People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19269, 5 January 1931, Page 6

People and Their Doings.

Dwindling Ranks Of Wav Leaders : A Novelist’s Views On Luck : Few Tram pets On The Hills : A Minister Excels At Golf .

THE DEATH of Marshal Joffre (“the saviour of the Marne”) removes another of the great figures of the War. Of those who played a leading part in the world’s greatest conflict, few now remain. A glance over the list shows that death has been busy among them since the Armistice. Since that time, the following have died:— BRITISH. Admiral Lord Fisher (1922). Sir Henry Wilson (assassinated, 1922). Earl of Ypres, 1925. Lord Rawlinson, 1925. Earl Haig, 1928. Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee, 1925. Lord Horne, 1929. . FRENCH. Marshal Foch. General Sarrail. Marshal Fayolle (defender of Amiens). Marshal Joffre. GERMAN. Field-Marshal von Falkenhayn. Admiral von Scheer. General von Kluck. RUSSIAN. Grand Duke Nicholas. General Brousiloff. ITALIAN. General Cadorna. A s WAS INEVITABLE when things were going badly for the Allies in the early days of the war, Joffre was subject to many attacks. For a long time there was dissatisfaction in the Chamber of Deputies with the length of time the German armies remained on French soil, and a very determined concerted attack was made on Joffre as the man responsible. Among a certain section of the Chamber there was a demand for a young military genius, a new Napoleon from the military point of view, without Napoleon’s political ambitions. No one could name this genius, but they were certain he existed, and they demanded that the Government should pick him out without further delay. Only two specifications were laid down—he must be young, and he must have been unknown before the date of his selection. All in good time the hour produced the man for France and the Allies, but he was neither young nor unknown. $p JOFFRE WAS FIRM in his dealings with the politicians, and his consistent refusal to be browbeaten by them led to the charge being made that France was governed from Chantilly, the Great General Headquarters, instead of from Paris. The Chamber asserted that the Government was afraid of the High Command. Moreover, many of the Deputies felt that they were being deprived of their rights in not being allowed to visit the armies in the field at will. Much ill-feeling was aroused against Joffre on this point. He refused to let politics interfere with army operations and would not. give the Deputies any more rights in the field than any other civilian enjoyed.

JT IS SAID that we all have a lucky day. Whether true or untrue Mr Dale Collins, the Australian author of “ Ordeal ” now visiting Lyttelton has some reason for not discrediting the old saying. Some eight years ago Mr Collins landed in London on the completion of a cruise in the motor yacht Speejack, owned by an American millionaire. After he had completed the story of the cruise, which appeared in book form as “ Sea Tracks of the Speejack,” Mr Collins endeavoured to obtain an engagement on one of the London dailies. Having become personally acquainted with Lord Northcliffe during the latter’s travels in Australia, when Mr Collins was a writer of special articles on the Melbourne “ Herald,” he hoped to obtain a position or recommendations through Lord Northcliffe to join the ‘‘Daily Mail” staff. Unfortunately, Lord Northcliffe died a fortnight before Mr Collins arrived in London. He found Fleet Street closed to him so far as a permanent engagement was concerned. For a while he did free lance work. The tide of fortune turned when one evening Mr Collins attended a party where an old Irish lady was telling fortunes by reading the cards. When it came to Mr Collins’s turn, the old lady said, “ I don’t know what profession you follow, but you seem to be doing a lot of little things, when you should be doing one big thing. For example if you are selling pen-knives, you should be selling motor-cars.” On the way home from that party Mr Collins reflected, and before he arrived at his lodgings the plot for ** Ordeal,” Mr Collins’s most widely read novel, was planned. A play based on the novel was later produced in London. 9 9 M R H. G. ELL is very puzzled just at present over the scarcity of trampers on the hills. Conditions during the Christmas and New Year holidays this year have been quite exceptional in this respect, and Mr Ell cannot recall a season when trampers were so few. The weather, he considers, is not to blame, for usually hot weather has the effect of attracting people to the hills. A possible explanation which he has offered is that the return tram fare to the terminus—ls 2d—is too high to compete with the lower rates to the seaside —sevenpence return to Sumner and fivepence to New Brighton. Motorists have been plentiful, but it is unlikely that the trampers will h* ve been scared away by the cars. Whatever the cause, the hill walks are not at the present time attracting people in the usual numbers. sg; M R E. LOW, R.N., D. 5.0., chief engineer Of the ferry steamer Wahine, got much satisfaction, no doubt, on Friday, when the vessel broke her own record twice in one day by making the trip from Wellington to Picton in 2hr 26min. This was an average speed of 21.8 knots. She returned to Wellington in 2hr 21min, an average of 22.5 knots. Mr Low joined the Wahine in 1914 just prior to the outbreak of the war. He went Home on the vessel under Mr B. Profitt. The Wahine served as a dispatch ship between Malta and Mudros during the

Anzacs’ stay on Gallipoli. Upon the evacuation the ship returned to England, and was converted into a minelayer and employed in the North Sea. In 1916 Mr Profitt resigned, and, as the Wahine was manned by naval ratings except in the engine room, Mr Low was promoted to Engineer-Com-mander, R.N.R., and later awarded the D.S.O. It is now over sixteen years since he joined the Wahine, and, in view of his very long and interesting associations with the ship, he has very good reason to be proud of her fresh achievements. Mr Low has the distinction of being the only engineer officer in the employ of the Union Company to receive the D.S.O. In addition he possesses the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. During his long career at sea, and his service in mine and submarine-infested waters, he has never met with any mishaps. 3? J’HE REV C. V. ROOKE, who was runner-up in the Miramar Golf Club’s New Year tournament, which concluded on Saturday, was in his day a noted athlete. As a student at Trinity College, Dublin, he excelled at Rugby football to such a degree that he represented Ireland continuously in international matches from 1921 until 1925. He was the originator of the genuine breakawa}' forward, and was so fast that he used to harry opposing backs from the back of the scrum, but was too good a sportsman to offend against the offside rule. He was also a very fair cricketer in his day, excelling as a wicketkeeper, and he attained such proficiency at golf that he was a scratch man with the Killarney and Tralee clubs, and also with Portmarnock, one of the leading Dublin clubs. Mr Rooke is now vicar of St Thomas's parish, Wellington South. ?£? 1? W J-T*ROM THE “ STAR ” of January 5, 1871.—T0 the electors. Gentlemen,— In the public streets of Christchurch, and in the presence of some well-known citizens, Mr Wynn Williams, without the smallest possible provocation on my part, or any previous communication between us, made use of the following grossly insulting language towards me on the afternoon of the 4th instant:—“There is the navvy who came here to do all our contract works; we’ll have it all out on Monday night.” My sole object in quoting the above to you is this: —I had hoped that, notwithstanding the personal aversion which I was aware Mr Wynn Williams entertained towards me, the ensuing contest for the honour of representing you in the General Assembly might have been fought in an honourable and manly spirit, without any reference to private or personal feeling. Now I am forced to intimate to you my determination not to be brought into personal contact with anyone capable of such conduct, and I have to ask you to excuse my absence from all the meetings called by Mr Wynn Williams, and to support me in my resolve that that candidate shall not attend meetings convened by myself. Edward Richardson.