The sun., 1919-02-09
Retiring Master of Carmelite House
Kept Track of Least Detail-His
London Times" Successor

word with the chief reporter and then
as his eye flashed around the room
he saw on the notice board above the
mantel hasty pencil sketch of him
self. exaggerating some OF his fea-
lures. Who did this?" he exclaimed,
and as the room did not know wheth-
er he was Joking or not there was si-
lence as every one bent to their work.
He borrowed a pencil from me and
wrote beneath it, please don't libel
me-" There was n twinkle in his eye.
Let reporter or a sube ditor fall Ill
or become run down" and he would
not only be provided with medical at
tendance, but would, II the case neces-
STATED it. be sent to a suitable climate
abroad for months at a time in order
to recuperate. entirely at the firms
expense. l remember one reporter who
became secretary for q time, and
Northcliffe, or Alfred as he was
known behind his back. burst into his
room one morning and fiinging
glance at the man said, You look I'M
well; you want a holiday. Go at once"
OVERRIDE secretary's Protest.
His secretary protested he was all
right.
II know what 1t is" said the chief
| acidly. You are like all the other
young men here. You spend your sal
airy as you get 1t and now you have
no money to go away"
He cut the matter short by drawing
4 check for $3.50, and handing it to
the secretary told him to leave for a
holiday the next day.
One is often asked what Lord North
life Is Ike 10 look az. Picture q
squarely built man, heavy in the
shoulders, who always walks quickly
with short steps; a man with a head
at once massive and boyish, with
great square forehead, over which a
lock OF hair drops pendulously-Bis-
| MARKHAM chin, a big mouth. which
sinks at the corners, an aquiline, we'll
formed nose, wide open eyes, which
| hide instead Of betraying thoughts and
passions. There he Is, externally.
Yet the description conveys little.
1t is mood which gives him his Won
derful variety. At all times energy
| flickers from him like tightening. but
nevertheless he is an entirely different
man on different occasions. See him in
attack. Head sunk deep in the Shout
| ders, brows lowered. he scatters nimble
! words which scar and burn. With all
the impetuosity OF a schoolboy he
pours forth truths that never fail to
scarify or destroy. Ruthless and
merciless he can break a mans spirit
or subdue a bully with marvellous
| celebrity. He can scatter an insincere
nuisance, explode a clever buffer with
fnn
! There Is youthfulness in It all, almost
childishness at times, and yet also a
| ferocious intentness which never fails.
Inspired All With Devotion.
Is It possible for the reader to recon-
| Gle this picture with the fact that AL
, fred Harmsworth has inspired his en-
| ployees not merely with enthusiasm.
| sut with devotion. and that most OF
those who have been in closest relation
with him have felt the touch Of affec-
ton?
l think that one Of the secrets OF
| Lord Northcliffe's success has been
his extraordinary power OF concentra-
| ton. As the controller and business
| owner OF journalistic businesses worth
| in the aggregate tens Of millions OF
| dollars, he would often and regularly
| fasten on some weak point in one or
other of his papers. and devote him
self, possibly for days and practically
to the exclusion OF everything else.
| until he had remedied matters.
Or an idea would strike him for. say.
the Daily Mall, or one of his other
dailles, or one OF his magazines. and
he would throw himself whole heart
edly into It, gather around him the
best brains at his disposal and never
stop his efforts until he had achieved
success.
He could be fierce in condemnation,
but no one was swifter In praise. A
correspondent who went to the centre
Of some political activity. some big
mystery or catastrophe, would have
but one task in front Of him-namely.
to beat the other papers, first in the
accuracy, second in the picturesque
ness with which the story was told.
| He would be stinted in neither money
nor assistance, but he must not be
beaten by any OF his competitors from
other papers, and IL he could produce
I a better story. well. then he had fully
accomplished his mission and during
the day on which his story was pub
lished would certainly get n warm con-
gratulatory telegram from Lord
Northcliffe.
The chief always wanted his men to
be ambitious. A story Of him was
lcurrent some years ago to this effect:
He met a sub editor in the corridor and
as he often would had stopped him for
few words OF conversation.
How are you getting on?
u "Excellently, thanks" .,.