The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7,1912. A WAR CORRESPONDENT. RHODESIA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 63, 7 November 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7,1912. A WAR CORRESPONDENT.

RHODESIA.

Possibly many' of our readers may not be aware that Martin Henry Donohoe, the war correspondent whose great account of the rout of the Turkish Army we published a few days ago, is a colonial journalist. Christchurch “Evening News” states that Mr Donohoe was born in County Galway, Ireland, forty-three years ago, but he began his journalistic career on the French newspaper of Sydney in 1892, and subsequently joined the “Evening News” staff, and further emphasised Ids Australianisation by marrying a clever Australian girl tea'ter, who was identified with various w mien's' movements. While on the “Nows,” he was an undistinguished, but most painstaking, hard-working, and de-servedly-liked reporter, and in that capacity pricked the Rougemont bubble. His real career, however, was destined to be in a wider field than Australia afforded. He was interested in volunteering. He became a member of the crack New South Wales Lancer Regiment (now the First Australian Horse), and made one of the contingent which went to Aldershot for training. There it was noted for its efficiency, and set out for home via the Cape, having done well what it was sent to do. But when it reached Capetown it found the Boer war in full swing, and in spite of the extraordinary decision of the War Office that it did not want mounted men from the colonies, it volunteered, was at once sent to the front, and, under General French, highly distinguished itself, and formed a text from which the purblind individuals in the War Office suddenly saw light and reversed their previous decision. With the forces was Mr Lambm, an (Australian journalist acting for the London “Daily Chronicle” and Australian papers, and on bis death the journalistic member of the Lancers immediately took up Ills despatches, and did so well that be was speedily made the “Chronicle’s” regular correspondent and detached

from his troop. He did distinguished work iu every big movement in the war; incidentally was captured, and

released at the tall of Pretoria; went through the Kusso-.Japano.se war witii tne Jirst army under Kuroki, and travelled extensively for his paper, doing great functions for it; was in Constantinople when it fell to the Young Turks and through the revolu-

lion, was the lirst to interview the new Sultan, and got a similarly exclusive scoop of the Portuguese revolution, escaping from Lisbon with his account of the 'street lighting. And now he has made a bigger scoop still by being the only correspondent to get away an account of the last great battle.

)ne factor has been Mr Donohoe’s ex-

cellent French, an accomplishment which his wife shares with him. It has helped him immensely in foreign campaigns, and it has made him, when not on the warpath, Paris representative of the Daily (Chronicle, installed in

a delightful suite, where tie is the same competent, unassuming, goodhearted fellow to his. old friends that he was when he was a reporter on the Sydney daily.

The settlers of Rhodesia are determined to take a full share in the future government of that country and they hope to enlist the sympathy and support of Britain’s people and Parliament. The London correspondent of l the “Manchester Guardian” states that contrary to expectation, there seems to be a pretty general consensus of opinion in favour standing outside the Union of South Africa. Next arises the question, What is to be done about the Chartered Company? Here opinion is somewhat divided. No one wishes to deal harshly or inequitably with the Company, | blit an overwhelming body of public opinion is opposed to the retention oi its rule beyond the date of the expiration of its charter next year. Full acknowledgment is made of what has been done for the country by the Com- j pany, but at the same time it is believed that the system of administration pursued up to the present proved a hindrance to the progress of development, and that the time has arrived when this system should be supplanted by a form of government in which those who bear the cost of the administration should have a larger share in the direction of its affairs and should exercise full control over the revenue and expenditure of the country. To achieve these ends an appeal is to be made to the Imperial Government to grant Rhodesia responsible government similar to that enjoyed by the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony before the Union., Should this appeal not meet at once with a favourable response the Government will be asked in the alternative to establish pro tem. representative government on the most advanced principles of Crown colony government. Even with the limitations inseparable, from such a system the reform party feel that it would be preferable to the existing rule. Some of the chief objections put forward by them against the present system are (1) that the Company contributes nothing towards the cost of administration; (2) that all departments of the Government and the Civil Service are controlled by the Company, who have free use of some of them; and (3) that the -assets of the Company are policed free of cost. It must, however, hi pointed out that the Company has at times allocated considerable sums towards the maintenance of some Of these services.