SIR HUGH CLIFFORD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20391, 21 October 1929, Page 11

SIR HUGH CLIFFORD.

RESIGNATION OF OFFICE.

CAUSED BY WIFE'S ILLNESS.

(Received October 20, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, Oct. 19. Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements, and High Commissioner for tho Malay States, has asked permission to resign from his office, on account of the ill-health of Lady Clifford, and he will return with her to England. The following cablegram has been sent by the Colonial Secretary, Lord Passfield, to Sir Hugh: " I am commanded by the King to inform you that he accepts your resignation, and is much distressed to hear the reason which has necessitated it. The King much appreciates the long and distinguished services which you have rendered to tho Empire.

Sir Hugh Clifford has been Governor of the Straits Settlements since 1927, prior to which he was for two vears Governor of Ceylon. He married in 1910 as his second wife, Mrs. Henry do la Pasture, who is well-known as the author of many novels, including ' I eter s Mother," " The Lonely Lady of Grosvenor Square," " The Tyrant, and " Erica," and several plays. Sir Hugh was horn in 1866, and entered the Malay Civil Service in 1833. He did uood work on many missions in the East, and in 1903 was appointed Colonial Secretary of Trinidad and Tobago. In 1907 ho was appointed Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, and on various occasions administered the Government. Ho was Governor of Nijina, 1919-25, and then leturned to Ceylon as Governor. On several occasions he was specially thanked for his services. He has written much on lifo in the tropics and the East, including "In a Corner of Asia," " Tho Downfall of the Gods," " The German Colonies," " A Prince of Malaya," and with Sir Frank Swettenham wrote a Dictionary of the Malay Language. His only son was killed in the war.