New-York tribune., 1905-08-07
WHO SIR DONALD IS

Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace dean of the army
of newspaper representatives assembled to-day a
Portsmouth n. H, like many other learned
Englishmen, is a graduate of several German uni
versities. and has likewise taken a degree at the
Ecoe de Drot at Paris. Indeed. he devoted
TO Heidelberg and to everything pertaining to its
university that he contemplating becoming
professor that great international seat of learn
ing, when invitation by Russian friends to stay
at st. Petersburg changed the whole course of his
life He went to Russia, in response to this in
Vitation, with the intention of remaining a few
weeks. in 1859, but remained there nearly
years, learning the language, spending his winters
in ST. Petersburg and Moscow, going great deal
into society, while his summers devoted
wandering about the country and collecting in
formation from landed proprietors, merchants,
priests and peasaptry. He thereupon wrote
haustive book upon Russia. But it written in
the German PROFESSIONAL style. and though methodi
CAL thorough and instructive was so supremely
unreadable that no English publisher could touch
It, He then wisely wrote a short compendium of
this book which, under the title of Russia"
achieved a gigantic success, and has since
been regarded in Russia and abroad the most
authoritative and reliable of standard works
the land of the Cars. This book had sooner
appeared than The London Times appointed its
author its correspondent at St Petersburg, and
then shifted him TO Constantinople. where he made
the acquaintance of the Ambassador Lord Dufferin,
with whom he afterward went to Egypt subsequent
to the bombardment of Alexandria. On Lord Duff
appointed NiCerOy
Wallace the private secTetaryship which has often
been described as akin the Premiership OF India.
In in India the general opinion prevails that
it is much more important to have good private
secretary than a first class vceroy. and It must
be remembered that Lord Cromer. the regenerator
of Egypt. first won fame and prominence private
secretary TO his cousin the late Lord Northbrook,
while the latter was Governor General Of India
For his services to Lord Dufferin. Wallace was
knghted. receiving the Order of the Indian Empire.
and so highly valued was his work that when Lord
Lansdowne became vceroy he insisted "a Sir
Donald remaining with him for year as priv ate
secretary in order to get things into working order
On Sir Donald's return to England he offered,
and accepted the foreign editorshp of THE London
Times but in $780, the personal request of the
late Emperor Alexander III, placed in charge
of the party of the present Car and of his younger
brother, Grand Duke George, during their six
months sojourn in India, acting as their mentor
and their guide and averting many "contre-
temps" by his prudence, tact and foresight
King Edward took a great liking to him and
appointed him to the staff of the present Prince of
Wales when the latter made his progress to the
various British colonies board the Ophir, and
the voyage brought about so friendship
the part of the Prince and Princess Of Wales for
Sir Donald that they still regard him to this day
as an honorary member of their household, consult
him about all sorts of things, and frequently have
him TO stay with them Frogmore and at San
dringham He is about sixty-four years of age can
hardly be called a self-made man, since he in
herited from his parents, who died in his early
childhood, about $500 year. and was brought up
by his guardian, the celebrated painter, Sir Noel
Patton who filled in every respect towards him
the role of the k1ndliest of fathers. 1t only
after graduating the universities of Glasgow
and Fdinburgh that he went to Heidelberg. Just
now he is over here the head OF the delegation
of .aThe London Times" correspondents to record
and watch the peace congress at Portsmouth.