THE HARMSWORTH STAR

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 19 October 1917, Page 1

THE HARMSWORTH STAR

IX piEjASCENDANT. Lord Xorthdifljl the extra-British War Ambassador to t§|f United States-, is one of a large family ogpnen who have made collective and individual successes in Britain seldom equalled by any similar brotherhood. They are known to public fame as the Haraisworths, In the family, whose mother still lives, there are three sisters and seven brothers—the latter named respectively Alfred., Harold. Cecil. Robert Leicester. Hildebrand, St. John, and Vyvyan. Lord NorthclifEe' is 52 years of age, and he began his journalistic career at the age of 16. After a spell of work for Mi* R. Henderson, a wortliv old London Scot., who published much of R. L. Stevenson's 'fiction in his 'Young Folks' and "Weekly Budget 1 ' (now defunct, but which , had a great vogue in England in the eighties), lie was associated with Sir George Mawnes and Sir Arthur Pearson on various .publications- under the former's control. With, this he also did it lot of free-lance work for morning and/evening papers., Then Alfred Harms\vorth resolved to start a paper on his own account. Borrowing the money, he launched ' Answers,' the popular British weekly, following this with 'Sunday Companion,' 'Home Chat,' and others, numbering probably 50 weekly and monthly publications, issued by the successful organisation known as>the Amalgamated Press, whose dividends for the last 12 years have averaged 40 per cent, per annum. PAPERS HIS GREATEST HOBBY. The greatest exponents of Lord Xorlhclift'e's public fame, however, are his papers, ''Hie Times' and the 'Daily Mail,' and he is also principal proprietor of the ' Evening News' and ' Weekly Dispatch'—all London papers of great influence and large circulation. " On the Continent the Paris edition of the 'Daily Mail' is the. leading journal among the English-speaking races, and Berlin has pronounced its bitterest curses on its proprietor—which is undying fame.' Lord Xorthclift'e's pioneer work at various stages of the war has resulted in much advantage to his country and the British Empire. His propaganda- in regard to munitions and recruiting were in advance of public opinion for some time, but they were afterwards justified in their results. In 1904 Alfred Haimsworth was created a baronet, but the following year King Edward made him a- peer, under the title of Baron Northcliffe of the Isle of Thanet. Harold Harmsworth has been a " great power at his brother's elbow" in <«ill his varied schemes, and he is regarded as the financial genius of the family. He is, besides being a large shareholder in the Amalgamated Press, the principal proprietor of the 'London Daily Mirror' and tho ' Sunday Pictorial,' two most successful picture papers, and lie also owns the Glasgow 'Daily Record' and the Leeds ' .Mercury.' In 1910 he became Sir Harold Harmsworth, Bart., but four years later followed his brother to the House of Lords, -being made Lord Rothermore of Hemsted by King George. AIDED' THE TERRITORIALS. Among his many public services is the great assistance he rendered to the County Territorial Associations of Great Britain at the critical periods of their formation. The success of the well-known Union Jack Club, the fine hostel for soldiers and sailors near Waterloo Station, .London, is also iargelv due to his generous and unswerving.

support. His latest service to the State is to bo the honorary director of the Royal Clothing Factories at Pimlico, London, to which he ..was appointed by the Prime Minister after much mismanagement had "hindered the national work. Needless to say, the work of such a business man" there as Lord'- Rothermore lias given great satisfaction. Mr Cecil Harmsworth, M.P., is a genial politician, who will be heard of more when the war is-over and the works of peace are active again. He represents South Bedfordshire in the House of Commons, and is 47 years of age. He was Parliamentary Secretary to Mr Rungiman when the latter was President of the Board of Agriculture, and afterward he became Under Secretary", for Home Affairs.' On the Coalition Government being formed he went with Mr M'Kenna from toe Home Office to be his Parliamentary Secretary at' the Treasury. Then life was appointed the chairman of the Government Committee fco organise woman s work, which, was the precurser of the present . National Service movement among women, which is having, such great success in that section of Great Biitam $ war organisation. jVIr jJarmsWorths latest post is that-.of chairman of the committee for organising supplies of fish tor national consumption, a very practical work for the State. . ,THE SCHOLAR OF THE FAMILY. . Cecil Harmsworth has been associated with his brother for the . past 25 years in the work of the Amalgamated •tress, in his scholastic days he took high literary honors at his university. being the- senior moderator in literature ''and Stewart scholar of his year, A short time ago he bought l)r Johnstons house, in Gough square, Fleet street, London,'and gave it as a free gilt to tlie nation—" A tribute from an ardent Radical to a bigoted lory, was the way lie himself happily pnrased it! The fourth brother, Robert -Leicester .Harmsworth, has been M.P. for Caithness, -Scotland, for 17 years, and is greatly interested in land questions. He is now solely devoted to politics, and takes no l J ait m journalism. Manv youne journalists have found a good friend in him. Hiloebuind Harmsworth lias been the free lance oi the brotherhood, going in for journalism, politics, and cattle breeding. He contested Uravesend, England, as a Liberal rVT sgf\s gf \, h ;7 in S for Jlis opponent in* mend, Sir Gilbert Parker, the wellkuown novelist. A few years later he again entered the iists, and- unsuecessfully ooutested mid-Salop as a tariff reformer, v- Uvo younger brothers, St. John and V yvyan Harmsworth, have not" loomed large \et m public life, but are serving their country. The latter was actively associated with the Pans • Daily Mail"' belore th© -war.