Annie Besant Celebrates Her Eightieth Birthday

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 164, 1 October 1927, Page 24 (Supplement)

Annie Besant Celebrates Her Eightieth Birthday

To-day is the 80lh birthday of Dr. Annie Besant., and the following interesting tributes paid to her life and work have been compiled for publication by Miss Ruth Colebrook ...

»LL over tJie world, the members of the numerous organisations and associations with which she is connected are justly proud of their famous leader, guide, philosopher and friend, Dr. Annie Besant, who is celebrating her 80th birthday to-day. Fifty-three years ago she commenced her career of public service, and at 80 is still doing an amount of work that might well appal a strong man of half her years. On July 23, 1924, the Queen’s Hall, London, was crowded with people who had come to do honour to Dr, Besant on the completion of 50 years of public work. Fully 500 delegates from many and various organisations, representing almost every branch of progressive work in the world, were present. Of her perpetual youth and energy, Major D. Graham Pole, chairman of the meeting, said: “1 know of no one who, In Kipling's words, ‘Can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of work well done’ more than Dr. Besant.” Of her courage as a pioneer of many movements, Mr. J. Ramsay Macdonald, at that time Prime Minister of England, said: “Mrs. Besant’s 50 years of public work have been years of much strife, as all pioneering years must be. May she live long: yet to see the world go on.” Of her energy and devotion to the common good, Lord Haldane said: “Her life has been one of high public spirit and of strenuous purpose in its execution. She is an eld friend of mine in addition." Dr. Besant is the lion, commissioner of the Boy Scouts for all India, and on this same occasion Lieut.-General Sir Robert Baden-Powell wrote: “I am very sorry that it will be impossible for me to be present at the jubilee demonstration to Dr. Besant. I should much have liked to. testify to the great work she has done at Adyar for the young people of India.

Her promotion of the spirit and practice of goodwill and co-operation gives the promise ot‘ happier relations between the nations in' the next generation.” Of her statesmanship, Lord Willingdon, who had just returned from five years’ Governorship of Madras, and who has been hailed as one of the greatest of our Pro-Consuls, wrote: “Having only had the privilege of the personal acquaintance and friendship of Dr. Besant for the past five years, I hardly know if I am qualified to join in the congratulations to her on this occasion; but I should much like to be allowed to do so, for I am anxious to express my very sincere personal gratitude to her for her constant support and assistance lo myself during those years in upholding and promoting the cause of constitutional progress in the Madras Presidency. May I therefore be allowed io add my tribute to the many she will receive from others, and express the very sincere hope that she may be long spared to help in guiding India on sound and constitutional lines to her goal of responsible government.” (Continued on Page 25.)