People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20455, 7 November 1934, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

General Sir Harold Vcalker, of Gallipoli Fame, Opposed the Plan to Land at Cape Helles : The Austrian President Explains His Racial Origin.

QF.XERAL SIR HAROLD WALKER, whose death has just been announced, was not happy until he was removed from staff work under General Bird wood, the Commander at the Gallipoli landing, to the actual fighting. C. W. E. Bean, in his “ Official History of Australia in the War.” says: “General Walker was fifty-two years of age. lie had been educated at Shrewsbury and afterwards at Cambridge, and in his looks and his likings he was the English country gentleman. lie had worked for the past two years as a staff officer in India, but was a man who had little love for staff work. His wish from the first was to throw himself into the fighting. The opportunity came at an early stage, and it was as a fighter that he won his reputation in the A.1.F.” m FAR as is known, only two senior staff officers opposed the plan to land at Cape Helles and make the attack from there. These were Brigadier-General Walker and Colonel White. But during the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Division Walker represented General Birdwood’on the beach, and it was then that he obtained his transfer to a fighting command in the field. “ Colonel Johnson, the British officer commanding the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, had fallen ill. Birdwood signalled that the brigade was to come under Bridges’s orders when landing, and that Walker was to command it. Walker at once went off to the foot of the ridge, which from then onwards bore his name.” sg JJACIAL PROPAGANDA, which drove Sir John Simon to the supererogatory declaration that he is not an Israelite any more than Lord Spencer was an agricultural labourer, has now driven the Austrian President to protest that he is not a Czechoslovak, says the London “ Truth.” The mistake arose through his foreign sounding name of Miklas, which used to

be Niklas, a corruption of Nicholas, generations ago. and now he announces that one of his forbears was a miller in Bohemia but that his grandfather migrated to \ ienna and kept a tailor’s shop, and his father was a clerk in the Imperial post office there. He was also accused of having spoken Czech in his youth, but that he indignantly denies, vowing that he never knew a word of anything except his dear old slovenly Viennese patois. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT is by virtue of his office Commander in Chief of the United States Navy. He did take

command, so far as one destroyer was concerned. on September 15 The President wa s aboard the yacht Nourmahal. owned by Mr Vincent Astor. to watch the first race for the America’s Cup. Among the accompanying cralt which were interfering with the racing yachts in the light wind was

in tne ugnt wind was the destroyer Manley. The President gave instructions for a wireless message to be sent to the Manley ordering her to get out of the way and asking “Are you challenging the Endeavour?” Needless to say. United States destroyer Manley then got out of the way in a hurry. the Duke of Gloucester left England to go to Australia he had a private demonstration of the GaumontBritish equipment’s 16mm or “ suitcase ” talkie apparatus, and ordered the installation of a complete set in his private suite on board 11.M.5. Sussex for his own use. He also ordered a quantity of talkie-films which he selected himself. After a few minutes’ instruction in the working of the apparatus at the private demonstration he showed a surprising knowledge of the tech-

nical side of a miniature talkie set. and in a few minutes was able to work the set single-handed. When he had selected his films the Duke was amused to find that he had chosen ninety-seven, and laughingly took three more at random to complete, as he said, “ his century." After the Centenary celebrations in Melbourne and his trip to New Zealand the Duke of Gloucester is returning to England in H.M.A.S. Australia, the big Australian cruiser to which his private talkie set will be transferred from 11.M.5. Sussex. W W gIXTY YEARS AGO (from the "Star” of November 7, 1874): Elizabeth Graham, barque, from London.—This barque, commanded by Captain J. J. Mordean. formerly of the barque Maori, arrived in harbour this morning fiom London, after a passage of 109 days. She brings 13 passengers, but no immigrants. No sickness occurred on the voyage. The vessel was cleared by the Health Officer at 10 a m. She brings a full cargo and comes consigned to Messrs Dalgety, Nichols and Co. Auckland, November 6.—The Comet, from Tahiti, brings intelligence that two American ships, one named the Mogul, the other unknown, have been burned to the water’s edge in the Pacific. The two calamities present extraordinary features: both vessels belonged to the same American firm and were loaded with coal from Liverpool for San Francisco. Both were burned within a day of one another, and both crews found shelter in the Marquesas. All hands of thfc Mogul were saved, and were nearly 70 days in an open boat. The captain and mate, and one of the boat’s crew of the other vessel were lost, but the second mate brought the other boat safely t 0 i ,-2 lai ; q - uesas - after 22 da '-s' privation and difficulties, being without compass or charts: a small piece of cardboard marked off was the only reckoning used The vessels when burned were nearly 2000 miles trom land.