MISS LOUISE MACK.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 July 1920, Page 1

MISS LOUISE MACK.

WAit CORRESPONDENT, AUTHOR- , ESS, LECTURER AND TRAVELLER.

Calling upon Miss Louise Mack at her hotel, a member of the “Guardian” .stall', was accorded an interesting interview this morning. Miss Mack was in London when the war broke out and went straight to the front as V.A.D. and war correspondent for the “Times” and the "Mail.” That was in the first week of the war. Miss Mack was given her commission by Lord Northcliffe, who has been a personal friend of hers for many years. “Northcliffe lias the strangest personality of anyone 1 have ever met,” says Miss Mack. “He is like a big boy to look at, with a broad (•.lean-shaven face, blue eyes, and a line brow. In his youth lie overworked, reading everything that went into all his papers, and at forty lie was threatened with senile decay. For live years lie had to knock off completely, but at the. end of that time lie had entirely recovered, and began to work harder than ever. Irritable, restless, uncannily shrewd ns a newspaper man, lie is either hated or adored by those who know him. His acumen is so acute that if the circulation of one of his papers goes down, he finds out at once what is wrong, puts his finger on the spot, and in a few days the circulation of that paper begins to go up. He has a plan for discovering talent in younger men ,and his greatest merit perhaps is this: lie gives younger men their chance. He trusts them absolutely, if at all. Pays them handsomely, gives men carte blanche. After G. W. fjteeven’s death in Ladysmith Northcliffe settled £SOO a year for life on Mrs Steevens, the widow of that greatest of all war correspondents. Hamilton Fyfe, Harold Begbic, Phillip Gibbs, Lovat Fraser, are all among Nortiieliffe’s young men.

Miss Mack had much to say of her literary circle in London. -Mv dearest friend there is Berta Ruck. She is the wife of Oliver Onions, author of the Complete Bachelor. Berta Ruch is a tall black-haired woman with a pale ironic face, and a delicious wit. She lias a theory Chat any woman can marry any man she chooses, and mentions that she married Oliver in spite of the fact that he didn’t care for her at first, and was even engaged to another woman. But she knew she was the right woman for him .and after eleven years Oliver proposed. They have two little hoys, and live at Hampstead. Berta Ruch is now the most popular writer in England. Although she calls her hooks “rubbish,” and her husband’s book “the real thing” the public loves her, and she is making • £6,000 a year. For years Berta Buell’s tales appeared only in Nortiieliffe’s little weekly “Home Chat.” Then Hu tell insou’s offered to bring out in hook form “ His Official Finance©,” (published as a serial in “ Home Chat”). That hook took tho world by storm; it was so gay, so fresh. And in a moment the Oliver Onions, who had been poor and struggling for years, stepped into ease and affluence.

Another friend of Miss Mack’s was the late Dora Sigerson (Mrs Clement Shorter). 11 Her death was a great grief to me,” said Miss Mack. She was such a beautiful creature, a true poetess, hut she took the wrongs of Ireland so to heart that she literally died for love of the Dark Rosnleen. At her charming house in St. John’s Wood all literary London was wont to gather. Clement Shorter, her husband, is a great critic, and editor of the “ Sphere,” and “The Tattler.” Their house was simply overrun with hooks, every room being eventually turned into a library, and lined from floor to ceiling with hooks in every language under the sun. I often met W. B. Yeats, the poet and dramatist, at that house. For many years lie had been hopelessly in love with Maud Gonne. One night he told us a little story about the beautiful Maud. A wealthy French Marquis wanted to marry her. She refused him. She said “ It would not be a beautiful tiling for Maud Gonne to marry n rich man.” After Yeats had told that story Mrs Shorter whispered to me, happily, “ Willie’s getting over it! ” Miss Mack is a great traveller and linguist, speaking French, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish and Hindustane. She was horn in Tasmania, and in her girlhood, in Sydney, was woman-editor of the Sydney “ Bulletin.” Twenty years ago she left for Europe, where she has published twenty hooks, mostly published by Fisher Unwin, London. “An Australian Girl in London ” was translated into a dozen languages. “ Tho Romance of a Woman of Thirty,” “The Music Makers,” ” Attraction,” “ The Experiences of a Woman in the Great War,” are other hooks by Louise Mack. For the last three years Miss Mack has been on a grand lecturing tour of the world. Next Wednesday afternoon. Miss Mack will give a special matinee in Hokitika at the Princess Theatre at 2.30, illustrating Her recital by her own Moving Pictures. She will then tell the dramatic story of her own meeting with Edith Cavell. The Canterbury Education Board has asked that those matinees he brought specially before the notice of all the children.