KENYA’S NEW GOVERNOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19529, 11 July 1925, Page 17

KENYA’S NEW GOVERNOR.

DUTY TO CHILD RACES. (From Owe Own Correspondent.) LONDON, June 2. Sir E. W. M. Grigg, K.C.V.0., C.M.G., D. 5.0., ALP. for Oldham, has been appointed Governor and Commander-In-Chief of the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya in succession to the late Sir Robert Coryndon, K.C.M.G. Journalist, traveller, soldier, courtier, secretary, and politician in turn, Sir Edward goes to Kenya at the ago of 46 with a brilliant record in many spheres. After Oxford he went in for journalism, and joined the editorial taff of The Times and helped to found “The Bound Table.” At that time he was assistant editor of the Outlook. In 1908 he rejoined The Times and resigned in 1913. Ou the outbreak of war Sir Edward joined the Grenadier Guards, as an ensign, eventually becoming temporary lieutenant-colonel, and winning mention in despatches, the C.M.G., D. 5.0., and M.C. During his spell of active service in France he edited the Somme Times, a duty that earned him the nickname “Scribe.” During the visits of the Prince of Wales to Canada in 1909 and to Australia and New Zealand in 1920, Sir Edward served as military secretary to his Royal Highness. He was then private secretary to Mr Lloyd George prior to the fall of the Coalition Government, and in 1923 he became secretary to the Rhodes Trustees. Sir Edward was elected National Liberal member for Oldham in 1923. The Hon. Lady Grigg is the daughter of Lord Islington. Tiio appointment of Sir Edwaro G-ngg creates a vacancy in the representation of Oldham, which, with an electorate of 41 591 men and 30,243 women, retume two members to Parliament. EDUCATING BACKWARD RACES. Addressing a public meeting at Oldham, in connection with Education Week, Sir Edward said that the population of these islands could not live by the produce of these islands alone. It had to seek its raw material, its food, and its markets to a very largo degree in other lands, and these needs compelled a contact with backward races. We had thus gradually developed a double responsibility. We had’ a duty, not only to our own children, but to the child-races over whom our economic needs had c°™: polled us to extend our power. We could not allow our civilisation to prosper by their degradation as the old civilisations prospered on a basis of slavery. conscience of humanity would not allow that to-day. But the fate of the child-races was in our hands; and since we could not .raise our own standards of life without their kelp 1 bringing forth the hidden wealth of their soil we must also make very sura that our contact with them raised them in the scale of humanity in the same measure as W benefited ourselves. . , . That presented another moat searching educational problem which wo could not neglect, which we must solve; and many or our best minds have been at work upon t principles of an educational policy for tne backward races. But the ultimate decision in the policy which we pursued rested upon the democracy here. Our people, who made and unmade their own Governments, must realise the burden cf government in undeveloped lands which rested upon their shoutders and could not % be set aside. SIR EDWARD ON RESPONSIBILITY. He had a personal reason for speaking upon this aspect of educational responsibi y with special emphasis, for he was about t take up an appointment in one of the col - nies where this problem of the backward races was most acute This mean, the abondonment of political work here, and tne resignation of his seat in Parhament. He regretted that deeply for though he had been connected with Oldham for less than three years he was very greatly it, and so was his wife. They vver J 6 orry to have to leave all their friends there who* had been so good to them They we« very sorry, too, to leave their work. In cea^ ing to be one of their representatives in the House of Commons, he would be giving up an honour of which ho had always been responsibility. The difficulties of the task which he was about to undertake “ believed, in some ways oven greater tha those of trying to be a representative Liberal in this Parliament, and they were closely, vitally* connected with our problems here Oldham and Bast Africa wore not very far apart, and he would have that great industrial centre, which he loved fro ™ . bottom of his heart, constantly in mi d tho course of Ms new work in Africa. KENYA OPINION. srssstjfc - S°loa?c 0 e r iy of tM^ strong bant W lt goes°on*'to describe Sir as a personality, and while not hading him as tho man whom Kenya awaits, rrRiJ lrSfa n is°ing A& EfVh’S . b t.~ porta.ft factor in P the immediate future of E At Capetown the appointment is consider ably commented on with much approval, his in the near future.