In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 45, 22 February 1930, Page 28

In the Public Eye

iliss J. I. Howard, Of all the peopli ticipated in the di brate the opening rlustries Fair s.t tl London, none attrai tion than did Mis

i. le who lecoiitly parliimer held, to celeof the British In:he White City, in icted greater attenss Margaret Bondfield, Minister of Labour in the present British Cabinet, and Miss Jean Iris Howard, AgentGeneral for Nova Scotia. It was the first occasion on which women had so participated officially. Miss Howard has been resident in London practically all her life, John Howard, was re her. Mr. Howard Cth March of last occupied tho post to his country for iter tho funeral Miss by the Government carry on tho work he was, at the time, about doing so and g reply:—'' Women c work of an Agentvell. I have helped y years, and always l he was away. But apped in tho social n office of this kind, :pted by everybody^ is at which Nova represented, but it 3ented because, as a lot be invited. I tinue in this work, it would be fair to June of last year Few Brunswick conIslimcut of a joint th an Agent-General provinces, but nothgard to the matter, remains tho London [ova Scotia. She is

ns her father, Mr. .^.gent-General befon vied in London on year, after having *.£ Agent-General t thirty-six years. Aft Howard was asked i of Nova Scotia to of her father, but sli somewhat doubtful : made the following can do the execuijive General perfectly w> my father for many took hia place when n, woman is handica work attaching to at for she is not aecej There are function: Scotia should be r would not bo represi woman, I would in should love to cont but I do not think i Xova Scotia." In Nova Scotia and N< sidered the cstablis office in London, wit to represent both p; ing was done in reg nnd Miss Howard n representative of N< now 36 years old.

Baron Tomosa'buro' Kato.

"He is an ambiguous man, this Admiral'Kato. He carries a sharp and shining sword in Ms hand,, but has peace on his lips." In these words Mr. C. A. Player referred some years ago to Admiral Kato, who during the past few days, in the course of an interview, outlined Japan's naval policy for the benefit of the world. As Chief of the Japanese Naval General Staff his words carry considerable weight, and, at the same time, they bear out ■ the remarks of Mr. Player, written nine years ago. Baron Kato is now 7a years old; but the wisdom of 172 years is on his bony countenance. He seems like any one of a million Japanese* until he speaks, then the sharp, strongly-featured face of the man expresses to the listener the great personality within. Like many Japanese statesmen, his face is a mask of medievalism, beneath which his Eastern clothes seem entirely inappropriate. To the onlooker the black coat should become a flowing robe, a ribboned tuft ' should appear at the top of his skull, and a slow-moving fan should appear in his hand. There is no superfluous courtesy about the man, but he has a cool polite-.ess coupled with a shrewd appraisal, held in check by practised discipline. He is the man who has defined Japaneso naval policy over a great number of years, and he has, too, led determinedly the fight against that form' of Japanese imperialism which made for suspicion in other lands. Ho has also stated that Japan would accept nothing but equality where naval parity is concerned, and that Japan's naval construction policy was only born of imperative necessity. Admiral Baron Kato is one of the dominant figures in the present naval negotiations, though ( he is not ono of the actual four delegates taking part in the discussions, acting only in an advisory capacity. He does not believe that it is possible to separate Japan's naval armament from Japan's Pacific policy, and he has said so, but above all he desires to maintain the peace of the Pacific. Ho believes that Japan's best chances of expansion are towards Manchuria and Siberia, and not in the lands bordering on the Pacific. This being the case, he should be a power for peace in the eastern seas, for, though a seaman by training and virtually the mouthpiece of Japa^e naval policy, lie sees the betterment of his country as a result of trade and peaceful penetration, rather than by sword and gun. '

M. Andre Tardieu.

A new star arose on the French political horizon in 1927 when M. Andre Tardieu first came into the Tasman Sea are in any way responsito the long line of Prime Ministers ■who have made themselves so well known in Europe, and, for that matter, throughout the -~jZ — j,_^^ <T7 world. He is,an ■■Hlls' HI a* diflerenttim.es, ' ■■ ' ' —"" High Commissionei- to the United States. During the- present naval deliberations he has been the mouthpiece of France, and last week he made an announcement in regard to several matters of naval importance to the Five Powers now in conference. -M. Tardieu 'a sudden leap to fame as the logical euccessorto ths office of Prime Minister uanio with a feat which was hailed all over Franco as little short of mar■rellous —talking France's 318,000 miners into accepting lower wages. When he was called to the Ministry of Public Works in M. Poincare's National Union Cabinet, at the latter end1 of 192G, there was considerable political excitement. Ho was known as M. Olemeneeau's satellite—first lieutenant of the old Tiger, whom Socialists, Radicals, and imany members of the Sight defeated for the Presidency in .1919 because they accused him of making a bad peace treaty for Franco. is. Tardieu Js past associations with the Tiger tarred him with the same brush so far as his political opponents were concerned, -and it was not until it suddenly dawned' on the country that he had accomplished work that has' had far-reaching effects in bringing about a general economic stability, did anyone seek to applaud him. M. Tardieu's solution of the vital coal problem suddenly raised him to be the "second man in the country," and ho was hailed as the logical successor to 31. Poincare, which actually proved to be the case, though once again the political horizon of France has become clouded, and. this-week M. Tardieu was

defeatc-d and compelled to resign. It was not, however, as a result of his policy that his. resignation was sent in, but because his Finance Minister, M. Cheron, insisted upon a certain form of taxation. Of middle height, with a smiling countenance and grey eyes which gleam behind his pincenez, M. Tardieu never forgets that his chosen vocation was that of a journalist. He is never so happy as when he meets his colleagues of former days with whom he can chat about newspapers and newspaper men. Foreign correspondents who have interviewed him always say that about threequartcrj of their conversation has been spent in discussing journalism and journalists, rather than the questions they had intended putting to him. He combines with an unusual capacity for work a boy-like love of a good joke and of laughter, and this has often stood him in good stead, especially with British statesmen, who get on very well with him.

Squadron-Leader A. H. Orlebar. Although there is a continual craving in these days for speed and yet more speed, very few people know much about the men who hold phenomenal records for air travelling. Much has been written about Sir Henry Segrave, Captain Malcolm Campbell, and Ka3re Don, who have each made speed history so far as the ground is concerned, but when it conies to the airmen who risk their lives in order to demonstrate the speed possible through the atmosphere, very little is

known about them. One of these mystery men is Squadron-Leader A. H. Orlobar, A.F.0., who almost came out of nowhere, so far as the public is concerned, to break the world's ajr speed record by travelling at 357.7 miles per hour at Calshot last September. It was stated in the cables this week that this record is shortly to be assailed, but by whom has not yet been divulged. SquadronLeader Orlebar is 33 years old, and was born at Higham Ferrers, in Northants, England. Educated at the famous school at Eugby, he began his Service career at the age of IS as a second lieutenant in the sth Battalion of the Bedfordshire Eegiment. He was seconded to the Eoyal Air Force in 1916, graduating at the Central Flying School. On the formation-of the E.A.F., he was graded as captain, but in 1919 he was given a permanent air commission as a flight lieutenant, ■ and it was not until 1928 that he attained his present rank. Squadron-Leader Orlebar had three periods of service in France during the Great War, and during the second, in March, 1918, he received a gunshot wound in the right knee. In 1920 he was appointed to the Aeroplane Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath, and at the end of tho following year he received the Air Force Cross "for valuable flying service in times of peace." He qualified at the Staff College in 1925-26, and afterwards was employed on Air Staff duties in Irak. As a "speed merchant" he stands side by side with Kincaid, d'Arey Groig, and other heroes of the air. Viscount Chelnisford. The announcement made by the Duke of York recently at. tho dinner celebrating the inauguration of the British Industries Fair, that a committee had been appointed to' consider the extension of the fair, brought into the Public Eye Vis- . MMMgIM^M^MMMIMm ..—.. COUllt ChelUlS- . nmJiffT of the second Baron of Chelnisford, and was cioated a Viscount in 1921. Ho was Governor of Queensland from. 1905 to 1909, occupying a similar office in New South Wales from the latter year until 1913. During part of the second period he acted as Gover-nor-General of the Commonwealth, and was Viceroy of India from 1916 to 1921. In 1924 he became First Lord of the.Admiralty in Mr. Eamsay MacDonald's first Labour Cabinet. As a member of the House of Lords he has had considerable Parliamentary experience, besides having served on the London School Board and on the London County Council. It is claimed for him that he possesses sound commercial ability and that he ia an influential figure in Imperial counsels. During his period as Governor of Queensland and New South Wales he made himself populai\with all classes. While Governor of Queensland ho was the central figure in a constitutional crisis. The Premier of the day, Mr. Kidston, had with him in the Legislative Assembly 24 members, and there were with him in the Coalition 17 Labour members, 41 in all, as against the Opposition's 31. The Legislative Council rejected two measures sent up from the Lower House, one to abolish postal voting and tho other to establish wages boards. Tho Governor refused to give an assurance that if the Upper House persisted in opposition he would sanction the addition of sufficient members to overcome the opposition. Mr. Kidston accordingly resigned, and the Governor sent for Mr. Philp, Leader of the Opposition, to form a Ministry. Mr. Philp did so, but a majority of the Lower House refused to grant him supply, and also refused to grant the adjournment of the House. The Governor then granted Mr. Philp a dissolution, but the Kidston Coalition was returned triumphantly at the General Election which followed, winning 47 out of the total of 72 seats. He is stated to be very democratic, and it is told of him that when touring the farwestern portion of New South Wales with Mr. Alf. Gidden, who was then Minister of Mines, and a very aged man, he addressed his grey-haired Ministerial companion as "Dad."