The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-27
GOV. SWETTENHAM
Interesting Personal Sketch q the jamaican Po.satate
An Energetic Colonial Official

The following sketch Of Sir James Alex
ander Swettenham, governor Of Jamaica,
reprinted from the New York Evening
Post, was written by newspaper man
now in Montreal, who was subeditor Of
The Daily Chronicle and afterWard edi-
tor Of The Argosy in Georgetown, Dema-
rara, when Sir alexander was governor
OF that colony. and had a personal ac-
quaintance with him. The writer also has
worked in Ceylon and Cyprus and has
personal knowledge Of Swettenbam's
work in both islands.
Sixty-one years old, with the physical
energy and. vigor Of a man OF thirty; six
feet TALL muscular. commanding, imperi-
Gus, rudy face; steel-gray eyes. keep
as "a hawks. There you have Sir James
Alexander Swettenham. governor and
commander in-ehief Of the island Of Ja-
u57iie= and its dependencies, and the man
upon whom the burden OF che present
situation 10 that island has fallen This
man has been fighter all his life. He
served his apprenticeship 10 the British
colonial civil service IN CeyIon and Cy-
prus. raw clerk. he worked quietly
when other men were busy with tennis
racket or idling in the clubs. lie delyed
iu the ancient literature Of the island.
studied the native in his native haunts,
and one day astonlshed his chief by
suggestions so sound. so far-seeing. and
so practical that they were brought TO
the notice Of the governor. who swore
at the junior clerks presumption-and
adopted the suggestions as his own.
In cyprus he followed the same line Of
action. studying the people. getting near
to them. striving 20 feel with their feel
ings. think with their thought He was
feeling for "a method. striving for q sys-
tenn And when his chance came, he had
found both.
When. some fourteen years ago. he
became colonial secretary OF the Straits
Settlements. with his brother, Sir
Frank Athelstane SWsttenham. as gov
eruor-in-chief. the civil service world
knew he would either fail and drop into
insiguifcauce. or succeed and rise TO the
top They were inclined 20 prophesy for
him the former fate. But he deceived
them ali.
In Straits settlements.
The Straits Settlements were a burden,
financially and in every other sense, 70
the British government The country was
uudeveloped the natives were unhappy
and disconnected; commerce was a neg
Iigible quantity. and gloom in the minds
OF the people and the government alike.
The Swettenhams changed all that Find
ing that the natives could not be per
suaded To work, they determined TO
teach chem by another method. They
imported labor from the neighbOring
British States. set about road-making,
railway construction, the establishment
of towns. the development Of trade, the
creation Of a popular reliance in sympa-
thy for British d0ggedness. determine
ton. and capacity 20 achieve.
il was often difficult and dangerous
work The MaIays are the reverse Of
lamblike. and their prejudices and their
ways alike extensive and peculiar. But
tEe cool. UnyieldiHg spirit Of the colonial
secretary first astounded them. and later
compelled their unwilling admiration.
They could not brighten him with
wariike demonstrations. they could not
turn him from his purpose with threats
Little by little the natives feil under
the spell of his dominating person, little
by little they Acknowledged the force Of
his sway. and then they cETisteued him
Master 81 Warriors" When he left the
Straits Settlements 20 become governor
of British Guiana. the country was
being rapidly developed. trade was flour
fishing. towns We're springing up every
where. the people were beginning 90 take
"a ride IN action, and the colony Tot only
showed "a handsome yearly surplus, but
made itself unique by contributing alone
among all the colonies Of the British
empire 20 the revenue of the crown
In British Guiana.
Ia British Guiana he met task worthy
Of his powers. The negroes. who consti-
rute the great bulk of the population.
were incensed against the planters for i'm
porting coolie labor They were disin-
cIiued 10 comply whh the requirements
of the education code; they were deter
mined to make trouble. Alexander SWEET
Jeuham put stop to all that He told
them that. since they declined 10 work
on the sugar plantations. upon which the
commerce of the whole colony depended.
they must be content 20 let the coolies
work. and since the sugar industry sup
ported them all. they must pay their
share Of the cost of immigration. He de-
yised a new educational code, which he