People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 6, 8 February 1906, Page 10

People We Hear About

Seven out of the thirty Nobel awards have gone t» Germany— a fact which sets it first among the nations ; but Poland, whose nationality is supposed to have been obliterated by thq partition of its territory among Russia, Austria, and Prussia, makes, all things consi-' dered, a more remarkable showing, since the prize ior idealistic literature this year goes to Henry Sienkiewics, author of the immortal triology, ' Fire and Sword,' ' the Deluge,' and ' Pan Michael, 1 commemorating the struggle between his country and Russia, and<q»uo Vadis,' which made him a citizen of the whole world of literature ; while the first woman to receive a. Nobel prize was a Pole, Madame Curie, the discoverer of radium. King Christian of Denmark, who passed away lastweek in his 88th year, was an interesting personality,, not by reason of the power 'he exercised, which was indeed very ihrttle,, as by reason of his connection with, many of the European Royal families. He was father of Queen Alexandra, the King of Greece, and the Empress Marie of Russia, grandfather of the King and Queen of Norway, the Czar of Russia, and the Prince of Wales, father-in-law of King Edward, and had remoter connections innumerable. The Crown Prince Frederick, who succeeds to the throne, was born on June 3, 1843, and is consequent^ in his 63rd year. He was married on July 28, 1869 to the Princess Louisa daughter of King Carl XV. of Sweden and Norway and his second son, Prince Karl, was married to H R H Princess Maud in J896. ' ' Mr. Lloyd-George, President of the Board of Trade in the new Liberal Ministry, is fond of telling a story of a meeting at Flint?, at which Ins chairman said • ' I hafi to introduce to you the member for Carnarvon. Boroughs. He has come here to reply to what the Bishop of St. Asaph said the other night about Welsh disestablishment. In my opinion, gentlemen, the Bishop of St Asaph is one of the biggest liars in creation- but he has his match in Mr. Lloyd-George ! ' The President of the Board of Trade is a frail, nervously energetic little man, with the true Celtic temperament • his speeches vibrate with passion. But the guerilla 'warfare in which he has distinguished himself must now give place to official moderation and caution and he will probably sigh at times for the freedom of Opposition. rtr Nine of the 33 cities ol Massachusetts, includingio S np Capi i / TIUT lU have mayors with Celtic names during IJUO ; but of these only one is a native of Ireland the others being American born. Five have been elected lor the first time and two re-elected, while two were chosen last year for terms of two years each. AH are Democrats. The new mayors are— John F. Fitzgerald of Boston ; 'James H. McMahon, of Fitchburg ; Joha P. Kane of Lawrence; John B. Tracey, of Taunton - and Dr. John T. Duggan, of Worcester. Those re-elec-ted are James B. Casey, of Lowell, and Theobald ML Connor, of Northampton. The other two are John T Coughhn, of Fall River, and Michael F. Dwyer of Medford The above list includes the three youngest chief magistrates of the State, Mayors Casey.^S years old - Connor, dl ; and Coughlin, 33. r Mr. Henry Labouchere's retirement robs the House of Commons of one of its most amusing and most useful figures That combination of Radical politician, man of the world, and genial cynic was irresistible^ whether in the House itself or in the smoking-room^ where Mr Labouchere was for years a raconteur favl ored by all parties The nephew of the first Barois Taunton, he entered life in the diplomatic service There are many stories of his superb nonchalance as an attache, but he soon tired of diplomacy. He followed! an American circus through Mexico, and acted as cashier, when all the receipts used to he in oranges He was the correspondent of the ' Dany News ' the • besieged resident' shut up in Paris in 1870. *Mr Labouchere was returned for the Royal Borough of Windsor as > ?h^ wm" f A 6A 6 i° ined Mr - Edmund Yates in It i H?i d>^° /T hlCh hG was Cit ? edltor ' a *"l then l£Z 7 ii r fi ÜBJ\U B J\ m ° St successf » l weekly journal ever seen In 1880 he was returned with Mr. Bradlaugh for Northampton, being selected, as he used to relate afterwards, to represent the l moderate Liberals ' He hasever since been known as an ardent Radical He* was the person to whom Richard Pigott came to confess thathe forged the Parnell papers.