THE LONDON TIMES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2474, 31 August 1922, Page 4

THE LONDON TIMES.

QUESTION OF FUTURE CONTROL. LORD XORTIICLIFFITS INTENTIONS. LONDON, Aug. 26. Mr I’. L. Garvin, writing in the Obserstates : “There are intmy aspirants to succeed Lord Northcliffe as chief proprietor, ver on tho future ownership of tho Times, and tho keenest competition is expected. Tho aspirants mentioned include Sir John Ellerman (now tho second largest shareholder). Lord Rothermere, Lord Beaverbrook (owner of the Daily Express), Sir Mackav Edgar (owner of the Saturday Review), and Sir William Berry (who with his brother purchased the Sunday Times, Graphic and the Cassells publishing business). Mr Garvin reveals.'Riat Lord Northcliffe and his wealthy frmids, including Mr Berry, will make desperate efforts to secure the Times, but he considers that Lord Northcliffe took steps in his will to pm vent the paper falling into such hands, lie estimates that Lord Northcliffe directly and indirectly paid £900,000 to get control of the Times and the proprietorship cost him from first to last £2,500,000. Mr Garvins reveals that Lord Northcliffe once intended and discussed with him tho framing of a will something like Cecil Rhodes’, under which the Times would be endowed permanently as a national organ above all petty influences, an impartial recorder of tho world’s events, and would become Lord Northcliflo’s own great monument for ever. In later years Lord Northcliffe’s attitude on the matter changed, but ho retained the intention of dominating the future of the Times by his will. This would involve enormous expense, and it remains to be seen when the contents of the will are disclosed whether he attempted to carry out such a plan.—A. and N.Z. cable.