"A BORN SPECIAL."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12193, 17 December 1917, Page 5

"A BORN SPECIAL."

MR A. M. THOMPSON. The recent issue of the ''Clarion.*contains a glowing tribute to tie work done m Russia during the last few months by Mr Alexander M. Thompson, the sped a I correspondent of "The "Daily Mail.'' .Mr Thompson is one of (he editors of the " Clarion," whoso tribute comes from the pen ot another of its editors, apparently Mr Robert Rlatchforvl. lie writes:— A. .U Thompson was sent cfiu to Russia to find out what, was wrorfg-jmd what was happening or like to happen,in that distracted country- Hp was sent. out. by "The Daily Mail " as a Socialist and a man- The " Daily Mail '' chose, the right man. I shall make bold to say, not only that no other journalist has thrown so much light upon thp Russian situation a? tfuv A.M.T., but. that, no other journalist, would have done the work so well. " The Londoner " (in the " Evening Xews ") says it takes a journalist to praise a, journalist, and gives tlie highest, praise to A.M.TVs illuminating messages from Russia. Artl I may say here that, in conversation recently with another distinguished journalist, and author, "The Londoner's" estimate was conconfirmed. " Thompson," said this writer, " has dealt with that, chaos in i. masterly way. He has disentangled all the intrigues and factions for _usHe has made us understand the a-ims ."nd opinions of thf contending factions ; and he has given most remarkable and useful lightning sketches of the more prominent men. In fact it is quite evident, that Thompson, who has never come out into the- limelight, hefore, is a born and practised special correspondent of the. very highest class.

I think thai is true in every word. Our old fri> nd wass t-Mddenly thrown info a political and military chaos in a foreign bind, where he was asked to unravel tangle of plots and factions, of fnl.-elioods, errors, pretences, blunders, treacheries ;<nd intrigues which would have appalled an otdinnry writer. "We kno-.v how modest, and retiring he is; how diflident of his own powers. And yet hj« tackled this herculean labour at once, and "with eonsunimate mnsterv. Swiftly, tcisely, lvith Si charming candour, modesty and humour, he put before the British people the subt-io, sympathetic, and sagacious report of the state of affairs in Russia that has ever heen sent to any foreign paper. 1 am writing at some length of niy old friend's achievement because it is an achievement- as remarkable as useful. A. -W. Thompson has done a hi.g thing . . . and has done it- off his own bat. And he is a '"Clarion man: one of our eriitwrs.

Luck also, luck which shuns s-hy men, has at last looked hi? way. sooner does ho quit Petrograd than ho finds himself once more in a. storm centre, for lie arrives in Stockholm just on the ere of • the revelations of Ihe treachery of some members of the Swedish Government. So there he is again, with another formidable problem io handle, another complex situation to make to us. If A.M.T. is lost sight of nsrain hv th«» Government and ilio newspaper proprietors of Meri'ie England we shall he driven to the unwelcome and unthinkable conclusion that, some of our most eminent men do ot uder-itand their jobs._ AndthaAj ar, Euclid paid, would l> a absttS^>