Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-14
FOREIGN NEWS NOTES

London, May 1.-THE secret Of the
retirement Of Sir Percy Girouard from
the Imperial service to Join the board
OF directors Of the great shipbuilding
6rm OF Messrs. armstrong, Whit
worth & Co., is out.
Sir Percy is a Canadian by birth,
and he Is about to return TO the do
minion TO advise Cd the suitability of
certain Canadian ports for the con-
stTuction OF docks and other engineer
ing works in connection with future
shipbuilding. He will also consult
with the dominion ministers in regard
TO the dry docks to be built at Hall
fax, Quebec and Esqu!malt. II is un-
derstood that the private tenders for
these docks having proved unsatisfac-
tory the Canadian government have
decided 10 build them themselves.
Sir Percy Giouard was born IN
Montreal. He Joined the royal engi-
neers, and making railway construc-
ton a specially, rendered splendid
service to Great Britain in Egypt and
South Africa. He built the railway
which took Kitchener to Khartoum;
recognized the Egyptian railways,
and when Kitchener went % South
Africa to conclude the South African
war, he Immediately sent for the
French Canadian, who became com
missioner OF railways in the Transvaal
and Orange river colony, rebuilding
what had been destroyed during the
war. a few years in Nigeria and East
fri oh Of Of he adv mi IN gfr "a
of those colonies, and Sir Percy re-
signed to go into the shipbuilding bus
mess.
His withdrawal from the govern
ment service gave rise to a contro-
versy as 20 whether the Imperial gov
eminent paid its servants sufficient to
retain them when big salaries were
offered by private concerns. Many a
man who would have rendered inval
liable service to the country has been
attracted by the salaries offering in
private life, and most OF the big chip
building yards and other engineering
works are now headed by former Off
GERS of the navy and army.
The habit OF English newspapers OF
clubbing every American who, for any
reason, worthy or otherwise, is con
sidered worth headlines, AN Ameri
can Millionaire" has at last aroused
q protest from Americans living il
England.
The habit was never better exemp
lifted than in a recent case Of the dis
appearance in London of an American
visitor. Every paper in London anC
most of those in the country cam,
out with big headlines, in every ont
Of which the words American" ant
millionaire" were conspicuous. New
agencies are constantly sending on
stories Of the adventures of "Ameri
can Millionaire" who upon, investi
cation, prove to be someone who's
name is not known outside his Owl
home town, and who had in all prob
ability saved for years the few do
lars that enabled him to come owe
to England.
This habit OF the English has It
inconvenience for Americans travel
iug or living in the country Their
arc always two prices at the hotel
and other places for the rich" Amer
lean and the touring Englishman. Thi
is what aroused the protest of a
American living in the country. II
prayed the papers to stop It, sayin
he found his cost of living very muc
greater than his English neighbor.
Tho man VINO has the greatest gTie,
ance, however is an Englishman VIII
has married an American "hciress
so called His name got into a lis
OF foreigners who had married 70
tunes in America, and was duly pul
lished in England. He now explain
in letter to the papers that his VIII
did not bring him a fortune, and thi
the prevailing belief in her grea
wealth Is causing them great emba
rassment, not the least of which