Evening star., 1922-02-19

ed Sir BASH, but was severely Warned
and then handed over TO the charge
Of her family"
wish I had space here to tell in
full the picturesque story of how Sir
Basil, then only twenty-nine, came TO
be appointed prime minister of the
Tongan archipelago and official elder
brother" to dusky monarch aged
ninety. As 1t is one must be content
with stating that he took over this
Office after the expulsion from the
islands Of a former Wesleyan clergy
man. the Rev. Shirley Barker. a re-
ligious fraud of the rst water, who
acquired such an ascendancy over the
aged king that he became premier OF
the Tongan group and concentrated
the administration of the islands III
his hands. Finally he raised such par
hob that the governor OF the
Fiji Islands stepped in,
deported Baker to New Zealand and
put Basil Thomson as he then was.
in his place. The latter didn't relish
the job particularly, but he did his
best and seems to have made dandy
premier. He had previously been a
in New Guinea and, while
carrying on as such, had no end OF
queer experiences.
/ remarked to Sir Basil that few
men living can have had a career as
diversified as his.
4. * 4 X
ssT SUPPOSE that is true he re-
piled, land there is scarcely any,
thing that I learned through my pre-.
vious activities that failed to prove
useful after I got TO Scotland Yard.
Even your observations OF cam
nibalism in Tonea?" ! queried.
Sir Basil smiled.
81 found cannibals or rather for
mer cannibals, for the Tongans had
largely been converted from this prac-
tice before arrived in the islands.
an interesting study" he said. There
was one old fellow particularly with
whom had many enlightening talks.
He had taken part in one of the last
cannibalistic feasts held in Tonga
and had been unlucky in his 'por-
tion.' The man eaten was a mission
ary named Baker. He was a recent
arrival from England and fun of zeal.
He was warned against visiting a
certain district, but persisted in doing
so and was c1ubbed TO death and de-
voured. He was a very tall man and
at the time of his capture was wear
ing top-boots. The cannibals showed
him into big oven and roasted him.
boots and all. My friend got one o.
the booted legs for his share am
= 70 inta
the white man is powerful he sal
to re. His skin is so tough"
From cannibals this quick-chaner
conversation switched briskly
anarchists. Sir Be- sill Thomson h;
had, at one time or another, to Ike,
an eye on some Of the most famoL
ones of their time, Malatesta, Farn
ard Polti among the rest.
'Malatesta." he said, was a charr
ing old man-and a great fraud.
noble man by birth he was, in his @
binary life, perfectly dressed ar
groomed He used TO make speech
to anarchist clubs IN Soho and befof
he went on the platform would tran
form himself into a horny-handed so
of toll, putting on a disreputable ol
|
and hands. After spending years /
England and behaving himself we
on the whole. he was sent back
Italy a year or two ago at the reques
of the Italian government. His natiN
atmosphere, however, appears to hal
been too much for him. for he h.
given constant trouble ever since hi
arrival.
s. A ANARCHISTS used to give US
\ good many sleepless nights.
added Sir Basil. but the moveme:
is now practically dead in Englan.
1t collapsed after a bomb had expiod
ed in the pocket of a man who wa
on his way to wreck the Greenwich.
Observatory and blew him in pieces
His fellow anarchists Immediately de-
cided to give him a public funeral
The police were urged to forbid this,
but we thought it good policy to let
il take place and observe by whom ii
was attended. The public, however.
took things into their own hands. The
procession was attacked and broken
up and the organizers severely han
died. Since then we have not had to
concern ourselves greatly with an
archists."
In talking OF the work of the Brit
fish secret service during the war Sir
Basil paid a high compliment to the
American intelligence officers with
whom he worked in close co-opera-
tion after the United States came in.
1--WE at the Yard had a preliminary
idea that the Americans would be un-
willing to learn from us, but they soon
showed us how mistaken we had been.
They had the senee to realize that we
had bought our experience dearly and
we could not tell them too much to
please them. And once they had built
up their intelligence service I am not
at all sure that it was not better than
ours. However, we benefited by it.
for before long It was decided that
the two services should pool their in
formation. and thus repetition was
avoided and both governments got
double supply. In Col. Van Deman.
Gen. Churchill and Col. Woods. par
ticularly. the United States has three
intelligence officers Of altogether ex-
ceptional ability"
Asked what particular type OF po-
litical agitator has. during his period
of service. given Scotland Yard most
trouble, Sir Basil replied: THE Rus
sian bolshevist ernissaries, unQues-
tionably. In their ease you had, for
the first time in history, people bent
on fomenting trouble who were well
supplied with money. And in addi-
tion the cleverest propagandists on
record. But the danger from boil