TRAVEL OF THE EMPIRE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 October 1924, Page 7

TRAVEL OF THE EMPIRE

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR. JOURNALISTS. LONDON, Aug. 7. At a luncheon given by the Empire Press Union, Sir Robert Donald (chairman: of the • Council of the Union), recently knighted, was the chief guest. In reply to his toast, Sir R'obert announced that, thanks to a generous offer by Lord Marshall, it was now possible to finance travelling scholarships for journalists, in accord” ance with a resolution passed at the second Imperial Press Conference at Ottawa in 1920. There were, he said, such scholarships for every profession except journalism, which needed it most. No journalist was fit to be a journalist unless he knew some other country than his own. Sir Robert told of the difficulty that had been experienced. in starting the scheme, and announced, amid cheers, that Lord Marshall had offered to give a travelling scholarship for three years. A sum of £S()0 was required to establish the scholarships' permanently. He spoke of the ad-, vantage he had .gained from travel, ami instanced the Prime Minister, who was also a journalist for some years, as another example. Mr. MacDonald had been round the Empire several times, and probably had a more intimate knowledge of the Empire than any man who had ever been Prime Minister. “I attach great- importance to this -scheme,” . said Sir Robert Donald, speaking at a private interview, “on account ot the first-hand knowledge of Empire problems it- would give to> our budding journalists. The United States is included in the scheme, as it is equally necessary that they should have a good knowledge of America. 1 think it is preferable for the’holder or the scholarship to go to one Dominion or country, rather than pay flying visits to several, and on his letiirn to England he could specialise in work connected with the Dominion lie has visited. The more British journalist* who have a. knowledge of the Dominkms the better.” BOTH SEXES ELIGIBLE. Candidates for the scholarship, Sir Robert explained, may be of either sex under thirty years of age, and must, be without sufficient means to provide them with an equivalent course. -.Preferably, they should have taken a course in journalism at the University of London, or some other British University. They must -satisfy the trustees in respect of their, health and educational qualifications, and of their freedom from sectional politics and- propaganda-. There would be no objection to students contributing articles to newspapers en route, but they should not seek employment either on a- resident staff or as a travelling correspondent during the tenure of the scholarship. The £4OO would be paid quarterly in advance, and on their return to- England the students would he required to produce a report, or thesis, embodying their individual researches or conclusions. To- start three travelling students a year, it would be necessary to- have a fund sufficient to produce an annual income of not less than £ISOO. TRUE SERVANT OF EMPIRE. Lord Burnham, who presided at the luncheon," "said that Sir Robert Donald’s career, which he reviewed, showed that he was a, true servant of Empire, even as he was a true servant of the British public, Mr. T. P. O’Connor, M.P., claimed to have created Robert Donald. If he did not give him his first job in London, he gave him one of his first. He (Mr. O’Connor) had created many famous men .in Fleet Street. Mr. Bernard Shaw was the first. “How little I realised,” remarked Mr. O’Connor, “when 1 was paying Mr. Shaw £2 10s a. week, what a terriffic Frankenstein I was making”’ (Laughter.) Sir Robert Donald’s career had been one of unbroken consistency and integrity. His work bad been mainly professional; but he,had done much public work, and his service towards the improvement of Imperial communications. telegraphic and wireless, was that of an Empire-builder. In the recognition now given to Sir Robert Dopald, they saw the recognition of the great- position to which journalism had attained in the half-century that the speaker had lived through in the nrofession.