Governorship

Sir A. Grantham

From Fiji to Hong Kong Governorship

QUICK promotion has come to Sir Alexander Grantham, KCMG, who was appointed Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific a little over two years ago. He had been Colonial Secretary in Jamaica in 1938-41, and Chief Secretary in Nigeria from 1941 until 1944; and he was stili plain Mr. Grantham when he arrived in Fiji—he was knighted a few months later.

He has now been selected to follow Sir Mark Young (retired) as Governor of Hong Kong, which is a position of peculiar difficulty and complexity at the present time. Sir Alexander was in the British Colonial Service in Hong Kong from 1922 to 1935, and has a close and intimate knowledge of conditions there.

It was there, also, he met and married, in 1925, Miss Maurine Samson, of San Francisco—the charming little lady who nas endeared herself to Fiji people as Lady Grantham.

The announcement of Sir Alexander’s appointment to the Far East came as a shock to the communities of Fiji and the Territories of the Western Pacific. Fiji has had a rapid series of Governors since the departure of Sir Murchison Fletcher; and, without making invidious distinctions, it can be said that none of them more quickly reached the heart and confidence of the people than did Sir Alexander Grantham.

While both he and Lady Grantham maintained, strictly, the status and dignity of their high office, their simple friendli ness, and their sincere wish to hold the balance of justice fairly between the often conflicting interests of four races, soon won for them the goodwill of every com munity and class.

In 1946, as this new Governor took hold of Fiji’s many thorny problems, and as his good and wise influence was felt, the Colony knew more political peace than had been the case for many years. His de parture, just at a time when these prob lems are being “lined up,” and various questions affecting the Indian community are developing, is a calamity.

Similarly, Sir Alexander had taken a firm grip on some pretty difficult prob lems in the Territories of the Western Pacific, and was slowly but surely bending them to the right shape. His departure, almost simultaneously with the retirement of Mr. H. H. Vaskess (whose long service and specialised knowledge will be better appreciated in the Commission after he has gone), may easily lead to a period of uncertainty and stagnation.

However, the position at Hong Kong, under present conditions, is a very diffi cult one to fill; and this appointment— although unfortunate for Fiji—is a marked

tribute to the quality of Sir Alexander Grantham and his lady. No Fiji Governor’s wife has shown a keener ap preciation of her duty than has Lady Grantham during- the past two years— her work on behalf of all kinds of organ isations for the public good, and for help ing Britain, wiil long be remembered in the Colony. Both will carry with them the sincere good wishes of all classes in the South Pacific Territories.

Sir Alexander and Lady Grantham were to depart from Fiji in March, for the United Kingdom, on special leave. That programme will be carried out; but they will go direct to Hong Kong from London, and will not return to Fiji.

There had been no indication, up to the end of March, of Sir Alexander’s suc cessor in Fiji.

THE Secretary of State for the Colonies said, on March 19: “I feel sure that the people of Fiji and the Western Pacific High Commission territories will learn with very real re gret that Sir Alexander Grantham will not be returning to Fiji, after his leave.

“In view of the important programme of development which is pending in Fiji and the Western Pacific High Commission.

I regret that it has been, necessary to ask Sir Alexander Grantham to under take another Governorship, after such a comparatively short term in those Terri tories where he has done such excellent work, but there are problems of particu lar complexity and difficulty in Hong Kong at this juncture, and I am anxious that Sir Alexander Grantham’s experience of that Colony should be utilised in dealing with those problems.’’

In the course of a sermon delivered at St. John’s Cathedral, Brisbane, recently, The Right Rev. W. H. Baddeley, retiring Bishop of Melanesia, said that the con ditions under which natives lived in some of the Melanesian islands would shock and surprise members of the Australian

church, which had always been regarded

as responsible for Melanesia. What those people needed was not a parson, but a doctor. The cleansing of mind and heal ing of soul was needed; but so was med ical care, new joys, new outlooks, new life. Nothing must be left undone to help those people.

Sir Alexander Grantham.

Lady Grantham.