERBERT GLADSTONE.

THE AFRICAN GOVERNORSHIP. By Telegraph.— Association.—

(Received November 21, 6 p.m.) r . London, November 20. The Daily Telegraph announces that Mr. Herbert Gladstone (Home Secretary in the Imperial Cabinet) has accepted the Governor-General-ship of South Africa.

The announcement made some weeks ago that when the scheme of South African union comes into operation Mr. Gladstone would be offered the GovernorGeneralship aroused a, bitter discussion in South Africa. Many people object to Mr. Gladstone's appointment to the post of Governor-General of the union on the ground that his name was associated with the bitterest controversy in -South African history, namely, that aroused by the action of the Administration, headed by the late Mr. W. E. Gladstone, in 1881, in restoring to the Boers the government of the Transvaal after the fighting at Majuba Hill. The Natal Mercury declared that the choosing of Mr. Gladstone for the office of Governor-General would be the o worst possible selection. It was satirically 'remarked by the Transvaal Leader that Mr. Gladstone's experience with the suffragettes in England would qualify him to handle the Asiatic passive resisters of the immigration restriction laws.' The Johannesburg Star said that if the choice was limited to the present Cabinet they might go further and fare worse. The Times strongly opposed the appointment of members of the Government to the three great positions becoming vacant in India, Canada, and Africa, as had been suggested, and objected especially to failures or nonentities being given the posts.