THE LONDON SPECTATOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19231, 21 January 1926, Page 9

THE LONDON SPECTATOR.

A CHANGE OF CONTROL. An announcement was recently made in the London Times of a change in the proprietorship of The Spectator, Mr. St. Loe Strachey having disposed of the control to Air. Evelyn Wrench, who has been a director of the paper for some years and has been managing director since January 1, 1925, and to his father, Mr. Frederick S. Wrench, for many years a Commissioner of the Irish Estates Commission Mr. Philip Agnew has also taken a holding in the "company, while Mr. Strachey retains a substantial interest and will continue to contribute regularly. Mr. J. B. Atkins, who has been assistant editor of The Spectator for many years, and acted as editor during part of the war when Mr. Strachey v.as suffering from ill-health, has been appointed editor. There will be no change in the policy of The Spectator, which will continue to be independent in outlook.

The Times also stated that the proprietors of The Spectator propose to follow the example, of The Times in formulating a scheme for the purpose of safeguarding future transfers of the controlling shares—the object being to ensure. so far as is humanly possible, that the ownership of The Spectator shall never he regarded as a mere matter of commerce to be transferred, without regard to any further circumstances, to the highest bidder, or to fall, so far as can be foreseen, into unworthy hands. The Spectator will celebrate its centenary in 1928. It was founded by Robert Stephen Rintoul, the versatile journalist who first established its form and character. Rintoul's reign lasted for thirtv years, from 1828 to 1358. when it was succeeded bv the well-known and most remarkable joint editorship of Meredith Townsend and Richard Holt Hutton ; and it was under these two that Mr. St. Loe Strachey learnt the business which he finally acquired in turn just forty years later than they.